Match Report: Fisher 2-2 Stansfeld

Fisher 2-2 Stansfeld
Saturday 23 December
SCEFL Premier Division

Matchball Sponsors: Millwall Community Trust – www.millwallcommunity.org.uk/
Photo Credit: Dave Anderson – Full Album

Scorers: Thomas Ngbeba (20 mins), Billy Brown (42 mins)
Attn: 152

Honours were shared in the Bermondsey derby as Fisher drew 2-2 with local rivals Stansfeld in the last SCEFL Premier Division fixture before Christmas.
After a difficult week of payer departures manager Michael Willaims still managed to get a strong side of familiar faces out on the pitch, buoyed by the return of Darnelle Bailey-King and Mark Chidi being made available by Queens Park Rangers where he remains on trial. There was a place on the bench for new signing Ben Sangare.
The first big chance of the game fell to Fisher, but Bily Brown did not get his contact right on the ball and the chance went begging despite a gaping goal. A long break in play for Chidi to receive treatment after getting a stray boot on the face made for a scrappy disjointed opening to the game, with the young centre half eventually patched up sufficiently to continue. Stansfeld then had a good chance of their own, but young Sam Nwabuko in the Fisher goal made a good diving block.
On twenty minutes Fisher took the lead, Billy Brown picked the ball up on halfway and threaded a low pass into the path of Thomas Ngegba, whose run had split the centre halves and he calmly converted under pressure from a defender and outrushing keeper.
However, the lead was only last five minutes as Fisher gave the ball away carelessly in midfield and a good switch of play from the visitors saw it reach Cain Cruz on the left wing and he cut inside stand-in right back Prince Imoru with his low shot from outside the box nestling into the far corner of the goal.
Fisher battled back well and forced some pressure on the Stansfeld goal but could not find a killer ball to open up their rivals. A soft penalty claim was rightly waved away as Fisher continued to probe. Despite a lot of possession complacency led to Fisher then falling behind. A long passage of Fisher possession saw the ball recycled to the back line and a loose pass across the field was picked up by Mayo Olufeko giving the big striker a free run on goal. Advancing into the penalty area, he slotted past Nwabuko and for the fourth game in a row Fisher would need to come back from behind.
Two minutes before the break Fisher levelled up the game. Thomas Ngegba battled well on halfway to turn his marker and head the ball forward and despite looking to be held back, referee Paul Agyei-Tabi played an excellent advantage as Billy Brown capitalised on a missed clearance from a covering defender and lashed the ball inside the near post giving Cotrell chance in the Stansfeld goal.
The second half lacked the goal chances of the first half with both sides looking to cross the ball early and Nwabuko punching away well in the Fisher goal and Cotrell for Stansfeld showing safe hands when opting to catch.
Flavio Jumo came on for a tiring Billy Brown and with his first touch sent a header goalward that was comfortable saved by Cotrell. The influential Ezekiel Miller bowed out of the game on the hour mark as he continues to build up playing time after injury and was replaced by the impressive former Port Vale youngster Ben Sangare, who looked calm and assured in midfield, despite being just 18 years old.
Fisher pressed for a winner with young Kaylam Burgess sending in a tempting supply of crosses from left back, but Cotrell was equal to them. Ngegba went closest to finding the winner as some good one touch combination play involving Jumo and Tshola around the edge of the box saw him slipped in down the left but his low shot wide of Cotrell agonisingly drifted wide of the post.
Fisher had to repel a few late deliveries into the box as they conceded a couple of soft free kicks late on, but Imoru and Chidi were in formidable form with the aerial threat. A late last chance for Fisher saw a through ball just evade substitute Jojo Kinzonzi and the Fish settled for the point.
Whilst a little short on quality, both sides put on an exciting game for the spectators aided by an excellent refereeing display.