Fisher 2 Erith & Belvedere 0

Southern Counties East Premier Division, Tuesday 13th October 2020

Tuesday night saw me take in a rare Southern Counties East Premier Division contest as I made my first trip to the St Pauls Sports Ground in Bermondsey to see Fisher host Erith & Belvedere, and it saw Rob Brown become the hosts all time record goal scorer as 'The Fish' grabbed the points.

The hosts are managed by Ajay Ashanike, known as AJ to his mates and most people in football who know him, and of course I know him well from his Ilford and Tower Hamlets days in the ESL, so it was nice to get over there to see him and his side finally.  Was also lovely to chat to Joe Biscoe too who was also involved at Hamlets for some time, always nice to catch up with ones you haven’t seen for a while.

Fisher have had a mixed start to their league campaign, although they have recorded back to back home wins (over Tower Hamlets (who else!!!) and Glebe) so their home form at least was pretty good.  There last outing was a creditable draw at fifth placed Erith Town, keeping a clean sheet too in a goalless draw, so that would have given them confidence in this one.

The hosts had also done well in the FA Cup this season, reaching the First Qualifying Round after a home win over Horsham YMCA and then a stunning penalty shoot-out win at Tooting & Mitcham before bravely bowing out at Cray Wanderers in the First Qualifying Round.  And they are still in the FA Vase too having defeated Little Common and East Preston to set up a First-Round Proper tie away at Kennington.  So, in the cups they were doing very well this season.

Their opponents this evening, Erith & Belvedere, were not having the best of seasons so far in the league at least, winless in seven with four of those defeats, and on a three game losing streak in the division although all those games had seen them lose by the odd goal, so they could have easily gone the other way.

In the cups it was a different story though, as they had also reached the First Qualifying Round of the FA Cup after wins over Kennington and then Alford (that one was on penalties) before they were beaten heavily at Hartley Wintney, whilst they are also through to the First Round Proper of the Vase after wins over Loxwood and Colliers Wood United and now face a trip to Risborough Rangers.  So again, like Fisher it’s not been to bad in the cup competitions.

Both sides then came into this one off the back of decent Vase victories, and throw into the mix that these two sides grounds are separated by just eleven miles, this was a local derby as well, so as well as both sides feeling confident coming into his one, they were no doubt up for a battle and local bragging rights too, so it had the potential to be a decent match up.

The opening exchanges actually saw the visitors create the two best openings, heading wide from an early cross and then sending another effort just over from close range, whilst the hosts only real effort of note saw a skimmer from long range fielded by visitors keeper Rawan Anibara.

Anibara was to be heavily involved in the reason The Deres fell behind though in the 25^th minute, as a cross into the box saw the keeper try and punch clear under pressure on the edge of the box, but it was a poor punch and went straight to Brown who sent a brilliant left footed lob back over the keepers head and into the net, and Fisher had taken the lead with only their second effort at goal.

This also proved to be Brown’s record breaking goal on what was his 100^th appearance for The Fish, as it made him the club’s all-time record goal scorer, and it was not a bad one to take him into that position, although he did say to me on twitter later that it was a rare one as it was left footed and outside the box!!!

The home side’s performance improved after that goal for the rest of the half, and as the time ticked onto forty five minutes Fisher grabbed another goal, and it was a lovely move too, as a brilliant one two between Josh Biddlecombe and Brown saw the former drill a ball across goal for Jamie Yila to convert from close range and send the hosts into the break two goals to the good.  The visitors had started this one well but Anibara’s error saw them go behind and gave some momentum to the home side who were clinical with the chances that came their way.

Half Time Fisher 2 Erith & Belvedere 0

Fisher began the half on the front foot as they looked to end this contest with a third goal, but they didn’t really muster much early on in the half, although The Deres keeper Anibara was an entertainment throughout the contest, coming out of goal and almost playing sweeper keeper at times, he certainly made you gasp at times and probably gave his teammates/management/supporters kittens at times too!!!

As the half wore on though the visitors began to push the hosts back, whether or not because Fisher were sitting back and holding station with a two goal lead who knows but whatever the reason the hosts had to do some defending to hold onto the cushion built up in the opening forty five minutes.

The Deres won two free kicks outside the box and in very decent positions, the first one was whipped just over the bar by Marlon Patterson, and the second one from the other side of the box was thumped against the post by substitute Jamie Humphris, and that was the closest the visitors came to getting back in the contest.

Fisher themselves had some openings towards the end of the game to make it three, but either good blocks or poor finishing meant they couldn’t add to their goal tally either, but for the host’s that mattered not as they netted two first half goals to take the three points and a third straight win at home to.

Yila was my MOTM, he was superb down the left for the hosts, especially second half, and he got the second goal too after getting on the end of a wonderful move, so I was very impressed with him.  The point’s see Fisher climb into 11^th whilst for The Deres they remain second bottom having lost five out of eight and remain winless too.  They didn’t play badly tonight though and that seems to have been the story of their season so far, so I am sure if they continue to play like they do results will come. 

Full Time Fisher 2 Erith & Belvedere 0