MATCH REPORT: Fisher 1-2 Whitstable Town

Fisher 1-2 Whitstable Town
Tuesday 4th February
SCEFL Premier Division

Matchball Sponsor: Millwall Community Trust

Attn: 197
Scorer: Jacob Katonia (77 min)

Photo Credit: Fisher Film Crew
Highlights: Fisher Film Crew – watch here

Fisher’s playoff push stalled under the lights at St Paul’s, as the visiting Whitstable Town side, buoyed by reaching the FA Vase, quarter finals the weekend before, took the points in a close fought game, by the old goal in three. Availability for midweek games has proved a nemesis for Fisher this season, with only one win in six outings and they were again without key players, with the Armani-Jordan Martin, Salim Nassor and Mayvin Vigneswaran all absentees. There was a debut for Dre Wholas-Spencer at left back and local youngster Ted O’Rourke made his first appearance for the club late on, off the bench.
Whitstable started the game in impressive fashion, quickly forcing Fisher back and as early as the fourth minute saw a curling effort from the right corner of the penalty area smash off the underside of the crossbar. Fisher failed to heed the warning and on eight minutes the visitors took a deserved lead as after creating space inside the penalty area a fierce shot from the left was blocked by Isaac Ogunseri and then deflected into the path of Jake McIntyre who slammed home at the far post. Fisher continued to struggle to get a foothold into the game and a lot of the action was in their defensive third. In a rare sight of goal Tyrone Mbuenimo failed to get sufficient contact on Kesna Clarke’s knock down and the ball squirmed wide of the post.
It took almost half an hour for Fisher to find their flow, but having done so they finished the half strongly winning several corners in a sustained spell of pressure, culminating in a fine double save by the visitor’s keeper Dan Colmer, from an outrageous back heeled flick from Courtney Barrington and the follow up from Tyron Mbuenimo. Charles Yiadom Konadu also unleashed a fierce drive which whistled just over the bar as Fisher rued the half time whistle calling a halt to their relentless push for the equaliser that seemed about to come.
Fisher looked to continue in the same vein at the start of the second half, but Whitstable had regrouped and look defensively stronger than they had for the fifteen minutes prior to the break. Ange Djajda saw a header at the back post pass just wide of the goal and another good move down the right saw Jake Lovell’s effort fly into the side netting off the outside of the post. Ten minutes into the half Whitstable got what proved to be the crucial second goal. Fisher were caught in possession deep in their own half and Bradley Schafer wasted no time in seizing the opportunity to fire off a powerful shot from the right of the penalty area, that beat Ogunseri into the far corner.
A raft of substitutions from both sides broke up the flow of the half, which suited the visitors more than the Fish as they looked to find an attacking formula to pull back the deficit. Hope arrived with 15 minutes to play when Jacob Katonia’s powerful run saw him drive into the penalty area, outpacing several defenders, before crashing home a powerful left footed shot to halve the arrears. As Fisher pressed on looking for the equaliser Flavio Jumo stung the hands of the Whitstable keeper with a powerful long range drive and a fine through ball after a driving run from fullback Jack Gibbons threaded in Kesna Clarke, who wriggled into the box, but a combination of the keeper sliding at his feet and a defender’s outstretched leg, smothered his chance. The introduction of a Omotunmise Akanni and Halim Bakre saw Fisher make good progress down both flanks, but a well organised and massed Whitstable defence meant the final ball was hard to find and despite throwing centre back Ange Djadja up front, for the six minutes of added time, Fisher couldn’t force an equaliser.
Fisher remain in third place in the table despite the defeat, but the ten point cushion to the final playoff spot will shrink as their rivals play catch up games. The team’s destiny is still very much in their own hands however, but they will need to return to winning ways sooner rather than later starting with Saturday’s visit from surprise strugglers Bearsted.