Fisher 2-4 Erith Town - There's no pressure on us to win the Kent League, admits Tony Russell

Monday 07th February 2011

FISHER 2-4 ERITH TOWN
Safety Net Associates Kent League
Monday 7th February 2011
Stephen McCartney reports from Champion Hill Stadium

ERITH TOWN manager Tony Russell says there is no pressure on his side after his dark horses leapfrogged over Herne Bay to reach the Kent League summit after an impressive display over ten-man strugglers Fisher.

The Dockers stretched their unbeaten run to seven with an impressive 4-2 win at Champion Hill tonight and Russell said: “It’s so early, I’m not worried about it yet! There’s loads of games to go but it’s always nice to be top. We’re on a good run, a really good run but I’m not really looking too much into it. I’m just concentrating on the next game.”

When asked about the Kent League title race, Russell added: “People will always look at Hythe and Herne Bay, they’re two good sides, obviously a good fan-base goes with that and the pressure comes with that and I know that because their two managers will feel the pinch a little bit.

“Albert (Putman, my chairman) doesn’t put no pressure on me. Everyone knows the situation we’re in. I think I’m over achieving. This club has never finished higher than fifth so I’m in no pressure and that helps when you’re coaching and you’re telling the players’ to relax, if you’re nice and relaxed as well.”

Third-from-bottom Fisher went into this game on the back of a surprise 2-0 home win over VCD Athletic at the weekend, and looked set to spring another surprise tonight by taking an early lead when Frenchman Elstrom Die capitalised on a blunder from visiting keeper Tim Roberts.

But Erith Town levelled through the first of two brilliant free-kick’s from left-back Lawrence Collins, before Fisher holding midfielder Ernest Simon was lucky to have only been booked for an ugly over-the-ball challenge on Lee Morgan in the 33rd minute.

But the Dockers took the lead ten minutes into the second half through striker Alex Tiesse, before justice was finally done when Simon was red-carded for a second yellow for a 63rd minute foul on Morgan’s replacement, Cris Porcescu.

Fisher showed character by levelling through a well-taken penalty from substitute Steve O’Donnell, but Erith Town stepped up a gear and sealed top spot through another excellent Collins free-kick and Michael Power’s close range finish to move two points clear of Herne Bay with 12 league games remaining.

There was some good news for Fisher fans before the game as club officials confirmed there will be a meeting with an experienced property developer tomorrow to deliver the business and project plan of their proposed new stadium in Rotherhithe. The Fish have support from Supporters Direct, who will deliver advice as the club look to return back to their roots.

Fisher manager Gary Lisney appreciates the importance of moving back home, especially as the club pays landlords Dulwich Hamlet £300 per game to play at Champion Hill Stadium.

He said: “We need our own facility. We need our own location. It costs quite a lot of money to play here. It’s a great stadium and worth every penny, I’m sure, but we’re a club that can’t afford doing that so the sooner we can get to our own location, our own stadium and get back to the roots where the club came from and hopefully start improving our attendances and start generating our own revenue who knows? Hopefully we’ll start progressing in that department as well.”

Erith Town officials, meanwhile, also confirmed that the club will begin work on erecting a stand roof at Erith Sports Stadium on 28th February, which will cover 312 seats at the ground at a cost of £44,000 - £20,000 of which has been funded by The Football Foundation.

The work at the Avenue Road stadium is expected to take two weeks and other improvements at the ground, including extending dug-outs and fencing, will also be made.

However, the club confirmed that they have not applied for promotion into the Ryman League.

Fisher created the first chance when Collins played a poor pass from the left-back position straight to Die, who flashed a left-footed shot wide from 25-yards.

That was just a sighter for the Frenchman as he was gifted a goal by Roberts inside the opening six minutes.

Erith Town French central defender, Malik Fofana played a routine back-pass to Roberts, but the goalkeeper’s right-footed clearance ricochet off the advancing Die (ten-yards from goal) and bounced into an empty net.

Russell refused to blame his goalkeeper for the error.

