Fisher 1-1 Spelthorne Sports - We don't do it easy at Fisher but we're going to bring it home on Tuesday night, insists Fisher boss Ajay Ashanike

Fisher 1 – 1 Spelthorne Sports
Location	St Paul's Stadium, Salter Road, Rotherhithe, London SE16 6NT
Kickoff	03/09/2022 15:00

FISHER  1-1  SPELTHORNE SPORTS
The Emirates FA Cup First Qualifying Round
Saturday 3 September 2022
Stephen McCartney reports from St Paul’s Stadium

FISHER manager Ajay Ashanike says it will mean everything to guide the club through to The FA Cup Second Qualifying Round for the first time as he prepares his side for their third midweek away replay.

The Fish have been held to home draws by Sutton Common Rovers (0-0) and Isthmian League South East Division side Sittingbourne (2-2) but came away with a couple of 1-0 wins away from home and Ashanike says he is confident that his side can bring it home on Tuesday night.

Mark Harper’s side arrived in Rotherhithe sitting in twelfth-place in the Combined Counties League Premier Division North table with four points from three games, while Fisher are bottom of the Southern Counties East Football League Premier Division with two draws from their opening four league outings.

Spelthorne Sports have beaten Bearsted 3-1 (after a 3-3 draw) and Crawley Down Gatwick (3-2) to reach this stage of the competition, while Fisher have came away from Church Road, Whyteleafe and Woodstock Park in Sittingbourne with victories and are now preparing for their sixth outing in The FA Cup this season.

It takes a Premier League club six wins to raise the famous old trophy aloft at Wembley Stadium.

Spelthorne Sports took an early lead through holding midfielder Josh Remedios and Fisher had striker Jacob Katonia sent off for a touchline spat in the 61^st minute before attacking midfielder Emmanuel Shoderu won and converted a penalty to score his third goal of the season to earn another replay.

“I believe we got lucky today to be honest.  We created a lot of chances but they had two or three max and it never looked like both teams were going to score but we had the better edge but overall I’ll take the replay and take it to their place and see if we can finish the game off on Tuesday night,” said Ashanike.

Ashanike revealed he had seven players missing through injury and was forced into playing an untried 3-5-2 formation and they started the game on the front foot.

Right wing-back Michael Sarpong played the ball up to left-winger Dennis Asante, who brought the ball down and under control with a couple of headers before lashing a left-footed half-volley high over the crossbar after only 72 seconds.

Spelthorne Sports won the corner count by 9-8 and should have done better from their first delivery.

Set-piece specialist, right-back Daniel Lewis raised both of his arms up and clipped the ball towards the near post, which failed to beat the first man and the ball came out to Remedios, who took a touch before screwing his poor shot harmlessly wide of the target from 25-yards.

Spelthorne Sports grabbed the lead with nine minutes and 50 seconds on the clock, following Lewis’ second flag-kick.

This time he raised his left arm and swung in a right-footed corner from the right and up came centre-half Rayan Djouadji to knock the ball back across goal for Remedios to hit a left-footed volley into the ground and watched it bounce up and over the man on the goalline to find the top right-hand corner from 10-yards.

“So when we concede set-pieces, it really, really gets on my nerves because it’s something that we worked on every single week in training,” revealed Ashanike, who wasn’t happy with Fitzgerald’s contribution.

“Sam knew that he made a mistake by marking in the first place.  As soon as Sam marks we know that we’re going to concede a goal because there’s no one to go and win the ball.  It’s something that we practice every single week and for him to go and mark the smallest man on the pitch and cause a lot of confusion in there.  It’s really gutting to concede a goal like that.”

Spelthorne Sports should have swiftly doubled their lead but big target-man Frazier Osunkoya (who linked up well with his team-mates despite playing as the lone striker) failed to take the chance.

Left-winger Ellis Pringle found space in behind Sarpong to whip in a cross from within the left channel for Osunkoya to plant his free header over the Fisher crossbar from 12-yards.

