Match Report: Fisher 4-0 Lordswood

Fisher 4-0 Lordswood
Saturday 4 March 2023
SCEFL Premier Division

Scorers: Eni Amgbaduba (27 mins), Isaac Thompson (70 mins), Malaki Coker (71 mins), Andres Tobon (75 mins)
Attn: 134

Fisher moved up to ninth spot in the SCEFL Premier Division courtesy of a convincing 4-0 victory over Lordswood.
The Fish welcomed new signing Ollie Milton into the starting line up with a return for captain, Luke Thomas after illness also boosting the back four. On the bench there was the welcome sight of Billy Brown and Malaki Coker also back from injury.
A young Lordswood side featuring several professional prospects from Gillingham’s academy system were well suited to the St Pauls surface and the game was played with good tempo with the visitors pass and move style working Fisher’s midfield hard. A pacy forward duo were well managed by a high Fisher line, but when Luke Medley found himself clear it needed a fine one on one block save by Sam Amedu to stop an opening goal.
At the other end Ollie Milton was an eager runner and escaped his marker on several occasions on either flank, fizzing low crosses over that just evaded the onrushing forwards and went wide of the far post.
Shortly before the half hour mark Fisher took the lead after Lewis Duberry had been upended midway into the Lordswood half. Michael Sarpong sent the free kick deep into the Lordswood area and Eni Amgbaduba rose highest in the crowd to nod the ball back across the box, looping over the keeper and into the far corner, in similar fashion to the goal that saw the big forward pick up the February goal of the month award.
Lordswood continued to probe and should have got themselves back on level terms just before half time when working the ball to a spare player in the penalty area but a combination of Sam Amedu and Joseph Adewunmi managed to scramble the ball away as the Lordswood forward dallied before shooting.
Fisher started the second half strongly, looking to grab a second goal to kill off the game. Milton headed Conor Darwish’s centre over the crossbar almost immediately after the restart and Eric de Melo Calheiros saw a shot charged down when cutting in off the flank.
As the half progressed the game became very open and Lordswood continued to look dangerous on the break, playing some neat and tidy football but the cutting edge was not enough to break the well drilled Fisher back four.
With twenty minutes left Fisher finally took control of the game. Having missed out by a whisker on last month’s goal of the month, Isaac Thompson staked his claim early for this month’s competition with a sumptuous overhead bicycle kick, after a throw into the box was flicked on to him, with his powerful acrobatic effort leaving the keeper a spectator as it burst into the net.
Within a minute Fisher added a third as Thompson’s run down the left won a corner and his delivery found Amgbaduba at the back post, who controlled and laid the ball off for Malaki Coker to slam home a thunderous shot leaving the keeper again a bystander.
An incredible five minute spell ended with Fisher’s fourth, as good pressing from substitute Manny Shoderu won the ball deep in the Lordswood half and he teed up fellow substitute Andres Tobon who fired home low into the corner.
The visitors saw a good shout for a penalty waved away but at this stage it would have been a token consolation and it was Fisher who came closest to adding to the lead when Prince Imoru, coming on from the bench, skipped the final defender to advance on goal but saw his effort well saved with Shoderu firing the rebound against he base of the post.
Oddly Fisher played out the final minutes with some keep ball in the corner, as if they were hanging on to a narrow lead, ignoring the Dockers End chants for five before the final whistle signalled and impressive Fisher victory.