Southern Counties East Premier Division
I try to visit Fisher, a wonderful friendly community club in Bermondsey, every year in November but with my foot injury taking forever to heal it had been pushed back until I was finally fit enough to make the journey.
As I had to come through London Bridge due to engineering works on the Underground, it gave me the chance to visit a pub that had been on my list to visit for ages on the way but more of that later. After a walk around London Bridge and a couple of swift pints I reached the St Paul’s Sports Ground around 1.45pm. Entry was £8 for adults but it included much more.
So, a TV trivia question for you. The pub I visited in a back street not far from London Bridge (below) was once in a very popular TV series (and sequel), can you place it? The answer will be revealed at the end of the blog.
It’s always good to get the opportunity to catch up with Ian Murphy at the entrance, the editor of the superb Fisher programme and so much more at the club, including trying to flog Fisher sliders to players without them!
It also turns out I’d picked a great day to visit as the game was being sponsored by Paul Heaton (of Housemartins and Beautiful South fame) and his new beer, Old Red Eyes Pale Ale, was being given away to anyone of drinking age at the match as well as warm soup if anyone fancied it. A true legend that man and good luck with the new album and tour Paul.
Next it was the matter of my usual Fisher challenge, the Sharpie burger lovingly made by Zoe in the food hut, which was as good as ever and at £7, cost less than a pint in the pub in London Bridge! Next came the obligatory wander round the ground to try to walk some of the effects of the burger off before settling down for the game.
Before the game Fisher were sitting in a play-off place in third after an impressive recent four league game winning run while Faversham Strike Force were sitting just outside the relegation zone in seventeenth but with two impressive away wins in their last two league games this promised to be a tight encounter.
The match started as you would expect, the first five minutes being end to end stuff but without any real chances. Fisher started to exert some pressure when Charles Yiadom-Konadu tricked his way into getting some space for a shot in the box which was well blocked with the rebound falling to Armani Martin whose first time shot bounced wide of the far post.
On their next foray forward, full back Jack Gibbons played a delightful 40 yard Crossfield pass to Alex Kozak on the left. He beat his man and flashed a dangerous ball across the face of the goal but no-one was there to touch the ball in.
Back came Strike Force, Mefose Esumobi made a good run down the right flank and pulled the ball back to Josh Oliver in space but he delayed the shot just long enough for Donald Macauley to be able to deflect away for a corner.
Another good run and cross from Gibbons down the right found the head of Festos Kamara but his effort went straight into the arms of Harry Earls in the Faversham goal.
On 33 minutes the hosts took the lead. From a corner on the left Martin found Kozak outside the box and he fired a shot goalwards that seemed to take Earls by surprise and rattled off the crossbar and in. Not sure if it dipped late on or the keeper just misjudged it. 1-0
The Fisher full back Gibbons was running riot down the right and, after winning the ball in midfield, he found Flavio Jumo in space. He cut the ball back inside from the byline, picking out Gibbons who had continued his run and he placed his shot across Earls and into the far corner. 2-0
On 41 minutes Strike Force were back in it. A lovely one touch move involving Esumobi, Oliver, Alex Willis and Harry Taylor carved an opening for Esumobi in the box. His first time shot was brilliantly parried away by Isaac Ogunseri in the Fisher goal only for Esumobi to smash the rebound into the roof of the net. 2-1
In added time at the end of the first half Fisher were again pressing. Another surging run from Gibbons found Kozak who ran along the edge of the area looking for space before finally having it blocked, Kozak picked up the rebound and played a lovely ball inside the Faversham full back to pick out the run of Lorenzo Duncan who rifled the ball into the roof of the net from a tight angle. 3-1
H-T: Fisher 3 Faversham Strike Force 1
The second half started with the visitors on top, pushing the hosts back as they searched for a goal to get back into the game. They had a glorious chance when Oliver floated a great cross towards the far post to an unmarked Willis but he could only direct his header over the bar.
The away side were still looking the better side in the second half and on another attack in the 62nd minute where the hosts struggled to get the ball clear, Oliver went down under a challenge in the area and the referee pointed to the spot. Willis calmly stroked the spot kick to the right of Ogunseri and the visitors were deservedly back in the game. 3-2
The visitors continued forcing the hosts to attack on the break but couldn’t get the equaliser. On a break somehow Fisher didn’t score. From a corner the ball was lashed goalwards three times by the home side only to see Earls save well and two superb blocks from the defence to keep the score the same.
With the away side pushing personnel forward to try to find the leveller it left space for the pacy Fisher attack to hit on the break. A great Gibbons ball behind the defence allowed Kamara to spring the offside trap and head into the area where his shot was again saved well by Earls at his near post.
Going into the final minutes Faversham were throwing everything at the home side but just couldn’t find a way through. Into added time Kamara again sprang the Strike Force offside trap on the half way line and travelled to the edge of the box before trying a curler into the top right corner only to see it hit the inside of the post and rebound out to safety.
Still the game went on as the referee seemed to be enjoying himself so much, he didn’t want the game to end. A long throw into the Fisher box caused confusion and there was a bit of head tennis before the home side managed to hack the ball clear.
In the 10th minute of added time Fisher wrapped the game up with another quick break. With the away side camped in the hosts half, Kamara picked up a clearance, travelled and fed the ball to substitute Jaedon Reynolds who stroked the ball past Earls to finish the scoring much to the relief of the home fans behind that goal! 4-2
F-T: Fisher 4 Faversham Strike Force 2
A cracking game of football that had just about everything. All the very best to both Fisher and Faversham Strike Force for the rest of the season.
A cracking day out all around, I was joined by David Warren in the stand for the second half, another top man who supports non-league football through sponsorship and is a Fisher fan. He was on the edge of his seat for much of it! A pleasure catching up with him as always.
If you’re ever in the vicinity I’d strongly advise a trip to the St Paul’s Sports Ground, a fantastic community club and a friendly bunch (plus you get the chance to take a picture of the iconic Canary Wharf behind the club!).
Oh, and the answer to the TV trivia question? The exterior of the Horseshoe Inn featured in the Life on Mars and Ashes to Ashes series’ as the Railway Arms. Unfortunately Nelson wasn’t there to welcome me with a “mon brave…”