“It could have been 2-0 but again it’s a half a chance isn’t it because he had to win a 50-50, which he did win but I think the centre-half done enough to just put him off to get a header in there but it went over the bar so it was a let-off,” admitted Ashanike.

Fisher’s best moments of the first half came down the right with Isaac Thompson terrorising Spelthorne’s left-back Olawala Garuba but as soon as Ashanike switched Prince Imoru from left-wing-back to right-wing-back, this left Thompson a frustrated figure as Fisher’s supply line was snuffed out.

Good link up play from Osunkoya saw him spray the ball out to Pringle, who cut inside and tried to curl his 25-yarder into the top far corner, only for the ball to sail harmlessly over.

However, Fisher should have equalised in the 17^th minute.

Imoru played the ball down the line from his new position and released Thompson, who drove into the box and put it on a plate for Dennis Asante, who slid in and poked a weak shot straight at goalkeeper Mark Pisani, who got down low to his right to smother the shot from point-blank range.

“Dennis is a really good player. It’s just his willingness to want to get fit and his willingness to want to be a part of the team is something I questioned in the changing room before the game,” revealed the towering Fisher boss.

“I believe he done really well today, really unlucky not to get there but he’s lacking match sharpness to actually get there but that will come in a lot of games.  I think there’s a lot of room for improvement for him, which I think he will get there as well.”

Spelthorne Sports produced a sweeping move when Pringle played the ball into Kelvin Karanja, who fed Osunkoya, who easily beat Fisher centre-half Sam Fitzgerald, shifting the ball onto his left-foot before drilling a low shot towards the bottom near corner, which was bundled behind by former Leyton Orient goalkeeper Samuel Amedu, 23, at his near post.

“I believe that’s an easy save for Sam. I don’t really see someone beating Sam from there.  Sam’s a top keeper. He was an ex-pro as well and we’re so lucky to have someone like him on board with us,” added Ashanike.

“Sam’s a really top keeper, he really needs to get himself back into shape fully and looking to push on up the ladder again.  I believe he can do it, he’s a top, top notch keeper.”

But the longer the half grew, the more frustrated Fisher’s players got and Sarpong tried to score from a speculative quickly taken free-kick from 30-yards, which was comfortably caught by a dropping Pisani, to prevent the ball nestling inside the bottom far corner.

Spelthorne Sports’ fourth corner came in from Lewis from the right and Osunjoya and Djouadj both went for the same header and Djouadj got there first to steer his header back from where it came and sailing just past the far post in the 44th minute.

Fisher produced a good injury time move which should have brought an equaliser but Pisani made a smart save at his near post.

Thompson worked the right channel and held the ball up and waited for support from Imoru, who whipped in a first time cross towards the near post.  Djouadj failed to cut out the cross and allowed Asante’s diving header to scream towards the bottom near corner from the edge of the six-yard box, only for Pisani to get down low to his left to push the ball behind.

Ashanike demands more from Thompson, who starred for Fisher last season before a switch to then league rivals Chatham Town but opportunities under Kevin Hake in the Isthmian League South East Division have been limited so far this season so he has been sent back to Fisher on loan.

“Isaac’s lacking a lot of confidence. He’s come in from Chatham and last night he found out he wasn’t playing today and last night he found out he was playing for us today,” revealed Ashanike.

“He’s lost his head and we saw glimpses today but that’s not Isaac at all. I think Isaac played 40% today, which we carried him but we’ve done enough to get a replay and I believe Tuesday will show the real Isaac.”

Ashanike said: “I believe we had to change it back to 4-3-3 just because we’re used to it and something that we’ve worked on and it worked, it paid off for us because we got on the front foot as soon as we changed it and we got control of the game again and everyone knew where they had to be on the pitch, which is really, really a credit to the boys because we worked on 3-5-2 on Thursday and it doesn’t give us enough time to work on the fundamental part of the game so to have 4-3-3 put us back on the front foot and we went at it.

