Fisher 1-3 Punjab United - Offers are coming in for me, three club's have already spoken to me but this is home for me and I need to make this right and I need to get this club promoted, says gutted Fisher manager Ajay Ashanike

Fisher 1 – 3 Punjab United
Location	St Paul's Stadium, Salter Road, Rotherhithe, London SE16 6NT
Kickoff	28/04/2026 19:45

FISHER  1-3  PUNJAB UNITED
Presence & Co Southern Counties East Football League Premier Division Play-Off Semi-Final
Tuesday 28 April 2026
Stephen McCartney reports from St Paul’s Stadium

FISHER manager Ajay Ashanike says he has been approached by three clubs but insists he is staying at home and will be going out to win the Southern Counties East Football League Premier Division title next season to avoid feeling gutted again after suffering back-to-back Play-Off heartbreak.

The highly-rated 37-year-old Aveley, Essex based talent spotter guided the club to a fifth-placed finish last season and were seconds from taking VCD Athletic to a penalty shoot-out in the Play-Off Final before Daniel Bradshaw scored a last-gasp winner, despite only playing for the home club for only 27 minutes (two play-off ties).

The Fish finished this season in their highest ever placing since reformation in second-place (68 points – 20 wins, eight draws and eight defeats) but they suffered a Play-Off Semi-Final defeat to a Punjab United side that play a brand of football from the Dark Ages.

Attacking midfielder Jack Hopkins headed in his 24th goal of the season to give Punjab United a deserved early lead, before central midfielder Zak Bryon swept in a clinical second on the stroke of half-time following a rare sweeping move along the deck.

However, Fisher pulled a goal back with a sublime chip from striker Festos Kamara, notching his 21^st goal of the season, before Punjab United killed off the home side’s momentum with a clinical third through substitute left-winger William Johnson-Cole’s 13^th of the campaign.

Chipie Sian’s ugly brand of direct, throw it, head it, volley it, drill it tactics ended Fisher’s impressive 17-match unbeaten home run, which went back to champions Whitstable Town claiming a 2-1 win here back on 1 November 2025.

No one from Punjab United took part in a post-match interview with this website - but all of their management team will be logging on in the morning to read this report!  

The Gravesend-based outfit – who brought only 45 fans to Rotherhithe for the game, evidence that no one in the town would pay money to watch such awful football – will travel to third-placed finishers Rusthall in Bank Holiday Monday’s Play-Off Final after Jimmy Anderson’s side held their nerve from the penalty spot (5-4) following a goal-less home draw against Larkfield & New Hythe tonight.

Punjab United have beaten Fisher in three of their four meetings this season and will hold the favourites tag going into the winner-takes-all showdown at Jockey Farm Stadium to see who will join Whitstable Town in the Isthmian League South East Division next season.

Punjab United scored three of their five attempts on target at St Paul’s Stadium and were resilient and kept men behind the ball and often kicked anyone wearing a black and white shirt.

“I think we was there last year, gutted, absolutely gutted, really gutted for what happened tonight but all I can do is thank the players for all their hard work all season, thank the club, thank the fans, the board members, everyone, all I can say is thank you,” said Ashanike.

“Do you know what, we lost 3-1 but I believe we were the better side all round. We played some good football. We attacked in numbers. We got into the box but if you want to win the play-offs, like I said, it’s a mini tournament. If you want to win a mini-tournament, you can’t make the mistakes we did and it was really hard for us to get back into it after the minor mistakes.

“But look, well done to Punjab, they’ve got through and all the best to them in the play-off final on Monday.”

When asked whether he thought his side could handle the expectancy and the pressure put on his side tonight, Ashanike replied: “So for me, it was what Whitstable felt last season (finishing runners-up and losing to Fisher on penalties after a 2-2 draw in the home semi-final last season).

“At the start of the season I said to everyone, apart from Whitstable, we are the second best team in the League and we’ve proved it this year and no one else can take that away from us.

“The table will always be there to show that I was right in what I said about we are the second best team in the league but to not to go up, it’s not the end of it. Whitstable didn’t go up last season but they’ve turned up this season and they’ve absolutely hammered everyone and why can’t we do it next season? Why can’t we not get our head down and regroup and go again next season?”

Fisher goalkeeper Isaac Ogunseri pulled off a brilliant reaction save following Chris Edwards’ first of four long throws, with three minutes and 48 seconds on the clock.

