Fisher v Kennington
SCEFL Premier Division
A visit to Fisher is one game I always look forward to, I first came here in 22/23 and fell in love with the place and the people there. This was my third visit, strangely all have been in November and the last two have coincided with their Community Day (more on that later!)
For a change my two train journey was uneventful and I reached Rotherhithe (the nearest station) around 1pm. After a walk along the river doing the touristy photos of the Shard, I popped into a great little pub, The Brunel Pub, for a swift cider before heading to the ground. The area has a museum just around the corner from the pub which celebrates Brunel and is well worth a visit if you’re in the area.
Arriving at the club, entry is £8 and a superb programme is £2. In my 150+ games over the last couple of years, Fisher’s programme would be in my top three alongside Met Police and Badshot Lea. It’s well worth picking one up! I also took the chance to catch up with Ian, the programme editor, who was on the stand selling shirts and raffle tickets to raise money for a great local community charity Time and Talents. For this game the club also had organised a food drop along with Lions Food Hub to help people in the area that are struggling with the current cost of living crisis. Both are wonderful organisations helping their local community through these crazy times.
Once I’d finished chinwagging it was time for some food and they do some great stuff at Fisher! After my last visit I knew what I was going to have, their ‘Sharpie Burger’ which is a three layer burger and you can choose which ratio you’d like between quarter pound burgers and fried chicken breast. I decided on the two burger, one chicken breast variety, which came with cheese slices, fried onions, served in a brioche bun and topped with three onion rings. A top burger and all for £7!
After demolishing that I headed into the club house for something to wash it down and found a cider, Wood for the Trees from from a local cidery, Against The Grain, in a can for £3.50. They have a great range of craft beers too if they are your thing so plenty to choose from.
So fed and watered it was time for the match.
Both teams started at a brisk pace with the first chance coming for the hosts. A Salim Nassor corner from the left was flicked across the goal by Jacob Katonia but it was a nice height for Kennington keeper Joe Mant and he made a comfortable diving save.
On 10 minutes the visitors took the lead, a defensive mix up saw the ball fall to Kinsley Gatakata inside the box and he stroked the ball past Isaac Ogunseri in the home goal. 0-1
The visitors had the next chance, a free kick in a central position just outside the box was flicked over the wall by Charlie Owen but Ogunseri was well positioned and gathered well.
Fisher came storming back and a great run down the right flank by Katonia where he was covered but by two defenders but still managed to pull a cross back to Courtney Barrington on the edge of the box only for his volley to find the side netting.
Fisher were now pushing to find a leveller and a quickly taken corner saw Charles Yiadom-Konadu drift inside and float a lovely diagonal cross towards the far post only for it to be just too far ahead of Clarke and drifted just wide of the upright.
Two shouts for penalties followed for Fisher, both waved away by the official. First for handball and second a good run into the right side of the area by Jake Lovell led to both the defender and Lovell going down. Lovell got straight up and carried on, winning the corner as the ref waved play on.
Two minutes before the break a Nassor corner was half cleared and fell to Yiadom-Konadu on the edge of the box. His first time strike looked to be levelling the scores but Mant just got his fingertips to it to turn it around the post.
H-T: Fisher 0 Kennington 1
The second half started in much the same way with the hosts pinning the visitors back and they finally managed to make the pressure count in the 51st minute when another driving run and pull back from Lovell was finished nicely by Clarke. 1-1
Kennington now had to weather a storm as Fisher searched for the lead but their defence held strong. Barrington made a surging run down the left for the Fish, first cutting inside then out trying to find space for a shot, but when he did, he sent his effort over the bar.
The visitors were now looking to soak up the pressure and hit the hosts on the break. Gatakata won the ball on the right side of midfield and drove towards the area before squaring it to Rajan Sahni whose first time shot went just the wrong side of the post.
At the other end, a low shot had Mant diving low to his right to block, the ball rebounding out to Barrington who snatched at the shot with the goal at his mercy and fired over the crossbar.
The game was now flowing from end to end as both teams looked for the winning goal. Both were defending well with plenty of players at both ends throwing their bodies on the line to block shots.
In the last five minutes the visitors made two good chances, first Gatakata got on the end of a Sam Wright cross but could only send his effort straight at Ogunseri, and, right at the death, following another quick break the ball fell to Tom Scorer on the edge of the box and his effort crashed back off the crossbar and away to safety.
F-T: Fisher 1 Kennington 1
A hard fought game and probably a point gained by each was the right result on the day. An attendance of 277 at the game today which shows the value of celebrating your local community, and included a contingent of Norwegian Fisher fans making the journey over which was nice to see. I hope they all make/made it back home safely!
Another cracking day out at the St Paul’s Ground and I wish all the best to both sides for the rest of the season! Until next time…