“There were more tactical things we talked about (during the half-time interval) and I couldn’t question their ability, their ability is always there, we know that.  I questioned their work-rate, the desire to want to get the ball back off the opposition and to win the 50-50’s and I think second half we really worked because we actually went on some of them and the reaction I wanted worked.

“We were the better side in the second half, even though we were still poor, we were the better side.”

Fisher started the second half on the front foot.  Sarpong released Katonia, who cut inside Lewis and drilled a left-footed drive from a tight angle which only just missed the near post after only 39 seconds.

Sarpong then delivered a poor free-kick from within the left channel and Shoderu had a couple of bites of the cherry from outside the D, only to hit his left-footed half-volley over the Spelthorne crossbar.

Fisher squandered a glorious chance to equalise just before the hour-mark, however.

Sarpong’s hooked ball forward saw Djouadj’s poor back header intercepted by Thompson, who appeared to have been in two minds in a one-v-one situation and his attempted chip was comfortably smothered by Pisani, low to his right.

Referee Ciaran Fidler pulled out a red card and sent off Katonia in the 61^st minute for a touchline spat with winger Leon Iluobe but Fisher showed great character to put that set-back to the side for the remainder of the game.

“It was very silly of Jacob. We put some values in place of having emotional control but that wasn’t emotionally controlled. That’s one of our values that he’s actually disrespected in there,” revealed Ashanike.

“It’s stuff I will be speaking to Jacob personally about. No excuses but it was a red card but I believe the referee should’ve evened it out by giving their player a red-card with that violent conduct that he did as well but there’s not more I can say about it. It’s fully deserved and he’ll serve his ban and hopefully he can come back stronger.

“I think that done us a massive favour.  Jacob has been our best player on the pitch so far and it gave us a lot more freedom to go forward and actually create stuff.”

Ashanike sent on his towering assistant manager Luke With nine minutes into the second half and his presence gave Fisher a focal point in a key area of the field.

Sarpong whipped in a free-kick from within the left channel and With’s towering header was pushed over by Pisani, with his outstretched right hand, as it looped towards the roof of the net.

Sarpong put in another set-piece towards the far post where centre-half Fitzgerald cracked a right-footed hooked shot which crashed off the underside of the crossbar.

Fisher deserved their equaliser when it arrived with 18 minutes and 52 seconds on the clock, after Shoderu went to ground in the second phase of the crossbar being struck.

Shoderu kept composed and sent Pisani the wrong way with a clinical left-footed penalty, which he rolled into the bottom right-hand corner.

Ashanike was full of praise for coach Michael Williams and assistant manager With for their training ground efforts.

“Credit to Michael and Luke because they work on set-pieces a lot and they really dedicate their work-rate into set-pieces and it nearly paid off for us,” said Ashanike.

“If you look at the second phase it paid off for us because they were in the right position where they needed to be and listen if you touch me in the box I will go down and that’s what he did. He brought it and he got it and there’s not more I can say about it. He put it away really well as well.

“I believe the substitution of putting Luke With up top really changed the game because then he looked after the ball when he went up there. Before that it was a basketball match where possession was turning and turning and turning and turning and there was no control off the ball but as soon as he went in there it gave us a platform just play it into him and he can look after it and bring others into play and get us up the pitch, which was really good today.”

Spelthorne Sports created an opening inside the final 22 minutes when Iluobe played in substitute striker Jack Da Costa, but Amedu smothered the ball at his feet from inside his six-yard box.

Lewis’ seventh corner of the game wasn’t dealt with by the Fisher defence and the ball spun back from within a crowd of players and Amedu kept composed and used a strong right hand to ensure the ball spun over his crossbar, instead of dropping into the top corner.

Lewis’ ninth corner was swung out towards the edge of the Fisher penalty area where Djouadj was left unmarked and looped his header over the crossbar.

Both sides created a chance inside stoppage time.

Substitute midfielder Max Webb was in space just outside the centre circle and floated a cross into the box where the unmarked Karanja looped his header over the Fisher crossbar from 12-yards.

