MATCH REPORT: Fisher 1-1 VCD Athletic

Fisher 1-1 VCD Athletic
Saturday 8 March 2025
SCEFL Premier Division

Matchball Sponsor: Millwall Community Trust

Attn: 248
Scorer: Armani-Jordan Martin (5 min)

Brief Highlights: Fisher Film Crew – watch here

A late equaliser saw Fisher having to settle for a point, as they took on SCEFL Premier Division leaders VCD Athletic at St Pauls, having led for over eighty minutes. Fisher made once change from their midweek win at Glebe, with Tyron Mbuenimo starting in place of Halim Bakre as the side reverted to a 433 formation, with Jake Lovell playing wider rather than joining Kesna Clarke as a front two pairing.
Fisher got off to the best possible start as within four minutes Courtney Barrington skipped away down the left side after receiving from a throw in and his loss cross was hoisted skywards in an attempted clearance, allowing Kesna Clarke to nudge if back, as it fell, into the path of Armani-Jordan Martin, who controlled with his chest just inside the area before rifling a volley into the far top corner. The game then settled into quite a cagey affair with both sides blunted by equally impressive defensive work from each other. It took until the half hour mark for either team to forge a further clear cut chance when Kesna Clarke spun the VCD centre back after a long through ball and fired a low drive that swept just wide of the upright. Seconds later VCD created their best moment as a cross for the right saw Charlie Heatley’s header also pass wide of the post. This seemed to spur VCD to push further forward and Connor Dymond shot wide with an effort from outside the box after a further foray down the right. The sustained spell of pressure from the visitors then saw a Dymond header saved by well-placed Isaac Ogunseri at his near-post following a corner. As Ogunseri cleared with a booming kick down the middle, Clarke escaped his marker and entering the area stabbed a shot, as Walker came out to narrow his angle, but only saw the effort trickle past the post. An end to end half ended with Tyron Mbuenimo smashing along range effort into Walker’s hands in the VCD goal and at the other end Ogunseri pulling off a good low save to his left from a well struck shot from just outside the box after a well worked short corner routine.
The second half was not so end to end, with Fisher pegged back in their own half and relying on counter attacks for an outlet and VCD pushing the ball around well, rotating positions in midfield well, but struggling to actually break the Fisher line. Ange Djadja and Don Macaulay were impressive at the heart of the Fisher defence and as the game drifted into the final quarter it looked like Fisher might hang on for the points or even grab a decisive second. This almost happened when Flavio Jumo, robbed a VCD defender deep in his own half and fed Jake Lovell, but rather than lifting the ball over the sliding Walker he opted to round the keeper, but was muscled out by VCD’s impressive defender Dexter Peters before he could get a shot away.
With ten minutes left VCD seemed to change approach going more direct and bringing on attacking substitutes Jimoh and Freeman from their high quality bench with the equaliser looking more likely. With three minutes left of normal time it duly arrived. Having won a corner, fiercely disputed by the Fisher defenders, another short routine saw the ball finally delivered into the box where an initial effort from close range was instinctively beaten away by Ogunseri but found Ben Fitchett, who slotted home from eight yards out. The equaliser spurred on VCD who really needed maximum points to keep up their title challenge and Fisher had to survive a spell of very heavy pressure in the eight added minutes, with Ed Sata miraculously clearing off the line from one scramble and Michael Fenn planting a header across the Fisher goal with time seeming to stand still as the whole ground watched it fall just wide. At the other end a surging run from substitute Tunmise Akanni saw his effort from twenty five yards fly just over the bar as both sides were forced to settle for a share of the spoils.
Oddly for this stage of the season Fisher have yet another blank weekend next week due to some late in the season fixture rearrangements, so will wait a fortnight until they look to further their play-off claims when the visit Stansfeld.