Match Report: Fisher 4-0 Little Common

Fisher 4-0 Little Common
Saturday 19 September 2020
FA Vase – 1st Round Qualifying

Fisher goalscorers:
Rob Brown 9
Tarik Ibrahim 69
Julio Da Mata 88, 90

Attn – 163

Fisher’s FA Vase campaign began with a comprehensive victory over Southern Counties League side Little Common at a sunbathed St Paul’s stadium on Saturday.
From the outset Fisher appeared to be the sharper of the sides and moved the ball with purpose and precision to ensure the majority of play was in the visitors half. A number of early corners for the Fish were just about dealt with by the Little Common defence, featuring former Fisher trialist Taiwo Aliu in goal, but were a sign of a busy afternoon for the custodian.

The opening goal arrived inside ten minutes, when Tarik Ibrahim escaped down the left and pulled the ball back into the path of Rob Brown who gleefully slotted home from eight yards out. In scoring, Brown equalled the Fisher all-time scoring record, drawing level on 35 goals with Damien Ramsamy.

The early goal allowed Fisher to play with freedom and a dominant midfield display saw them have plenty of possession. Jacob Katonia almost doubled the lead when after skipping a couple of tackles in midfield he sent a fizzing drive just wide of the angle of bar and post and good play down the right wing from Malaki Coker saw Christian Udo connecting with his teasing cross only to see his diving header just flash past the post. A flurry of corners ended the half but for all their territorial dominance Fisher only had a single goal lead to show for their endeavour.

The second half began as the first with Fisher very much on the front foot. Tarik Ibrahim had the first chance of the half escaping his marker on the left of the penalty area, but sent his powerful drive over the bar and the visitors keeper saved well with his feet when Ibrahim again threatened. The former Sheppey winger was not to be denied however and when a drilled cross from Luke Thomas was only half cleared to Ibrahim he controlled and shot on the turn from ten yards out to double Fisher’s lead.

Udo almost added a third a minute later when sliding in at the back post only to see keeper Aliu smoother well, but Fisher were now looking rampant. A tiring visiting defence conceded a number of free kicks in dangerous areas around the penalty area and from one well-placed delivery Sam Fitzgerald arrived at the back post to convert with ease only to be denied by a linesman’s flag. A further tired tackle as Harry Main burst onto a through ball saw the visitors centre half given a straight red and whilst the resulting free kick amounted to nothing a third goal seemed likely. It duly arrived when Katonia’s burst into the box forced the keeper to pick up a back pass and the resulting free kick was only blocked into the path of Julio Da Mata who tapped home from close range.

Da Mata has very much started this season in the inspired form he showed in the previous truncated campaign and his energy and industry in midfield is helping the side to tick. He now appears to have added goals to his repertoire and doubled his account to add a fourth when driving out of a midfield tussle, escaping several tackles to fire home via a slight deflection from twenty five yards.

The fourth goal was no more than Fisher deserved as they strode into the next round where they will travel to East Preston, also of the step five Southern Counties League. Before then attention turns to the FA Cup and what promises to be a far more challenging encounter with step three side Cray Wanderers in the FA Cup.