“You never know what is going to happen in this game because it’s just that one attack and for us it’s slack because we’ve put a lot of shift in with 10 men and they had more legs than us going into the last seven minutes of the game,” added Ashanike.

With visiting goalkeeper Pisani really struggling with injury, Fisher failed to put him under real pressure.

With’s knock down was collected by Sarpong, who found space and his weak right-footed shot from 25-yards was comfortably gathered by the now limping goalkeeper, who was making his first start of the season with Henry Poole unfit.

“Last week we had a Vase game (beating Oakwood 3-2) and we were shooting from everywhere. My team talk was not to have a shooting practice and they didn’t have a shot today. It’s common sense and they need to manage the game. If the shot is there, you’ve got to test him and see what he’s about and see what he’s made off. 

“We didn’t test him earlier; you could see he’s not in shape and the boys have got to suss it out early and come up with a plan in their head. I can’t do all of it for them.  It’s time for them to actually grow up and be a man and start dictating the game themselves.”

Ashanike revealed that 90% of his squad have taken Tuesday off work and the Fisher boss is confident his side can progress.

“We’ve had a really, really bad day, which I don’t believe will happen again on Tuesday,” insisted Ashanike.

“I don’t think they gave me nothing, they didn’t give absolutely nothing today. They know that the demands I want from them, they know how high it is.  I know how good those players are and that today was not my team and they know that and they’ve apologised in there and it will not happen on Tuesday night.  You will see a different aggressive team out there on Tuesday night.

“We’re going to win, there’s no two ways about it. We’re going to bring it home on Tuesday night.  We don’t do it easy at Fisher.  The last two games we’ve played in The FA Cup we have to go to replay’s to win in The FA Cup so we’ll take it to their place and I believe we’ll bring it home.”

Three FA Cup victories will see Fisher’s coffers boosted by £4,819 in total, while defeat will see the club bank £3,319 in total from their FA Cup exploits, not including gate receipts from six games.

“It means everything to me,” added Ashanike, when asked about progressing through to the Second Qualifying Round for the first time in the club’s current guise.

“From the first day I came to this club I knew it was a sleeping giant and I’ve had a project that I’ve worked on for the last three years and it’s making the club a lot stronger to where it was when I first took over.

“It’s time for us to start shining and to be in the next round of The FA Cup would mean the world to my career as well. This is a game I want to go as far as I want and all of us just want to push on and I think Fisher have given us a platform to play and we’ve got to reward the fans by giving them back that history.

“My two physio’s are really working their socks off and they’ll be working again tonight and Sunday morning and Monday. They’re going to work tirelessly and I can guarantee there will be three players coming back for the replay.”

Fisher: Samuel Amedu, Michael Sarpong, Foday Jaiteh, Sam Fitzgerald, Joseph Adewunmi, Prince Imoru, Dennis Asante (Luke With 54), Nader Zeddini, Jacob Katonia, Emmanuel Shoderu (Conor Darwish 73), Isaac Thompson.
Subs: Shawn Alfred, Darnel Bromfield, Antony Connor, Patrick Hoy

Goal: Emmanuel Shoderu 63 (penalty)

Booked: Sam Fitzgerald 56

Sent Off: Jacob Katonia 61

Spelthorne Sports: Mark Pisani, Daniel Lewis, Olawale Garuba (Max Webb 65), Josh Remedios, Rayan Djouadj, Luke Randall, Ellis Pringle, Denzel Owusu-Ayepong, Frazier Osunjoya (Jack Da Costa 65), Kelvin Karanja, Leon Iluobe (Jack Mills 80).
Subs: Oliver Davison, Josh Penemo, Pierre Gundrum, Jenson Allchurch

Goal: Josh Remedios 10

Booked: Jack Mills 50, Frazier Osunkoya 56, Kelvin Karanja 56

Attendance: 169
Referee: Mr Ciaran Fidler
Assistants: Mr Alan Steward & Mr Grant Conway