Fisher 4-0 Welling Town - I need players to rise to the challenge of the situation that we're in and together we need to get out of it, says relegation threatened Welling Town chief Kevin Oakes - while Faversham Town play loan player in FA Vase win

Fisher 4 – 0 Welling Town
Location	St Paul's Stadium, Salter Road, Rotherhithe, London SE16 6NT
Kickoff	12/09/2023 19:45

FISHER  4-0  WELLING TOWN
Southern Counties East Football League Premier Division
Tuesday 12 September 2023
Stephen McCartney reports from St Paul’s Stadium

STRUGGLING Welling Town manager/chairman Kevin Oakes says his players need to raise to the challenge to climb away from relegation trouble following their winless start to their Southern Counties East Football League Premier Division campaign.

The Boots have picked up two points from their opening seven games and are second-from-bottom in the table.  Dan Scorer’s Kennington occupy the only relegation berth with one point from five games.

Fisher took an unconvincing two-nil lead going into the break, with big targetman Eniyelayefa Amgbaduba slotting in a 37^th minute penalty and holding midfielder Charles Yiadom-Konadu, 37, rifling home a counter-attacking-goal following Welling Town’s first corner of the game.

Amgbaduba then scored his second penalty of the night early in the second half before attacking midfielder Jehovany Kinzonzi drove in a fourth goal, as Fisher rose to second-place in the table with 16 points from seven games, a point behind early leaders Glebe.

Welling Town have now leaked 26 league goals, while Fisher are the top scorers in the division with 21.

“I think 4-0 was harsh if I’m honest. We weren’t great. We were certainly better than we were against Lydd (lost 5-2 on Saturday) and Sutton Athletic (lost 6-2), so a small positive in that we’re moving in the right direction in terms of performance, without really testing the goalkeeper,” said Oakes, who sent seven players out wearing the wrong shirt numbers as to the teamsheet handed to the referee before the game.

“I think the first half was quite even, a couple of neutrals in the ground today said to me the first half was fairly even and to go in behind – it was a penalty – we felt was a little bit unjust.

“It’s not good, the situation we’re in at the minute. Letting in 19 goals in four games isn’t good enough! It’s quite simple. The boys know that. I think individually they’re all good people and good players, collectively it’s not working at the moment.

“I think we need to do more work on it.  The defence have made comments about it’s raining footballs and it keeps coming back and I think other teams are starting to pick up on that and that they get the ball forward quickly.

“We have sometimes got a mistake in us and I think most sides at this level will have a mistake in them and when you are low on confidence and low on luck, other teams keep knocking on the door and all those little 50-50 decisions that can go one way or another, they all seem to be going for our opponents where in the other penalty area, they never seem to quite drop for us.”

Fisher boss Ajay Ashanike was delighted with his side’s reaction following their first league defeat of the season, 5-0 away to big-spending Faversham Town.

Faversham Town announced the arrival of Jefferson Aibangbee on a ‘season long loan’ from Isthmian League South East Division side Sheppey United on 21 May – and Aibangbee played in the club’s 4-0 win at Horsham YMCA in The FA Vase First Qualifying Round on 26 August 2023.

Sheppey United have confirmed that Aibangbee is still on loan at Salters Lane, so Faversham Town may have allegedly broken the rules of the competition, as The FA state that ‘a player on a temporary (loan) transfer including a player on a Scholarship for work experience is ineligible to play in the Competition.”

There is no reference in The FA Rules stating that 'season long loans' are exempt, however.

Faversham Town could be thrown out of the competition as a result of the alleged rule breach - or The FA could rule to replay The FA Vase tie - once their investigation is complete.

“I asked the boys for a reaction from Saturday and that’s exactly what they gave,” said Ashanike, whose side lost for the first time in the league against Sammy Moore’s big hitters, who have the largest playing budget in this League’s history.

“We wanted more as a management team but a win’s a win and we’ll take that into the next game. It was a good reaction from the boys from Saturday’s defeat, so it was really good.

“It was men-against-boys in that (Faversham) game.  Sometimes when you’ve been beaten you have to put your hands up.  They were a very good side and they don’t deserve to be in this league with the players’ that they’ve got in their team.

“I believe that I got it wrong on Saturday and I’m still learning and I’m going to learn from that but to learn from a team like that was really good and I put it right today.

