MATCH REPORT: Fisher 1-0 Bearsted

Fisher 1-0 Bearsted
Saturday 9 December
SCEFL Premier Division

Match sponsor: Molly Prentice
Matchball Sponsor: Millwall Communtity Trust – https://www.millwallcommunity.org.uk/

Attn: 209
Scorer: Nathan Tshola (74 mins)

Extended highlights: With thanks to AJHvision – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Prcg4ydSX34

Fisher battled to a hard earned 1-0 victory over Bearsted to lift themselves to eighth in the Southern Counties East Football League Premier Division.
On the back of a poor performance last week at Welling Town, Fisher needed to bounce back and manager Ajay Ashanike will have been heartened by the hard working and disciplined performance, which saw only their second clean sheet of the league season. With midfield maestro Charles Yiadom-Konadu announcing his retirement from football in the week, there was a start for Salim Nassor and Julio Da Mata’s return allowed Tyron Mbuenimo to revert to his fullback role.
The game started at good pace with a chance a piece for either side. First, youngster Samuel Nwabuko in the Fisher goal made a fine save from Eniola Hassan’s fierce shot from the edge of penalty area, with Da Mata changing down the goal bound follow up shot and from the resulting Fisher counter attack, Manny Shoderu’s low cross just evaded Eniye Amgbaduba attempts to get on the end of it and turn the ball home.
Bearsted always looked a handful coming forward with some good running down the channels and though balls breaking the back line, however they opted to shoot from distant and on a windy afternoon saw their shooting go awry with several shots removing the remaining Autumnal leaves form the bare tress behind the Dockers Stand. A crafty through ball into a crowded penalty area saw Nwabuko smoother well, taking a late kick in the process that earned the Bearsted player the first of the game’s many cautions, despite it being a well fought but not dirty encounter.
Fisher’s crossing was always the more dangerous of the two sides and a great delivery from left back Callum Flynn, saw Amgbaduba head wide of the near post. Shoderu then failed to turn home a Flavio Jumo cross after more good approach play, with his flicked effort rising over the bar.
The half ended with Fisher missing the best opportunity of game so far, as not for the first time in the afternoon, Bearsted were caught playing the ball out and loose pass was picked up by Eniye Amgbaduba, but he chose to shoot early rather than advance into the box and dragged his effort wide.
It was the Fish who came out with more purpose in the second half and the first effort on goal saw Jumo hit the side netting after he swivelled onto Mbuenimo’s throw into the box. Bearsted were to be the first to have the ball in the net, but an early offside flag ruled out Johnson-Cole’s header as Fisher held a good defensive line.
Ezekiel Miller came on after an hour for Da Mata, who having picked up a yellow card was sailing close to the wind for a second caution. Billy Brown and Thoms Ngegba also joined the game off the bench and all three combined to create another good chance. Miller’s presence created the opening, slipping in a ball for Brown to cross low where Ngegba to saw his near post effort deflected away for a corner.
On 73 minutes Fisher finally got the goal they deserved. In the most fluent move of the game Callum Flynn picked off a loose Bearsted out ball and swapped passed with Nathan Tshola before slipping the ball down the left channel. Thomas Ngegba dragged his markers wide in collecting the pass and recycled it back to Flynn, whose pin-point first time cross found Tshola getting into the space created by Ngegba to side foot the ball, on the volley, wide of Frankie Leonard, in the Bearsted goal, into the far corner. A goal of great quality and straight from routines worked on at training.
Bearsted tired to rally for an equaliser but found Jospeh Adewunmi and Prince Imoru imperious in defence with the two young centre backs winning every aerial duel and protecting seventeen year old keeper Nwabuko very effectively, with the young stopper showing maturity beyond his years in his decision marking and marshalling of his back line. Fisher repelled a couple of late corners and free kicks into the box, with the determination and grit that has perhaps been missing in recent weeks and to the delight of another large St Pauls crowd, with over two hundred forgoing the Christmas shopping to come long, the final whistle saw them take all three points.