Fisher 0 City 2
City got back to winning ways today defeating Fisher by two goals without reply in a fast paced, sometimes frenetic match. A fairly even first half saw no goals at the break, but following a delayed re-start, after problems with the floodlights, City dominated the second. It was pretty much one way traffic, with City missing several opportunities before finally scoring twice in four minutes after which Fisher had their best spell, indeed going close enough, that had they been a bit more clinical in front of goal, they may have staged a dramatic recovery.
City started with the same outfield ten that began at Herne Bay, with just Connor Quinn coming in to replace David Woodward in goal. They almost got off to a perfect early start, with Renford Tenyue quickly into his stride providing a low cross that Wayon Anderson was just inches away from getting a touch that would have been a certain goal. The next chance also fell to City. A free kick into the box was nodded on by Michael Scott, but Fisher keeper Joe Hagan reacted quickest just grabbing the ball before Michael Smissen could pounce.
Fisher went close when Jamie Turner struck a thirty yard free kick just over the City bar, while immediately at the other end the home defence had to stand firm to clear two City corners. It was somewhat end to end, as both teams mixed the play up looking for an opening.
A long clearance from Hagan was cleverly nodded on by Chan Quan which sent Fisher centre-forward Peter Afolayan clean through into the City box, but he was thwarted by Quinn sliding out to take the ball off his feet. Scott intercepted the ball in his own half and powered forward, riding a strong challenge and flashed a shot just wide of the Fisher goal. Hagan made a straightforward save from a Macauley Murray shot and a quick break from Afolayan saw him hook a shot just over the City bar.
It was toe-to-toe as Tenyue picked his way into the box setting up Anderson, but his shot was well saved by Hagan with his legs. Turner tried a long shot that went over as Quinn back pedalled and Fisher pressed again with Quan and Frankie Warren combining to put over a dangerous cross that was headed out in a hurry from in front of his own goal by Grant Bagley. From the ensuing corner, Danny Tipple shot over from the edge of the City box.
With thirty minutes gone, City had two good opportunities to take the lead. Firstly, there was a scramble in the Fisher box as Jake Gess tried to find some room to get a shot away but the ball was partly cleared but only to Jake Marsh whose quick shot was deflected out for a corner. Then City were awarded a free kick just outside the corner of the Fisher area. With Hagan busy organising his defensive wall, Murray took the kick quickly and it was just sneaking in at the far post when Hagan sprang from nowhere, at full stretch, to palm the ball away at the last possible moment.
Smissen bundled his way past a couple of defenders and laid the ball back to Marsh, who after steadying himself, shot a couple of feet wide. Marsh was soon involved again, having robbed Turner of the ball in midfield he squared the ball to Anderson, who probably had more time than he thought, but the City striker struck the ball too high. At the other end, Ellis Wilson-Joseph saw his header well saved down low by Quinn, but moments later the City keeper could only stand and watch as the home side hit the post. A left sided break by Fisher ended when a fierce shot thundered against the inside of the City upright and out to safety. The half ended with another chance at either end. A Smissen cross bobbled around the Fisher box, but somehow, none of the City players in attendance could get a clear strike on goal and then Fisher’s Chris Hubbard, having got around Scott could only shoot wide of the City goal.
Half time, a good match so far and surprisingly, it’s still 0-0.
City made a change during the break with Scott Punton coming on in defence to replace Bagley. The delayed start obviously suited the visitors better as City took control of the second half and enjoyed a lot of attacking possession.
First effort after the break though, went to Fisher as Hubbard cut inside from the left with a clever little shimmy, but curled a shot wide. After that City, took over. Smissen stole the ball from a defender but shot well wide and Tenyue made a lovely break and slid the ball inside for Marsh, who unfortunately struck it over the bar. A Punton shot was easily seen and saved by Hagan and a knock on by Smissen saw Anderson break through but he was well defended off the ball by Charlie Helps.
An Anderson cross was too close to the keeper as Smissen bore down and a minute later he turned and squirmed his way through the box but couldn’t get a shot off on goal. Fisher were lucky to scramble away a corner won by Tenyue following a superb cross field pass by Gess before City made a further change, replacing Anderson with Bobby Powell.
Gess fired wide having been set by Smissen and Powell was soon involved down the left floating a decent cross that Smissen and Helps both got their heads to, with the City man adjudged to have got the final touch therefore conceding just a goal kick. City were getting closer. Tenyue had a shot charged down and a long clearance from Quinn was nodded on by Marsh into the Fisher box where Powell had two quick-fire shots, both blocked.
With just fifteen minutes left, Fisher finally managed to get forward again. Tipple’s cross was headed goal wards by Afolayan, but as the City defence seemed to go into slow motion the header drifted wide and two minutes later, City were indebted to Quinn, pulling off a fine block with his feet as Fisher broke through.
A piece of luck then indirectly led to City taking the lead. A corner was needlessly given away by a Fisher defender who was seemingly under no pressure whatsoever. It came into the near post and was cleared by the defence for another. There were now seventy-nine minutes on the watch and City had tried both their corner routine and several other near post corners during the match without success. This time though, the ball was swung into the middle and Powell rose and got his head in front to nod the ball home from about eight yards for 1-0.
Three minutes after taking the lead, City doubled it. A free kick into the City box came out to Tenyue whose shot was deflected out for another City corner. Again, it was swung into the middle and Scott and Smissen both went for it with Scott getting the final touch to force the ball in for 2-0.
You would have thought that was game over, but Fisher suddenly came to life and enjoyed their best spell of the match. Substitute Kyle Demetrius shot inches wide, Quinn had to make an excellent save down by his left hand post and a cross from the other side landed on top of his net. City made their final change, Smissen coming off to be replaced by Glenn Johnson who went straight up front in Smissen’s position.
Tenyue had a shot dip a foot over the bar with just a couple of minutes of the ninety left, but as the game went into five minutes of stoppage time it was all Fisher. A shot from the left curled the wrong way past the City post and clean through, Afolayan couldn’t beat Quinn who made another decent save. Turner fired straight at the City keeper from twenty-five yards and in the last minute Afolayan bombed through the City defence but struck his shot across goal and wide as the angle narrowed.
The late flurry at the end for Fisher wasn’t enough to give then anything from a game won by City’s very strong second half performance.
Final score City 2 Fisher 0.
City; Connor Quinn, Michael Scott, Chris Elliott, Sam Baker, Grant Bagley (Scott Punton), Renford Tenyue, Macauley Murray, Jake Gess, Michael Smissen (Glenn Johnson), Wayon Anderson (Bobby Powell), Jake Marsh.