Match Report: Kennington 1-1 Fisher

Kennington 1-1 Fisher
Saturday 23 March
SCEFL Premier Division

Scorer: Nathan Tshola (10 mins)
Attn: 96
Photo: Courtesy of Dave Anderson – Full Album

Fisher had to settle for a point on the road at Kennington after being pegged back following a dominant first half, which despite much of the possession only resulted in Nathan Tshola’s third goal in four games, with Charlie Owen’s second half goal levelling the game for the hosts.
Despite a newly installed pitch at Kennington Homelands base, there were difficult conditions for both sides to contend with, due a swirling wind and squally showers. Fisher welcomed back Luke Thomas and Sam Sene-Richardson, who both missed the trip to Deal midweek, but were without Teddy Jones who picked up a knock in training on Thursday night. Justice Owusu also returned to take up his place between the sticks.
As they did in the midweek game, Fisher almost fell behind in the second minute. A home forward escaped the Fisher back line, but a magnificent recovery tackle from Jospeh Adewunmi halted his progress as he looked set to shoot. Fisher’s first chance came a few minutes later with Jacob Katonia sending a shot over the bar from the edge of the box.
On ten minutes the game’s opening goal arrived. Fisher won possession close to their own left corner flag and in a sweeping move started by Prince Imoru’s tackle the ball quicky passed through six Fisher players as they moved it over to the right flank, where Flavio Jumo neatly slid the ball inside, finding Nathan Tshola racing forward to join the attack and meeting the ball in his stride at the edge of the box, emphatically slammed it past Mant into the corner of the net.
Fisher then had to absorb ten minutes of home pressure with a number of corners causing some alarm, not helped by the swirling wind. Owusu, pushed the most dangerous onto the top of bar and some solid defending cleared a couple of scrambles in the area, with the hosts appealing for a penalty from one of the scrambles. Fisher rode out the storm and with the wind temporarily dropping got back on the front foot. Katonia and Thomas Ngegba both saw shots charged down as Fisher worked the ball well around the edge of the Kennington area and Sene-Richardson drew a good save from Mant, tipping his powerful drive over the bar after the youngster had been fed the ball on the right. The closest Fisher came to a second saw Adewunmi’s snapshot on the turn after a recycled corner fell to him, deflected up and over the bar by an unaware defender’s foot with the keeper stranded.
The half time whistle came with Fisher good value for their goal lead, but ruing spurning the chances that may have given them a valuable two goal cushion. The second half became a scrappier affair, and Fisher were unable to get the fluency of their first half performance, not helped by a number of stoppages for petty fouls by both sides as Fisher became drawn into more of a battle in midfield rather than moving the ball quickly.
Ten minutes into the second half the game was level as Fisher lost possession carelessly in the Kennington half and did not recover well in the transition as the ball was moved down the left and crossed for Charlie Owen to sweep home from twelve yards out. Buoyed by the goal Kennington pushed to get ahead but despite some threatening build up play rarely forced Owusu into a save, with a number of efforts going harmlessly over the bar. Midway through the half Fisher went closest to retaking the led as the impressive Sene-Richardson cut in from the left and sent in a shot that seemed set for the far top corner until the outstretched hand of Joe Mant tipped it round the post in a magnificent save.
Both sides defences seemed to have the edge over the forwards as the game moved into the final quarter. Fisher rung the changes off the bench, giving a debut to Mekhi Clarke up top amongst their five substitutions but could not find the key to unpick the home defence.
As the game moved into the five minutes of added time Kennington tried to force a winner and a curling effort from just outside the box clipped the top of the bar although Owusu looked to have it covered. Added time was played out with Fisher sending in several good balls into the box and trying to find an opening for a shot around the edge of the Kennington area but without success, meaning they had to settle for a share of the points.