“We’ve been on good form up until we got to Saturday. It was a really good reaction. I asked for the boys and they gave it to me.  I’ve not had a good night’s sleep from Saturday and I was so glad the game came today because they were still going through the emotions a bit.”

Welling Town were the better of the two sides before Fisher made the breakthrough and they created their first opening inside the opening nine minutes.

Fisher right-back Tyron Mbuenimo gave the ball away to Charles Etumnu and the holding midfielder released the impressive Harrison Bacon but the untracked central midfielder swept a speculative right-footed shot across the keeper and harmlessly wide of the goal from 30-yards.

Welling Town called Fisher goalkeeper Justice Owusu into making a comfortable save in the 15^th minute.

Joe Smith’s first time pass released Etumnu down the right channel and he cut inside Fisher’s left-back Conor Darwish and waited for support to arrive in the shape of winger Chandler Kasai, who played the ball into the busy Bacon.

There were plenty of bodies in front of Bacon, who stroked a first time right-footed drive towards goal from 30-yards, which was comfortably saved low down by the Fisher keeper.

Ashanike said: “Justice has been doing really well.  Welling put a lot of videos out so we knew exactly what we were playing against and we really worked at it and we knew people were going to shoot from outside the box, so we were prepared for it.”

The Fisher boss revealed the latest with the injury to his other goalkeeper, Samuel Amedu, who seriously injured his hip during the first half of the club’s 5-2 home defeat to Westfield in The FA Cup last month.

“He’s just getting back. He’s still feeling a lot of pain in the side but he’s getting there so by the end of this month we’ll hopefully see him back.

“He’ll have to start from scratch again and start fighting for the number one spot but I believe in both of them really. Justice Owusu has stepped in and done really well for us. It doesn’t matter who plays.”

Oakes was forced to play the final three minutes of normal time and the eight minutes and 16 seconds of stoppage time with 10 men as Bacon had “ran himself into the ground” with cramp.

Oakes said: “We don’t get enough efforts on goal.  Harrison has put himself in positions in recent weeks, where he has scored a couple and probably a weak effort on that particular occasion but we worked the keeper.

“That’s pleasing to hear (that we were the better side before Fisher scored) and it hasn’t been that way in all of our games recently. It’s very easy for me to sit here and quote whatever I want to say to try to make the boys feel good and put a smile on their face.”

Ashanike added: “It was cagey for the first 20 minutes of the game, where we couldn’t find our feet. That was expected because we lost massively on Saturday, so confidence was really low and I just believed as soon as we got the goal we’d be more relaxed and that’s exactly what happened.”

Fisher took 24 minutes to create their first opening when Yiadom-Konadu turned Bacon inside the Welling Town half but dragged a poor left-footed drive harmlessly wide of the goal from 30-yards.

Fisher took a while to get going into their stride and Darwish threw the ball to Amgbaduba, who hooked the ball from within the left channel into Kinzonzi, who rolled a weak shot towards goal from just inside the corner of the box and visiting goalkeeper Jack Rankin made a mess of what should have been a comfortable pick up, gathering at the second attempt.

Fisher went close to grabbing the lead following the first of their five corners.

Yiadom-Konadu swung in a left-footed corner from the right towards the near-post and holding midfielder Ezekiel Miller rose and the ball ricochet off his shoulder inside the six-yard box and sailed just past the top of the right-hand post.

“It’s something that we’ve been working on in training and I think it will come right.  The set-piece was really good, the connection wasn’t great but we’’ll get there but we’ll work on it again,” said Ashanike.

“We just have to keep at it and keep doing it. It’s something we’ve never planned before but now we’re starting to plan set-pieces into what we’re doing and that’s part of me growing up and being mature as a manager, which is good for the boys that we’ve got in our team.”
 
Yiadom-Konadu’s intended pass to centre-half Mark Chidi was intercepted by Kasai, who drove towards the Fisher penalty area but he lacked composure after flicking the ball up to hit a half-volley wide of the far post from 25-yards.

Fisher grabbed the lead with 36 minutes and 59 seconds on the clock, however.

Darwish hit a long ball down the left-channel for winger Andres Felipe Losada Tobon, who held the ball up and waited for Darwish to join him in the final third.

The Boots had many men inside their box but Etumnu tripped Darwish just inside the corner of the penalty area and referee Darren Kempson pointed to the spot.

Keeper Rankin stuck out his left arm and pointed to his left but Amgbaduba held his nerve and rolled a clinical right-footed penalty straight down the middle, as the keeper dropped to his right.