The ball was hurled into the penalty area from the right, Fisher half-cleared the ball and from within a crowd of players, Campbell smacked a right-footed hooked volley, which was brilliantly palmed over by the Folkestone Invicta loanee keeper, high to his right.

“Isaac has been brilliant all season. Again, I want to thank Folkestone for allowing us to have him for the whole season. He’s been absolutely brilliant. He was good for us last season and he’s a young goalkeeper and the boy will play at a good level one day and I’m really proud of him,” said Ashanike.

Punjab United deserved their lead when it arrived with eight minutes and 30 seconds on the clock.

Goalkeeper Mitchell Beeney’s free-kick along the deck went to centre-half Stephen Ratcliff, who drilled a left-footed 60-yard diagonal ball out of defence into the right-channel and wideman Edwards put over a great cross with his right foot towards the near post for Hopkins to bury his free header screaming into the top right-hand corner.

“Yes, you see, with those kind of chances, we always speak about that,” said Ashanike.

“The ball’s gone out wide and we’ve jogged to get out to him. If we sprint to get out to him and that cross doesn’t go in and we’re still nil-nil.

“I believe if we went thirty minutes into the game with (it being) nil-nil, we would’ve been the team that runs away with it but again, great cross. I thought Ange (Djadja) should’ve done much better than what he did – but was flat-footed and they’ve capitalised on it and for some reason he scores against us all the time but we learn from it and we move on really.”

Fisher went close to levelling the game up (11:39) when holding midfielder Tyron Mbuenimo played a sublime through ball along the deck which cut open Punjab’s right-back Kayden Lewin-Thomas and was latched onto by winger Alex Kozak, who cut inside and played in Kamara, who poked his deflected shot past the foot of the left-hand post from inside the six-yard box.

“That was a massive chance, a great chance. We played our football and we moved the ball really well,” said Ashanike.

“Missing Jack Gibbons (ACL) tonight was a massive blow for us. That said, we would’ve been more eclectic but yes, I thought that was a great chance. We should be doing better but you can’t kill them for what they’ve done all season!”

Fisher’s 23-goal left-back Lorenzo Duncan and wingers Kozak and Rafael Garcia weren’t as threatening as they were during their 5-0 final day home victory over Tunbridge Wells at the weekend, as Ashanike made five changes to his side.

A deep Duncan launched a long ball forward from inside his own half, Punjab centre-half Wayne Bushell headed the ball away.  Kozak switched the play from left to right to Garcia, who took a touch before his right-footed angled drive was comfortably caught by Beeney at his near-post.

“I thought that was a good chance, again, we created really well and for the majority of the game, I thought we done ok but in patches we didn’t really do well,” admitted Ashanike, who admitted his side played well and with freedom when the pressure was off at the weekend than they did here when it was play-off time.

“If we move the ball the way we moved it there, we would’ve created a lot more chances than we got benefit from but it was not meant to be.”

Punjab United’s Lee Bird – who plays on the left of a four-man midfield and often doesn’t see any of the ball with Ratcliff often drilling aimless balls up field with his left-foot – drilled a deep cross towards the back post, which was knocked across goal by Roman Campbell and Ogunseri beat the ball away, high to his right at his near-post.

Punjab United missed a glorious chance to double their lead with 32:40 on the clock and no surprise it came from a set-piece and a couple of headers.

Beeney smashed a free-kick towards the edge of the Fisher penalty area and Bryon’s free-header sailed into the middle where Edwards’ free-header from eight-yards was comfortably plucked out of the air, two handed by Ogunseri.

“I thought that was a good save from Isaac. He caught it really well because another keeper would’ve parried that and it could’ve been something else but again that boy did really, really well there to hold two hands onto it at that height as well but he done well there,” added the Fisher manager.

Fisher were facing a mountain to climb when Punjab United doubled their lead with 46 minutes and 52 seconds on the clock.

They actually kept the ball on the deck and produced a free-flowing move, with Bryon intercepting the ball inside the Fisher half in midfield before the 23-goal Jack Hopkins rolled the ball out to Edwards on the left and he put in a low cross towards Roman Campbell inside the box, who dropped to the ground and the ball came out to Bryon, who swept a clinical first time left-footed shot into the roof of the net from 16-yards.

That is exactly how the game of football should be played – instead of launching hundreds of balls up into the air and aimlessly up to no one and playing like a Sunday League team like they normally do.

Ashanike said: “That was our mistakes again though isn’t it.  We’ve made mistakes again. We tried to pass it into midfield when we’ve already told them not to pass into midfield and if Armani (Jordan Martin) just switched the ball they wouldn’t nick it there.