He said: “I want everyone to pass the ball and that includes the goalkeeper as well. I said to him mistakes like that are going to happen but you’ve got to have courage to keep doing it. I haven’t got a problem with that, it’s just one of those things, that happens. I was just pleased with the way we reacted to it.”

Lisney added: “You could argue it was a bit of a gift, I could argue he (Die) shows passion, commitment and work-rate for my team to harry and close people down and made things difficult. Those things happen in football.”

Fisher started on the front foot as Erith Town looked off-colour early on, and after Louis Sprosen’s right-wing corner the ball found it’s way out to the unmarked George Savage, the midfielder drilled a low right-footed shot wide from 30-yards.

Then Die’s pace scared the life out of Erith right-back David Hall, but all he could manage was to drill a low shot into the side-netting, before Erith Town fought back.

Liam Burgess floated a right-footed curling free-kick into the penalty area and the ball skimmed off Tiesse’s head to sail past the upright.

Erith Town were playing some lovely football and they were so unlucky not to level in the 24th minute when striker Power cut the ball back on to his left foot and drove a low shot across Fisher keeper Adam Lisney, which agonisingly bounced off the far post with the keeper beaten.

However, it wasn’t long before the Dockers levelled, in the 29th minute.

Collins stepped up and curled a beautiful left-footed free-kick over the wall from 30-yards, a shot that had enough power to beat a diving Adam Lisney, who didn’t have a strong enough right hand to prevent the ball finding the top left-hand corner.

If there was any justice, referee James Macey would have shown Simon a straight red card in the 33rd minute as he was guilty of a sickening studs showing challenge on Morgan, who after treatment from blonde physiopherapist Emma Rawlinson was heard screaming “F*****g, joke, c***, idiot c***, mug, f*****g horrendous, as he was carried off the pitch in agony.

Referee’s should have the bottle to show players red cards for such challenges and the football authorities must ban the culprits for the same length of time that their victims are out of the game injured.

It was five minutes before Morgan made the short painful walk from the dug-out down the players tunnel, muttering the C word, before Porcescu took his place, slotting in his favoured position on the left flank.

Russell condemned the challenge, saying, “I wasn’t overly happy with it. It was a shocker to be fair! The referee, he sent me off against Sporting Bengal, so I didn’t want to go too much into it. We had a chat at half-time and I think he maybe realised he made a mistake there.

“You don’t want tackles like that in football. It’s so high up and obviously he’s got a massive lump on his leg now. As it goes he’s suspended for the next two games so it gives him two weeks to get over it.”

Fisher boss Lisney, meanwhile, defended his player.

“I listen to Talk Sport and stuff like that, all these argument about Joey Barton’s challenge on Abou Diaby (during Newcastle United’s 4-4 draw against Arsenal in the Premier League at the weekend), it happens in football,” said Lisney.

“It’s a contact sport. He hasn’t run 30 yards and launched himself into a bad challenge. They’re probably no more than a foot away from each other. It’s not the best challenge in the world, but I thought the referee probably got it about right!”

Lisney added: “The disappointing thing is lots of ranting and raving but ten minutes later Elstrom was through and was taken clean out and the referee didn’t say a word to him!”

Reflecting on Simon’s red-card later on in the game, the Fisher boss felt Mr Macey got that wrong.

“Not a booking for me! He’s a midfield player, he goes and challenges people, a bit shoulder to shoulder at people. Not a booking but I said to the referee at half-time, ‘don’t be persuaded, don’t be influenced’ and he ensured me he wouldn’t be. My view is he was!”

But Erith Town almost went in at the break in the lead when Collins throw from the left was flicked on by Power and Tiesse’s driven shot was blocked by the keeper’s legs.

Both managers swarmed referee James Macey at the half-time whistle to express their feelings on Simon’s challenge on Morgan.

But Erith Town took the lead in the 55th minute, through another good move.

Tiesse exchanged a one-two with Power down the left and Tiesse burst into the penalty area and from a tight angle drove a right-footed shot across Lisney and the ball nestled inside the bottom far corner.

Roberts was relieved to see another poor kicked clearance flash wide of his right-hand post as Sprosen didn’t take advantage from 30-yards.

