MATCH REPORT: Glebe 3-2 Fisher

Glebe 3-2 Fisher
Tuesday 12 December
SCEFL Premier Division

Scorers: Manny Shoderu (16 mins), Eniye Amgbaduba (48 mins)

Following Ajay Ashanike’s resignation at the weekend, a new era for the Fish, under Micheal Williams, began with a highly spirited display, despite losing out to the odd goal in five against league high-flyers Glebe.
Willaim’s first job had been to persuade Price Imoru back out of premature retirement and invite Inesh Sumithran back into the squad and both took their places in the starting line up along with a return for Mark Chidi in place of the injured Jospeh Adewunmi.
As tougher fixture as you could imagine for the first game in the hot seat was always going to be a difficult task, not aided by huge doubts over the game due to the heavy rain for most of the day. Preparations were further disrupted by a long delay to kick off due to floodlight failure with the lights finally flickering into life just thirty seconds before the referee’s cut off point of 8.15 pm, with the game finally getting underway at 8.24pm.
Whether it was the uncertainty or the hanging around, but Fisher then got off to the worst possible start imaginable as just thirteen seconds into the game they fell a goal behind, without having touched the ball. Having kicked off, Glebe took a few touches around their back line before, pumping a long ball forward which was allowed to bounce and slip through on the soaked surface for the prolific Jamie Philpot to race onto and calmly convert.
Worse was to follow as Glebe doubled their advantage just five minutes later. Fisher seemed to have cleared the danger from a cross into the box and charged down several shots before in dispossessing a Glebe player, the tackle only sent the ball to the feet of Tom Hever, who slammed in an excellent shot high into the far corner from just outside the box. If the first goal had been entirely avoidable, there was little anyone could have done to stop the second.
Two down inside five minutes Williams then showed the reasons he had been given the job as he calmly made a few tweaks, sent out some gentle encouragement and instruction and got his shell shocked side to respond magnificently. Passing the ball with purpose, Fisher forced their way up field with Tyron Mbuenimo’s control and distribution from the centre of the park pivotal and they began to get a foothold in the game. On fifteen minutes they halved the deficit as good closing and pressure picked up possession deep into the Glebe half and allowed Many Shoderu to turn out of a tackle and cut inside where from fully twenty five yards out he unleashed a bullet of a shot into the near top corner leaving the keeper no chance.
Fisher could then have been on level terms when a sublime move allowed Mbuenimo space down the left channel and his low shot-come-cross just evaded both the boot of Amgbaduba and the far post, to the relief of the Glebe defence.
Despite the graft and determination of the Fisher players, individual mistakes were still their downfall and a short back pass saw young keeper Sam Nwabuko pressured in clearing, with the ball charged down and despite efforts to clear the danger Glebe were able to switch the ball around the scrambling defence to give Marcel McDonald an easy finish and restore their two goal cushion.
Rather than collapse this prompted the Fish to renew their efforts and despite playing up the slope set up wave after wave of raids on the Glebe goal by unfortunately found keeper Nathan Edwards in inspired form, as he denied Shoderu and Amgbaduba with great blocks with the rebounds then falling kindly for the stopper away from the onrushing Fisher forward pack. On the stroke of half time Fisher should have pulled a goal back when a fluid move down the left saw Mbuenimo feed Flavio Jumo and his delivery into the box was neatly back heeled by Amgbaduba into the path of Mbuenimo and with a lot of goal to curl the ball into he just failed open out enough and allowed Edwards to save low down to his left.
The second half began as dramatically as the first as within three minutes, and with much of the crowd still in the clubhouse, Fisher again reduced the deficit to a single goal. Nathan Tshola fed Eniye Amgbaduba down the left channel and the big strike powered into the box before crashing a low drive inside the near post.
Fisher then laid siege to the Glebe goal and another dramatic save by Edwards and some brave throwing of bodies in front of the ball denied Shoderu, Amgbaduba and Tshola in quick succession. Williams shuffled his pack with Teddy Jones adding pace and Thomas Ngegba joining Amgbaduba in a two man attack, but the Glebe back line was holding true.
At the other end as Fisher pushed forward space emerged for Glebe to try and exploit, but Nwabuko made two brave smothering saves at the feet of the Glebe forwards. Ezekiel Miller and Jojo Kinzonzi also joined the fray, as Fisher continued to push for an equaliser, forcing several corners. They came very close as the game moved into added time when Miller rose highest from a Sumithran corner, only to see his header agonisingly pass over the top corner of the goal with the keeper beaten.
With Glebe yelling for the final whistle and hanging on grimly, Fisher finally ran out of time as the final whistle brought an end to a game that spelled relief for Glebe, great excitement for the late night neutrals and whilst disappointment for the Fish, a lot of pride and promise in the performance, which deserved more reward. Michael Williams’ Black and White Army is shaping up well.