SCEFL Premier Division

Fisher 0 - 1 Punjab United
Saturday 27 July 2024 - 15:00

Fisher 0-1 Punjab United

Saturday 27th July 2024

SCEFL Premier Division

Match Sponsors: Chris Duddy

Matchball Sponsor: Millwall Community Trust

Attn: 247

Photo Credit: Dave Anderson – full album

Fisher fell to an opening day defeat, as a solitary goal midway through the second half saw them beaten by Punjab United in the first game of their SCEL Premier Division campaign.

Fisher gave debuts to five players in the starting eleven, with three more coming off the bench, in a new look squad. At the back Ange Djadja and Mayvin Vigneswaran formed a new centre back pairing with Ed Sata also deputising alongside at left back. In midfield Armani-Jordan Martin and Diego Makesa also made their first competitive appearance in a Fisher shirt, but despite the new faces the side started well, and it was the visiting keeper who was called into action first, as Makesa shot from distance after picking up on a poor clearance,

Both sides were trying to work each other out in a cagey opening spell with chances few and far between amidst a competitive midfield battle. Just after the half hour mark Fisher worked a good move with Billy Brown and Armani-Jordan Martin linking up to tee up Makesa for another long range effort, but keeper Bushell gathered easily. On the wing Joshua Duyile became more influential and after getting around his marker saw a good cross flash across the six yard box without finding a Fisher foot.

Another chance came and went as Thomas Ngegba created his own opening by cutting inside his marker, but from a tight angle saw Bushell block at the near post as neither side could find an opener in the first forty five minutes. Fisher did have the ball in the back of the net, but Duyile has already been judged offside before Bushell parried his effort into the path of Ngegba who slotted it home to no avail.

Fisher again started the second half the better and from Sam Amedu’s long punt down field, Ngegba’s flick on presented Nathan Tshola with a chance from the edge of the box but he got caught between lobbing the keeper or going for power and his right footed half volley dropped safely into Bushell’s hands without an undue problem for the keeper. Billy Brown then sent over a great low cross having burst down the right, but once more no Fisher player had committed enough to get on the end of it as it swept across the six yard box where any touch would have turned it home. Whilst Punjab were struggling a bit for fluency, their talisman, Ryan Hayes was showing glimpses of his class on the right wing. The former Phoenix Sports midfielder then saw an effort, with his right foot pass narrowly wide, before it was the visitors turn to be denied by an offside flag after Deakin turning home a low Hayes cross.

On sixty six minutes Punjab scored what proved to be the match winning goal. Fisher switched off after an injury delay and conceded a needless throw in from the resulting drop ball restart. A failure to close the quickly taken throw allowed Rajan Sahni to deliver a flighted cross and Jack Hopkins ghosted into the box to nod the ball across the Amedu to find the bottom far corner.

Reece Deakin could have made it worse for Fisher when heading over and Hayes again saw a curling effort flash wide of the post as Punjab took control of the game. Fisher rallied well as the game moved into the closing stages though and with ten minutes to go almost fashioned an equaliser as three substitutes combined, with Teddy Jones finding Alvin Reji, who set up Seb Boyd, but his effort lacked power and Bushell gathered. Jones then acted as provider again, picking out Reji once more but his shot from wide allowed Bushell to save.

Amedu then had to pull out a top drawer save to deny Hayes as his free kick effort seemed to be heading for the top corner, before in the last of the ten added minutes, Fisher were denied as Ed Sata’s half volley was perhaps too measured and again found a well a placed Bushell  and Punjab’s resilient back four had held out to claim the points with Fisher now looking forward to FA Cup action next week before the search for the opening league points resumes.

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