MATCH REPORT: Fisher 2-1 Corinthian – Kent Senior Trophy

Fisher 2-1 Corinthian
Saturday 12 October 2024
Kent Senior Trophy – First Round

Match Sponsors: Bramhall Boys Club
Matchball Sponsor: Millwall Community Trust

Attn: 208
Scorers: Halim Bakre (40 mins), Tyron Mbuenimo (80 mins)

Goal Footage: Fisher Film Crew – Here
Photo Credit: Dave Anderson – Full Album

Fisher advanced to the second round of the Kent Senior Trophy with a hard earned 2-1 win against fellow SCEFL Premier Division side Corinthian.
Fisher rested a few of their usual starters, with Kesna Clarke and Halim Bakre making their first starts and returns to the starting line-up for Tyron Mbuenimo and Abdoulaye Ly Athie, but it still looked a strong Fisher line-up also featuring the addition of Jacob Katonia, returning to the club on a dual registration from Chatham Town.
Heavy lunchtime rain abated just after kick-off giving the players a slick surface to move the ball about on, as Fisher unusually attacked the Dockers End in the first half. Fisher escaped an early scare when Corinthian found space on the left wing and a cross was whipped across the goal with no-one able to apply a finish. Halim Bakre showed plenty of early promise on Fisher’s left wing, with an excellent first touch taking him past his marker on several occasions, but his low crosses were smuggled away by the Corinthian defence and a claim for a penalty was waved away by the referee when he looked to have been clipped in the box. At the other end Corinthian’s main threat came from dead ball situations with Fisher conceding three unnecessary free kicks around the edges of the of the penalty area – a dangerous strategy against one of the league’s best free kick takers. However, Isaac Ogunseri lined up his walls with precision, and the kicks either hit them or sailed over the bar.
Tyron Mbuenimo saw a sight of goal after good build up play on the left, but his shot lacked the power to unduly trouble Nathan Boamah in the Corinthian goal, but the young stopper could do little about Fisher’s opening goal just five minutes before the break. Having forced a corner, again from the threat of Bakre down the left, Salim Nassor’s deep in-swinging delivery was headed back across goal by Abdoulaye Ly Athie and Halim Bakre outjumped his marker to powerfully nod the ball into the net from inside the six yard box to notch a first goal in Fisher colours for the former Shrewsbury Town youngster.
The second half became a scrappier affair as the players realised the referee was allowing more contact than most, with both sides seeing upended players waved up and told to get on with it. This seemed to suit Corinthian more and Fisher started to sit a little deeper and struggle to retain the ball. Another free kick conceeded just outside the box saw Billing’s effort whistle past the upright as Ogunseri again judged his angles to perfection.
Corinthian did finally peg Fisher back and level the scores on seventy one minutes. A clipped pass over the top opened up the Fisher back line and allowed Khayie Harris to chest the ball into his path as he entered the box and slam the ball low into the far corner giving Ogunseri no chance. Penalties now loomed, but Fisher roused themselves to take control of the tie once more. Some intricate build up play around the box, having switched the ball left to right and back again, moving it through several players in the process, saw substitute Courtney Barrington play a neat one two with Salim Nassor inside the box and then feed the ball back to Tyron Mbuenimo, who swept a powerful shot into the far corner beyond Boamah’s reach.
Despite Fisher regaining lead, the tie was far from over and Ogunseri had to race from goal to block several well-judged through balls as Corinthian pushed for a late equaliser. Fisher spurned several good late chances to wrap up the game with substitutes Jake Lovell, Tolu Junaid and Richesse Mvioki all delaying on taking their chances when getting sights of goal and seeing the opportunities evaporate, but it wasn’t to matter, as when a late Corinthian corner was headed over the bar, the referee blew for fulltime and Fisher had done enough, with the passage to round two secured, much to the delight of the 208 supporters in attendance.