Match Report: AFC Croydon 2-3 Fisher

AFC Croydon Ath 2-3 Fisher
Tuesday 20 october 2020
SCEFL Premier Division

Fish goalscorers:
Tarik Ibrahim 3
Jamie Yila 78
Rob Brown 90+4(p)

A frantic ending saw Fisher claim all three points in an exciting South London derby against AFC Croydon Athletic with Rob Brown’s injury time penalty finally seeing the Fish home in a game they had been cruising through ten minutes earlier.

Fisher had made an excellent start to game with Tarik Ibrahim slotting home from inside the six-yard box after Luke Thomas had flicked the ball through to him following some early Fisher pressure. The visitors looked to build on this start and several through balls almost released the front three of Ibrahim, Udo and Yila on numerous occasions before a scrambling tackle thwarted the route to goal. When Ibrahim did escape on the right his low cross saw Udo tumble under pressure from the centre back just as he looked to turn the ball home. The referee turned away the appeals for a penalty in what was a tough call to make either way.

Good work from Yila on the left saw a number of dangerous balls into the box punched and parried by the home custodian and from one half cleared cross Julio Da Mata miscued when trying to force home the rebound in what was the clearest chance of the half for Fisher to extend the lead.

Half time came with Carpanini relatively untroubled in the Fisher goal and despite more attacking intent from AFC Croydon in the early exchanges of the second spell his goal did not seem under any undue threat. With the foul count going up for both sides the game became scrappier and started to look as if a single goal might be the decider.

All this changed in the last twenty minutes commencing with the hots playing for ten minutes with ten men after a sin binning offence. Having already received a yellow card for an earlier foul the player headed first for the tunnel assuming a second yellow meant a red only to be called back by the referee to be redirected to the sin bin amidst much confusion. A series of fouls lead to further bafflement by the benches around decisions and following what appeared to be a caution for the home bench a comment from the Fisher dugout saw substitute goalkeeper Charlie Payne dismissed.

A period of Fisher pressure culminated with Da Mata’s shot from distance forcing a scrambling save to turn the ball around the post and the resulting corners never being too comfortable dealt with eventually saw Fisher receive a free kick twenty yards out. Jamie Yila precisely struck the ball into the top corner with the keeper motionless to extend the lead and give all in the ground a feeling of the last fifteen minutes being a formality.

However, the return of Billy Murphy from the sin bin allowed him to take a rather oddly awarded free kick just outside the box with five minutes left on the clock and his dink over the wall squirmed in at the near post to give the hosts a lifeline. Within a minute the lifeline had enabled a full-blown rescue act as casual play from the Fish quickly coughed up possession and a series of missed tackles and sloppy clearances saw a low cross travel into the box and find Murphy again to tuck the ball home to level the game.

Fisher looked shell shocked having gone from a two-goal lead with five to play to suddenly being level and AFC Croydon sensed a total turnaround was on the card and pushed forward. Like a punch tiring heavyweight Fisher hung on grimly awaiting the bell and looked to weathered the storm and have settled for the point as the clock moved to the fourth minute of injury time. A final flighted diagonal ball saw substitute Harry Main spin off the shoulder of the defender and his speed off the mark saw him get to the ball and nod it over the onrushing keeper before being clattered to the ground for a stonewall penalty. Main required lengthy treatment from what subsequently turned out to be concussion and severe bruising following his hospital visit, but Rob Brown stayed clam in the delay and gleefully tucked away the penalty to give Fisher the three points much to the joy of the 35 travelling fans behind the goal.

The win moves Fisher up to 11th in the table prior to the visit of Deal Town to St Paul’s on Saturday.

AFC Croydon Ath 2-3 Fisher
Tuesday 20 october 2020
SCEFL Premier Division

Fish goalscorers:
Tarik Ibrahim 3
Jamie Yila 78
Rob Brown 90+4(p)

Travelling support: 35