Ashanike said: “Before the game we knew they’d be problems at the back, going forward they looked good but we knew that we can get them on the break.

“I said before the game we were going to get a penalty today and that’s exactly what happened, they are clumsy at the back and we capitalised on it.  I think he took it well.  He scared the life out of me as well because he’s not my normal penalty taker (Emmanuel Shoderu was on the bench), so for him to pick up the ball I was really shocked but the big man put it away really well.”

Oakes said: “Pleased for Eni apart from the fact that he’s scored against us. He was with us not so long ago and he’s moved around a few little clubs over the last couple of years and seemed to have settled at Fisher to good to see him do well for himself.

“I think it is a penalty from what I’ve been told and our lads are honest enough to hold their hands up.

“I think the frustrating thing for me is up until that point we were shading it without really working their keeper too much and then we’ve given them a free hit on goal and they probably can’t believe their luck.

“I think we’ve worked hard to get behind the ball, slowed the game down, looked like we’ve dealt with the situation and the attack is dead and then somebody has left a bit of a lazy foot in and given a penalty away, which was cheap.”

Fisher were a threat on the counter-attack and issued Welling Town a warning when Darwish hit a long ball down the channel for Tobon, who found Amgbaduba with a reverse pass but the number nine rifled his left-footed shot into the side netting from a tight angle.

The impressive Amgbaduba linked up well with Tobon in the final third before stabbing the ball past the advancing Rankin and watched the ball take a nick and flash past the far post.

Welling Town won their first corner of the game and Fisher swiftly broke on the counter-attack to grab their second goal of the night with 47:48 on the clock.

Rankin rose his left arm before floating the right-wing corner into the Fisher box.

Centre-half Joseph Adewunmi held his nerve and played a long ball out of defence to release Tobon down the right and seconds later Yiadom-Konadu rifled his clinical left-footed shot into the roof of the net.

Ashanike said: “We’ve been working on counter-attacks. Credit to my coaches and just to see it work today and for the boys to believe it might work, is really good.

“The ball around the corner was absolutely superb from Joseph, absolutely superb and Andres’ touch, then you see a 37-year-old do a box-to-box was incredible to see from Charles.

“Charles has been amazing for us since he’s come in.  He’s matured the changing room for us and the boys are following his lead, which is good for us. He’s played at a good level.  Yes, we’re lucky to have him at the club.”

Oakes said: “That’s the frustration.  I’ve said over the last couple of weeks that if we were getting carved apart by sides playing good football, dominating possession and moving us around and scoring good goals, sometimes you have to be honest enough and put your hands up.

“We are attacking in that situation and we should be threatening their goal and 10 seconds later the ball is in the back of our net.  That can’t happen.  There’s multiple times in that situation that can be dealt with better.

“I must give credit to my lads that they have worked hard to get back in but sometimes you’ve got to be smart enough at that point and manage the game a little bit better, especially directly before half-time and commit one of those horrible little fouls that aren’t pleasant but it’s what you need to do if you want to avoid conceding goals.”

Both manager’s were asked their thoughts going into half-time.

Ahsanike said:  “I wanted more. I was greedy for more and I wanted more goals just to make sure what happened (at Faversham) on Saturday, (and put it) right.  If we won 2-0, it’ll just be winning 2-0 but we needed to score four or five today to make me feel better tomorrow morning.

“I am feeling a lot better. The performance wasn’t there but the result was there.  Like I said at the start to the boys, I don’t care how we win. I don’t care if it’s pretty but we’ve just got to win and we’ve got to win good.”

Oakes added: “Probably changed a little bit in that one minute really. I think at 1-0 we wouldn’t have been happy but we’re in the game and you probably don’t deserve to be behind and it’s only a penalty and the next goal is anybody’s.

“As soon as it becomes 2-0, it’s a slightly different conversation, so generally positive at half-time with the fact that we were playing well and the mentality was get that next goal and give them something to worry about.”

Welling Town kicked-off for the second half and created their first chance after only 13 seconds.

Striker Sebastian Rowland rolled the ball back to centre-half Smith, who launched a long right-footed ball forward for Kasai down the right-channel, who fed Rowland, who hit a right-footed angled drive, which flashed across Owusu and past the far post.