“But they’ve counter attacked on us and they’ve done what we did to Whitstable. They’ve done a job on us, as Jamie (Coyle, Whitstable Town manager) would say.

“If we went in 1-0 down, we win this game today, 100 per cent we would’ve won this game but because we’ve gone in 2-0 down, it was a mountain to climb.

“But it was calm in the changing room. I was calm in the changing room. It’s all about being calm with these boys. There’s times where I have to give it to them and there’s times, do you know what boys, calm down, play and that’s what they’ve done in the second half.  They were electric.

“At times it was attack-versus-defence and Punjab were just kicking the ball and hoping the clock would run down, which it did for us.”

There was still belief from the terraces and stand that Fisher were still in this game and they produced a sublime equaliser, seven minutes and 21 seconds on the clock.

Central midfielder Michael Sarpong played a sublime through ball just over the half-way line through a couple of pairs of legs, through an eye of a needle to put Kamara through on goal and the former Tunbridge Wells striker produced a sublime left-footed chip from 18-yards sailing over the advancing Beeney and dropping in just underneath the crossbar into the middle of an empty goal.

“Michael Sarpong is a club man, proper club man, loves the club and for him to be able to find that pass that no one else can see is absolutely superb and talk about the finish….

“Festos up top has just been absolutely amazing for us this season getting 21 goals for us this season. We brought him in to come and do us a job this season and I can say the signings that we’ve made this season has absolutely worked for us really well and they’ve done really well for us.”

Ratcliff launched his millionth long ball out of defence this season and the ball was knocked down by Roman Campbell inside the Fisher half and Bird’s left-footed chip from 25-yards lacked Kamara’s quality and sailed over (14:55).

With the crowd behind them, Fisher had momentum between the 53^rd minute and minute 65 but couldn’t create a single goalscoring chance against an excellent resilient back four, who weathered the storm.

“The same thing that Tunbridge Wells done on Saturday, when we huffed and puffed, looks good but we wasn’t creating nothing, where in normal games when the occasions not big like that, we’re creating chances, creating chances.  We’ve been creating lots.

“I think on Saturday we created 12 (on target) chances, today I can’t remember many chances we actually created to make the keeper work.

“Even though we won 5-0 on Saturday, their goalkeeper was man-of-the-match and today their keeper had not had a lot to do today, which (leaves me feeling) really gutted.”

Punjab United killed off the momentum by scoring a match winning third goal with 27 minutes and 58 seconds on the clock.

No shock here. Beeney drilled a right-footed free-kick over the whole of midfield and into the Fisher penalty area.  A poor clearance from recalled Fisher centre-half Ange Djadja fell kindly to the unmarked Johnson-Cole and the long-serving winger clinically swept his first time right-footed shot into the bottom left-hand corner from 16-yards.

“Isaac’s come out to punch it. Ange has gone up for it as well and I think it’s come of Ange,” said Ashanike.

“Isaac should not be coming out, that’s decision making, a goalkeeper error there. He shouldn’t be coming that far out. He did, he made a mistake but he’s a young goalkeeper, again we forgive him but yes that killed us, that killed us with the momentum.

“I believe we could’ve taken it to penalties, I thought, if we could’ve got one more goal and knocked the stuffing out of them from there but it’s just not to be mate, honestly, it’s not to be.”

Punjab United soaked up the pressure from the dominant Fisher players with 11 men behind the ball with Roman Campbell now replaced by Harry Ottaway, who offered no threat as the lone striker as Punjab United ran out deserved winners and join Sutton Athletic (2-1, 2 September), Phoenix Sports (3-1, 7 October) and Whitstable Town (2-1, 1 November) as the only sides to win here in 29 games in all competitions this season.

“They defended really well, they’re big men. They threw their body on the line. They done really, really done really well and they need to be proud of themselves for what they’ve done tonight because not a lot of teams are able to cope with us for 90 minutes at that pace – but they did.”

Ashanike and his players showed their class by clapping Punjab United off the pitch at the end of the game after they expressed their gratitude to the support that they have received from the Fisher fans during the campaign, as Punjab United are just one win away from playing Isthmian League football for the very first time (fifth-place, 63 points – 18 wins, nine draws and nine defeats).

“I’m not upset. It’s football and we’ve got to go back and see what we can do better next season to not be able to be in that play-off and just go and win the League,” said Ashanike.

