MATCH REPORT: Sutton Athletic 0-1 Fisher

Sutton Athletic 0-1 Fisher
Saturday 12 April 2025
SCEFL Premier Division

Attn: 101
Scorer: Kesna Clarke (37 mins)

Goal Highlights: Fisher Film Crew – watch here

Fisher moved to within two points of a guaranteed SCEFL Premier Division play-off spot after a 1-0 victory at Sutton Athletic, which in truth was a little more comfortable than the scoreline suggests. With games coming thick and fast Fisher shuffled their squad with Charles Yiadom Konadu and Salim Nassor coming back into the starting eleven after missing the midweek trip to Tunbridge Wells.
It was another difficult, bumpy pitch that Fisher faced, but unlike in midweek they did manage to get the ball down and play some fluent football with Yiadom-Konadu pulling all the strings in midfield. Fisher’s first sight of goal came on seven minutes when Kesna Clarke ran down the right channel and squared the ball to Yiadom-Konadu, who shuffled his feet to create an inch of space, but his left footed effort was met by a fine low save from the Sutton keeper to tip the ball away for a corner. Five minutes later Yiadom-Konadu went close with another chance, this time volleying from the D of the penalty area, just wide of the upright as Fisher made the early running. Courtney Barrington was next to test the keeper, but his effort, after cutting in from the left, lacked enough power to cause any trouble and was met with a regulation save.
At the other end Sutton worked themselves into a couple of good positions, but bar a few well delivered corners into the box failed to trouble Isaac Ogunseri during the first half, and it was Fisher who still looked the more likely to break the deadlock. Two good chances fell to Kesna Clarke, first seeing his effort charged down by the keeper after he broke the offside line and the second seeing him lob the ball just wide after again timing his run to slip through the defence and latch on to a through ball. In between these two chances Fisher did have the ball in the net as Clarke again raced through, but was adjudged offside before the ball crossed the line. Eight minutes before the break Fisher finally made their dominance count. Good work by Yiadom-Konadu just outside the area saw him thread the ball through to Kesna Clarke, who in what is now a trademark move, with his back to goal pinned the centre half, spun him and rifled off a low shot on the turn that the keeper could only deflect up into the roof of the net. The goal was no more than Fisher deserved, taking them into the break with a precious lead.
The second-half saw Fisher start slowly and for ten minutes Sutton had their best spell of the game, culminating in a back post header going wide of the post. But Flavio Jumo and Salim Nassor worked hard in midfield to ensure Fisher stayed on the front foot driving out their own half and constantly pushing the ball down both flanks. Barrington then brought out a fine save from the home keeper after a mazy run, forcing him to dive full stretch to his left to fingertip a powerful drive away for a corner. However, from the resulting corner which was easily gathered by the keeper a quick break from Sutton saw them work the ball well down the right flank and from the resulting centre, a snapshot from twelve yards out bounced off the top of the crossbar and away to safety much to Fisher’s relief. This was however to be the hosts only real shot on target, as Fishers centre half pairing of Donald Macaulay and Ange Djadja dealt efficiently with everything thrown at them, whether via an aerial route or on the ground, and Jack Gibbons at right back and Conor Darwish on the left gave their respective wingers very little chance to provide any decent delivery into the box.
Fisher continued to press for a second with Barrington again stinging the keeper’s hands with a fierce shot from the edge of the box after some good approach play from midfield. With Tyron Mbuenimo on as substitute for Jake Lovell, Fisher continued to keep up their excellent work rate in the heat, harrying and pressing in midfield and not allowing Sutton to get into any flow. A cameo substitute appearance from Lewis Duberry kept up the momentum and allowed Fisher to manage the game well in the final stages and secure the vital three points, sending them back into third spot with two games to go as the season builds to its exciting finale.