“There’s a frustration with our attacking players and we’re not getting enough bodies in the box and we’ve had conversations that because we have let goals in and been behind, sometimes deservedly, sometimes not, that we end up chasing games,” said Oakes.

“We need to get more bodies into the box and when we do get the ball in that final third, it’s got to stick and we’ve got to make the right decisions and I’m not convinced at the moment that we’re not always doing that.”

Fisher increased their lead by scoring their third goal with 4 minutes and 3 seconds into the second half.

Kinzonzi played the ball out to Tobon, who was taken out by a bookable tackle by debutant right-back Isaac Long, who is on loan from Isthmian League South East Division side Phoenix Sports.

Rankin dived to his left but Amgbaduba drove his high shot straight down the middle to give Fisher a flattering three goal advantage.

Ashanike said: “Again, he’s done a crazy penalty there. I couldn’t believe he was doing it but credit to the big man. He’s done really well for himself today.  I think he’s played really well. He knows Thomas (Ngegba) is breathing down his neck and he needs to perform every game.”

Oakes said: “I think it’s harsh on Isaac really. It was a penalty, lets not mess around, it was a penalty and as a result, it’s a booking.

“He’s 18 years old, he’s only met the boys and myself for the first time tonight and he’s been highly recommended by people that tell me all about his attitude and the first thing he said when he’s come off the pitch is apologising for giving away the penalty, which is too his credit and shows me already after only just met him that his humble and respectful and that he cares.

“I think his overall performance, baring in mind that he’s only just met everybody and hasn’t played a minute at this level this season, I think he should be very proud of himself.”

Fisher missed a glorious chance to increase their lead in the 55^th minute.

Adewunmi hit another long ball out of defence to release Amgbaduba down the left and he put it on the plate for Kinzonzi, who slid his shot across the keeper and past the far post from eight-yards, much to Ashanike’s frustration.

“Those kind of chances, that’s what gets him into first-team football. When he was playing youth team last season, you can get away with that and the coaches can learn but he’s got to learn quickly that stats’ matters and he needs to be more ruthless in there because if that was 0-0 and he misses that chance and we don’t win the game, so he needs to be more clinical and I’ve let him know that as well.”

Welling Town winger Vinnie Medhurst cut in from the left before Etumnu took a touch before drilling a right-footed shot past the foot of the near post as the away side came close to getting on the scoresheet, before Oakes made a triple substation on the hour-mark with much-travelled striker Marcus Elliott making his debut, coming on for the ineffective Rowland, while Frankie White and Medhurst failed to supply the service.

“I think the general plan is we’re looking to play two going forward. It’s not a criticism of any of the individuals and Marcus has only just arrived today but we just don’t look threatening with the isolated striker,” admitted Oakes.

“We’re trying to get the wingers into wide areas and we try to play pacey wingers who can join in but when you’re not seeing as much possession of the ball and you’re not threatening going forward as much as you would like you do tend to find that when we do create chances we are reliant on one individual and you can’t put your eggs in one basket.

“I think we need to have a look at a change of shape and getting two players forward or even a change of personnel or a change of system or both.”

Fisher completed their scoring with 20:46 on the clock when the impressive Tobon fed Kinzonzi, who unleashed a left-footed drive across the keeper to find the bottom far corner from 15-yards.

“Jojo should’ve got two today. He missed one that I think he should’ve scored, in front of an open goal. But Jojo is a young player and is someone to look out for next season but for now he’s coming in and he’s playing his part when we’re calling upon him.

“I think he gives us more than what Manny (Shoderu) gives us, that’s why Manny is on the bench today and Jojo played and there’s more to come from Jojo.”

Oakes admitted: “At that point, it’s academic, isn’t it?  At that point Fisher are full of confidence and understandably we’re not and they’ve got their tails up and are bombing forward and our boys are thinking ‘here we go again.’

Oakes was impressed with substitute tall left-winger Nathaniel Murray, who replaced Kasai.

Murray whipped in a low cross/shot from 30-yards out on the left which forced Owusu to get down low to his left and push around the post for the away side’s last corner of the night.

“Nathaniel is quite unorthodox. He’s tall and very, very quick, very direct.  His first couple of touches, he put a couple of good balls into the box that unfortunately there’s nobody there to make more of that situation,” said Oakes.

“He’s only been at the club for a few weeks and he’s generally done quite well. He’s certainly an outlet for us when we’re under pressure.