Simon was finally red-carded - 30 minutes after he should have been - when he picked up his second yellow for a challenge on Porcescu.

Both goalkeepers were forced into making saves from distance as Erith’s Chris Walker’s 35-yard drive was saved low down by Lisney at the second attempt, and within a minute Roberts tipped George Savage’s right-footed drive from similar distance around his post.

Ten-man Fisher showed character and pulled themselves back into the game in the 73rd minute when Die was brought down by Peter Smith close to the by-line.

Substitute O’Donnell stepped up and crashed a right-footed penalty into the left corner of the net, sending the diving Roberts the wrong way.

But the home side’s joy was short-lived as Erith Town dominated the rest of the game.

They regained the lead again in the 78th minute when Collins caressed a beautiful left-footed free-kick into the top left-hand corner from 20-yards, the diving Lisney having no chance to a shot that would have graced a much higher level of football than the Kent League.

“He’s got a wonder of a left-foot to be fair to him, he’s magic and the second one especially,” Russell said.

“I thought the first one was a good hit and I thought the goalie would be disappointed with that having got two hands to it but the second one, there’s nothing you can do about that! He’s put that in top bins, you ain’t saving that! I was right behind it and it was a nice relief to see that go in I can assure you.”

They wrapped up the win four minutes later when Collins’ free-kick released Walker down the left and he rolled the ball across the face of goal and Power slammed the ball into the net from three-yards at the second attempt as both Lisney and left-back Mark Lewis failed to clear.

Russell said: “We dominated the game from start to finish. I don’t remember them venturing much into our penalty area, let alone having a shot so to give a pass back and the goalie’s kicked it straight to them and a silly penalty, I’m disappointed.

“But I drum it into the boys about reacting no mater what the situation because if you go one-nil or one-all it’s about reacting. It’s about believing in what we talk to them about, passing the ball, don’t panic and I thought we done that.

“I thought once we got the third goal we just cruised to the end.”

Lisney, meanwhile, took plenty of positives out of the game, despite his side’s eleventh league defeat from eighteen outings, which leaves them in the bottom three.

“Disappointing result, but not so much of a disappointing performance to be fair,” he said.

“I thought the players gave it a go. To be fair to Erith Town, they’re a very, very, very good side, probably the best side we’ve played this year in my view.

“My players gave it everything. It’s really difficult when you’re playing with ten men for a large portion of the second half, when you’re playing 35 minutes with ten men. If we’re playing anyone else we might have nicked a result today but Erith Town are a good team.”

Lisney admits Russell’s side are in with a good shout of going on to win the Kent League title.

“I went to watch them play Greenwich Borough a few weeks ago and I was impressed and I’m impressed again tonight. They’re a good side. They are the best team we’ve played this year so whoever wins this league I just hope they’re a footballing team and Erith Town are certainly that.

“I’d rather a team that plays football is successful, rather than teams that are a bit more direct.”

Fisher: Adam Lisney, Tamba Ngongue (Raphael Akala 80), Mark Lewis, Isa Bangura, Marc Hughes, Jimmy Beauchamp (Steve O‘Donnell 68), George Savage, Louis Sprosen, Dwayne Cowan (Callum Roberts 76), Ernest Simon, Elstrom Die.

Subs: Steve Sallis, Luis Rozan.

Goals: Elstrom Die 6, Steve O’Donnell 73 (pen)

Booked: Ernest Simon 33

Sent Off: Ernest Simon 63

Erith Town: Tim Roberts, David Hall (Joe Foster 66), Lawrence Collins, Ben Payne, Malik Fofana, Peter Smith, Liam Burgess, Lee Morgan (Cris Porcescu 38), Michael Power (Darren Nash 86), Alex Tiesse, Chris Walker.

Subs: James Hawkins, Martin Chirimuuta.

Goals: Lawrence Collins 29, 78, Alex Tiesse 55, Michael Power 82

Booked: Chris Walker 56, Peter Smith 73

Attendance: 94

Referee: Mr James Macey (Bexley)

Assistants: Mr Mark Jenkins (Welling) & Mr Ged Keegan (Plumstead)