“Good Luck to both teams. Rusthall was a team I wanted to face. I spoke to Louie Clarke today and that’s the team I wanted to face in the final – that would’ve been a good final, coming here on a Bank Holiday Monday, both footballing sides, that would’ve been a showcase for the League but it’s not meant to be, it’s not meant to be.

“Good luck to both teams, good luck to Rusthall, good luck to Punjab. They’ve been absolutely immense all season both sides and they both deserve to be there and hopefully the best team win.  We’re going to be there to watch them and support the team that we believe could win on the day but we’ve had histories with both sides but I wish them nothing but good luck for Monday and may the best team win.”

Ashanike was asked about his future at the club and also revealed the personal sacrifice that our managers have to make managing in the ninth-tier of English football.

Fisher’s players and management do it for the love of the game and not for financial gain and take credit for a couple of wonderful seasons of playing an attractive brand of football and giving uncut gems a chance to shine.

“Seven years, seven years of hard work, seven years of leaving my family on a Saturday and not seeing them. I work Monday to Friday and then I work on a Sunday – I’m account manager at (a company that owns high street betting companies), so it’s a lot of car journeys so I don’t really see them. 

“I just explained to the Fisher fans that we are absolutely sorry. We’ve done our best this season. I hope we gave them a good display, look at the goals we’ve scored (this season), look how many goals we’ve scored, the attacking football, the bravery. But we’ve changed the script, we’ve made football fun again and it no-one’s proud of us, I can say I’m proud of my boys and I’m proud of MY CLUB and I’m proud everything that showcases what Fisher is all about.

“Honestly, offers are coming in for me. We haven’t even finished the season, yet I think three clubs have already spoken to me.”

Ashanike, inevitably started to laugh and declined to answer my question of who those three club’s were.

“I can’t but this is home. This is home for me and I need to make this right. I need to get this promoted. I need to do everything I can to make sure this team is safe.

“But again my job is a nightmare and all I want to do is thank Jordan (Darwish)  and my coaching team.  The last two weeks has been a challenge with the Gaming Commission getting involved with our company and I’ve had to be managing training to make sure I’m tidying things up (at work).

“My daughter’s been ill all week. I’ve been in hospital with my daughter this week.

“Preparation has been hard for us but do you know what, young Jordan, Jordan’s only a young lad, I think he’s only 24 still. He has taken on the roll massively.  At the start of the season people laughed, a 24-year-old assistant manager but I promise you the work that he’s done behind the scenes there, the effort that he’s put in is absolutely immense.

“People said we couldn’t topple what we did last season and I’m just saying it we broke history in every competition and it’s something that I’m proud off and that’s Jordan’s hard work and all I can do is thank Jordan for everything that he’s done for me.”

When asked about clapping Sian’s side off the pitch, showing Fisher’s class, Ashanike replied: “Do you know what it is, you have to enjoy the rivalry that they give you.  There has to be two people that creates a show. We’ve played each other four times this season. They’ve knocked us out of the Vase, we’ve clapped them off. They came here, we gave them credit when we beat them 5-1, they didn’t give us credit, which is great but whatever happens, I give respect when respects due and respects due for them. 

"You can’t beat us three times and thinking you shouldn’t go through. They deserve to be in the final – if you beat us three times you deserve to be in the final.”

Fisher: Isaac Ogunseri, Donald MacAuley (Sha’mar Lawson 57), Lorenzo Duncan, Tyron Mbuenimo, Ange Djadja, Conor Darwish, Alex Kozak (Jake Lovell 70), Michael Sarpong, Festos Kamara (Adejola Lahan 82), Armani-Jordan Martin, Rafael Garcia (Tom Jones 49).
Sub: Samuel Owusu

Goal: Festos Kamara 53

Booked: Tyron Mbuenimo 32, Festos Kamara 53

Punjab United: Mitchell Beeney, Kyden Lewin-Thomas, Jordan Campbell, Terlochan Singh, Stephen Ratcliff, Wayne Bushell, Lee Bird, Zak Bryon (William Johnson-Cole 67), Roman Campbell (Harry Ottaway 71), Jack Hopkins, Chris Edwards (Ryan Gill 83).
Subs: Hudson Scudder, George Monger

Goals: Jack Hopkins 9, Zak Bryon 45, William Johnson-Cole 73

Booked: Kyden Lewin-Thomas 35, Jordan Campbell 52, Roman Campbell 55, Zak Bryon 63, Chris Edwards 90

Attendance: 449
Referee: Mr Byron Beard
Assistants: Mr Thomas Marshall & Mr Martin Belsom
Fourth Official: Mr Krystian Kaczala