“We need to work on these relationships and get more end product out of people because we do get into some dangerous areas and we don’t seem to work the goalkeeper as much as we should do.”

Ashanike threw on central striker Thomas Ngegba and former AFC Croydon Athletic and Holmesdale winger Fred Obasa was deployed down the left and Ngegba flashed a low drive just past the foot of the left-hand post in the final 16 minutes.

“Fred has been offered £150 (a week) at different clubs in our league and he’s turned it down and came here for free,” revealed Ashanike.

“He’s come to one training session with us and he said ‘this is where I want to be.’  It just shows the work we do here.  People will say ‘they’re paying him,; but we’re not paying nobody here.

“We haven’t got no budget here but what we can do is give the boys a platform to enjoy. I don’t take myself too seriously. The boys know I’m like a big brother here and that attracts a lot of players.

“We want to do better than what we did last season (when we finished in 11^th place and had an eight-game FA Cup run and reached the Challenge Cup Final). That’s my focus, that’s my first thought at the start of the season.

“I spoke to (the committee) and we went out shopping and we done really well in our recruitment and done really well to recruit the players that we’ve got here and it’s been hard but we’ve got where we want to get to and if we can top what we did last season, I’ll be happy with that.”

Luke Thomas took the captain’s armband when he replaced skipper Yiadom-Konadu, playing in a higher position than his usual right-back berth, and had a couple of late efforts, heading down and past the far post from a deep corner from substitute right-back Inesh Sumithran and hitting a weak volley straight at Rankin, who has now leaked 19 goals in the last four games.

Fisher travel to Punjab United on Saturday, while Oakes’ side make the trip to Chislehurst to play Billy Shinners’ Stansfeld.

Stansfeld were beaten 3-0 at home to Chipie Sian’s Punjab tonight.  Stansfeld are in the bottom three with four points from six, while Gravesend-based Punjab sit in seventh-place with 10 points from their seven league outings.

Ashanike said: “What pleased me?  The clean-sheet.  We needed that clean-sheet badly. We needed a win badly.  The display from individuals didn’t please me but it’s something that we can work on but when you get three points you can’t ask for more especially with the way we won it, you can’t ask for much.

“It’s not going to be an easy game (against Punjab).  There’s certain teams you’ve got to respect in this league and they’re one of them.  They’ve got really good players, so we need to get our game plan really well and my management team will sit tomorrow and speak about how we’re going to deal with it but we need to be more cautious and they’re one of the big sides in the league.”

Oakes added: “Stansfeld are probably a different side to Fisher but an organised side with the majority of them having been there for a long, long time and they will know eachother’s jobs – it will be the polar opposite to us.

“We are in a transition so we need to rise to that challenge and we need to take the small positives from this evening – put the result to one side, that’s done – look at what we did well and make sure that is repeated on Saturday.

“Let’s not pull any punches, it is relegation form.  Two points from seven games is not enough but I think our performances in three or four of those seven have been very poor and we got exactly what we deserved – nothing!

“I need the players to rise to the challenge of the situation that we’re in and together we’ve got ourselves into this situation and together we need to get out of it.”

Fisher: Justice Owusu, Tyron Mbuenimo, Conor Darwish, Ezekiel Miller (Inesh Sumithran 50), Mark Chidi, Joseph Adewunmi, Andres Felipe Losada Tobon (Fred Obasa 67), Charles Yiadom-Konadu (Luke Thomas 60), Eniyelayefa Amgbaduba (Thomas Ngegba 67), Jehovany Kinzonzi (Emmanuel Shoderu 72), Jamie Brown.

Goals: Eniyelayefa Amgbaduba 37 (penalty), 50 (penalty), Charles Yiadom-Konadu 45, Jehovany Kinzonzi 66

Booked: Ezekiel Miller 45, Jehovany Kinzonzi 72, Luke Thomas 90

Welling Town: Jack Rankin, Isaac Long (Muriano Banjoko 75), Dominic Vincent, Charles Etumnu, Joe Smith, Luqman Adesina, Vinnie Medhurst, Harrison Bacon, Sebastian Rowland (Marcus Elliott 60), Frankie White (Teddy McIntyre 60), Chandler Kasai (Nathaniel Murray 60).
Sub: Scott Pethers

Booked: Isaac Long 48

Attendance: 187
Referee: Mr Darren Kempson
Assistants: Mr Ronald Albert & Mr Martin Belsom