SCEFL CHALLENGE CUP – First Round

Fisher 4 - 0 FC Elmstead
Saturday 21 September 2024 - 15:00

Fisher 4-0 FC Elmstead
Saturday 21 September
SCEFL Challenge Cup  First Round

Matchball Sponsor: Millwall Community Trust

Attn: 104
Scorers: Courtney Barrington (51 mins), Kesna Clarke (65 mins, 76 mins) Charles Yiadom-Konadu (90+1 mins)

Goal Footage: Fisher Film Crew – Here

Fisher eased into the second round of the Southern Counties East Football League Challenge Cup with a comprehensive four nil win over First Division side FC Elmstead this feels at St Paul’s. Manager AJ Ashanike was forced into several changes, missing both regular fullbacks, which saw a return for Tyron Mbuenimo at right back and Ayuub Ali filling in at left back. With Mayvin Vigneswaran resting a sore ankle, Perez Goumou dropped into centre back and youngster Tolu Junaid came for a start on the right wing.
The early exchanges saw little goal mouth action as Elmstead’s low block with many bodies behind the ball frustrated the Fisher frontline and despite a large amount of possession, Fisher’s midfield could not create much in the way of chances, with the final ball from both flanks lacking accuracy. Fisher forced a couple of early corners but could not send the resulting headers goalwards from the deep deliveries. They then wasted a further chance after Billy Brown was hauled down just outside the area, as Ayuub Ali’s free kick was fired over the bar.
Midway through the half Elmstead got their first sight of goal, when a whipped in cross was turned goalwards by an Elmstead forward from the edge of the six yard box, but Isaac Ogunseri saved well to block and recovered quickly to instinctively catch the follow up effort from the rebound. From that point on though the game became one way traffic, as Fisher pushed forward relentlessly. Only some wayward shooting stopped Fisher from taking the lead, as Courtney Barrington fired over with two powerful efforts, and Teddy Jones was denied by a linesman’s flag when getting on to the end of a chipped through ball. Jones also looked to have nicked the ball off the keeper as he rushed out of his area to clear a through ball but was adjudged to have fouled as he looked to get away towards the unguarded goal. Despite the extensive Fisher pressure, the goal wouldn’t come and after two further late efforts were rifled into the trees at the Pond End, it was rather frustrated side that left the field at half time and a rather overworked ball boy hunting in the undergrowth for the numerous match balls sent over the fence.
The second half started with Elmstead playing a little further up the pitch, which suited Fisher well, giving them more space in midfield and allowing better quality ball to be fed to the wings. Six minutes into the half Fisher took the lead has Courtney Barrington picked up the ball to the left of the penalty area and cut inside his marker before firing off a low shot that beat the keeper at his near post. The introduction of the mesmeric Charles Yiadom-Konadu added more creativity into Fisher’s play, as a tiring Elms defence were pulled around to good effect b his constant probing. Another tight offside decision denied Barrington a second when he scampered onto a through ball and tucked the ball home but had started his run just a fraction too early and so the goal chalked off.
Kesna Clarke entered the fray for his debut on the hour mark and within two minutes had opened his scoring account when taking advantage of short back pass to nip in and take the ball around the goalkeeper and calmly convert past the covering defender to double Fisher’s lead. Fisher were now making hay in the late autumn sunshine and Clarke soon had his second goal in a Fisher shirt as fellow debutant substitute Halim Bakre tore down the right wing and sent in a magnificent cross for Clarke to elegantly guide, side footed, into the net for Fisher’s third.
With the game in the bag Fisher laid off the gas, but still managed to add a fourth in the first minute of injury time when Charles Yiadom-Konadu twisted and turned on the right of the penalty area to create space for a shot and his powerful effort was aided by a deflection to take it past the outstretched fingers of the goalkeeper and round off an impressive second-half for the Fish. The win takes them into the second round where they will meet further First Division opposition in either Tooting Bec or Greenways later in the autumn.

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