MATCH REPORT: Snodland Town 2-1 Fisher

Snodland Town 2-1 Fisher
Saturday 21 December 2024
SCEFL Premier Division

Scorer: Kesna Clarke (37 mins)
Attn: 164

Fisher fell to the first league defeat since early October after failing to overcome a combination of a very difficult playing surface and resolute opposition who mastered the conditions the better, in a 2-1 defeat at Snodland Town.
Salim Nassor dropped out of the starting line up with Jake Lovell coming back in, as Fisher were able to name a near unchanged side with new signing Omotunmise Akanni coming onto the bench. Heavy overnight rain had put the game in doubt, but the pitch survived two morning inspections and whilst appearing playable was clearly going to cut up badly making any form of passing game a challenge.
Both sides saw early chances, with Snodland, under a new manager and featuring two debutants, quickly on the attack and profiting from some poor clearances to create a good opportunity which flew past the post. At the other end a well flighted Jack Gibbon’s free kick was met by Jake Lovell, but he just failed to keep his powerful header down and it passed just over the bar. Lovell then turned provider to set up Kesna Clarke with a well-placed cross after a powerful run down the right, but the forward’s effort on the turn was straight at the keeper. Clarke was then denied by an offside flag as he found space and looked to turn home another good ball into the box.
At the other end Fisher were finding it hard to clear their lines when the hosts attacked, with a combination of the mud and the slope causing difficulty and it took a good block from Isaac Ogunseri at his near post to keep out Snodland after slipping a man free down the left channel.
The opening goal arrived on thirty seven minutes as Courtney Barrington turned the ball inside to Armani-Jordan Martin and then acted as decoy on the wing to allow Martin to twist inside his marker and stroke a pinpoint reverse pass back inside the defender for Kesna Clarke to race onto, round the keeper and tuck the ball inside the post from an acute angle in a very well worked move. Snodland almost drew level straight away with a chipped cross from the right finding Oldfield free, six yards out, but Ogunseri made himself big to block the header and gratefully drop on the rebound in the swamp of his goalmouth, much to the kitman’s despair.
The first chance of the second spell saw a Jacob Katonia effort drift wide of the post as with the slope now in their favour Fisher looked for a second goal to take control of the game. However, some unwise overplay in the boggy centre of the pitch saw possession lost and Snodland worked the ball out to the left where Tristan Lock cut in and fired off an unstoppable shot into the far corner to level the scores. The goal rocked the Fish and they seemed unable to get back on the front foot or find any pace and fluency to their play, whereas Snodland appeared to be coping better with the ever cutting up quagmire. Ogunseri was called into action on several occasions to keep parity but was left powerless after parrying Lock’s shot when Snodland had again worked the ball out to him, giving Stanley Oldfield a tap in, as Fisher defenders looked in vain for an offside flag that didn’t come.
The introduction of Omotunmise Akanni from the bench at last drew a little more attacking threat from Fisher, coupled with Dan Flemming coming on as an additional striker, but a series of corners only resulted in Akanni’s header being comfortably saved under the bar and in truth a third for Snodland seemed more likely than a Fisher equaliser in the final minutes.
The fifteen Fisher fans behind the goal were wondering whether some late Christmas shopping for long studs might be required as the players slipped their way through injury time, although fortunately the next seven games are set to be played on artificial surfaces, more suitable to Fisher’s usual free flowing football.

Report to follow