Fisher 2-5 Westfield - I will not be celebrating that win if that was my team because it wasn't the right way to win, claims Fisher boss Ajay Ashanike

Fisher 2 – 5 Westfield
Location	St Paul's Stadium, Salter Road, Rotherhithe, London SE16 6NT
Kickoff	08/08/2023 19:45

FISHER  2-5  WESTFIELD
The Emirates FA Cup Extra Preliminary Round Replay
Tuesday 8 August 2023
Stephen McCartney reports from St Paul’s Stadium

FISHER manager Ajay Ashanike insists Westfield should not celebrate their FA Cup Extra Preliminary Round Replay win over his side because it wasn’t the right way to win a game of football.

Fisher stormed into a 2-0 lead inside the opening nine minutes through attacking midfielder Emmanuel Shoderu’s second goal in three games and holding midfielder and Montserrat international Lewis Duberry’s clinical drive.

However, the Woking based outfit pulled a goal back through striker Jake Baxter’s eleventh minute penalty following a handball.

However, Ian Selley’s men effectively stole the game from Fisher courtesy of an awful 15^th minute challenge on goalkeeper Samuel Amedu following a free-kick, which resulted in lengthy treatment and Fisher playing holding midfielder Prince Imoru in goal from the 22^nd minute.

It was to be no surprise that Westfield booked a trip to Athletic Newham in the Preliminary Round on Saturday 19 August, as winger Didi Ndombe stroked home an equaliser, before fellow winger Mayowa Adaje scored their third on the stroke of half-time.

Westfield added a fourth goal just before the hour-mark with Ndombe’s second and Fisher were reduced to 10 men when they lost big targetman Eniyelayefa Amgbaduba, who dropped down inside his own penalty area in the 71^st minute with suspected concussion, joining Amedu being looked after by NHS medical staff.

Baxter chipped in Westfield’s fifth goal of the game in the 83^rd minute but Fisher’s players put in a brave performance against a side that allegedly performed the dark arts of football.

“I take it as a sign of respect, honestly, I think it’s a sign of respect for a team that we’ve created at Fisher,” said Ashanike.

“For a Step Four team to play the way they’ve played tonight and to get the win, you’ve got to do anything to get the win and they’ve done everything to get the win, but it was a dirty way to get the win.

“But it is what it is. It’s a part of football and we’ll learn and move on from it.”

Westfield striker Baxter was a threat and unleashed a right-footed half-volley from 25-yards from a central position, which he sliced past the right-post, before Fisher grabbed the lead after only 180 seconds.

Left-winger Jehovany Kinzonzi easily spun Westfield’s right-back Aidan King in midfield on the counter-attack and raced into the penalty area before cutting the ball back for Shoderu to sweep a first-time shot across the goalkeeper to find the far corner.

“Jojo (Kinzonzi) has come in from West Essex in the Essex Senior League and he’s someone that I’ve been watching for the past two seasons, and he's grown and grown, ” revealed Ashanike, who guided the club to the Second Qualifying Round Replay, losing 3-0 at home to National League South side Welling United last season in an eight-match FA Cup campaign.

“Now we believe Jojo is ready to come into us and he’s produced today. He’s done really well. He’s done really well in pre-season as well and got himself a goal and he’s created a goal in The FA Cup today, so he can only be proud of himself, the boy.”

When asked about Shoderu, Ashanike added: “He will have a good season this year, he’ll definitely going to have a good season and he’s a massive part of what we’re doing and he’s just got to carry on what he’s been doing and it’s down to him to carry on and keep the shirt.”

Fisher left-back Conor Darwish fouled Westfield right-winger Adaje and a quality delivery from Andrew Crossley was met by a towering header from holding midfielder Lewis Jackson, which only just cleared the far post.

Fisher – who came away from Woking with a goal-less draw on Saturday – raced into a 2-0 lead with only eight minutes and 52 seconds on the clock.

The impressive Amgbaduba played the ball out to right-winger Billy Brown, who ignored a potential overlapping run from right-back Luke Thomas and put in a low centre towards the unmarked Duberry, who drilled a first time drive into the bottom left-hand corner from 25-yards.

“Lewis tried to move up the level (with National League South side Chelmsford City). We couldn’t find a club for him but he’s come back here to keep his fitness up and that’s a great finish from the boy, a great finish.

“But we all know what level he should be at and he shouldn’t be at this level but it is what it is and he just has to keep chipping away and see if the opportunity comes for him.”

Fisher centre-half Joseph Adewunmi’s left-hand handed Westfield a lifeline, the ball hitting it as it bounced up off the artificial turf following a cross from left-back Billy Nutbeam and referee Robert Alderton had no option but to point to the spot.

Amedu dropped to his right but Baxter placed his right-footed penalty straight down the middle to open his account for the new season with 11 minute and 35 seconds on the clock.

Ashanike said: “It was a lack of concentration from Joseph, obviously he’s handballed it but there was no one around him.  It just hit him on the hand and he wasn’t too sure about it but it’s still a penalty. They’ve scored it but we were still in cruise control. We were still on top of the game.”

Amedu received treatment for around seven minutes after rising underneath his crossbar to pluck Aidan King’s floated free-kick out of the air and Westfield centre-half Luke Elliott somehow escaped punishment from the referee for his challenge, other than a few words.

No one wants to see a footballer suffer a serious injury on a football pitch and best wishes go to Imoru for a speedy recovery.

Fisher secretary Jim Maycock walked onto the pitch with a lime green number 13 goalkeeper shirt and Imoru bravely went in goal for the remainder of the game and former Stansfeld centre-half Ezekiel Miller came off the bench and sat in front of Fisher’s back four.

“I think Sam’s left side is absolutely numb so he can’t feel nothing on his left side of his hip. From his hip down, he can’t feel it.  No one comes to football to get hurt like that,” revealed the concerned Fisher boss.

“I’m hurt from it because he plays for free and doesn’t get paid. It’s not a job to him, it’s just a hobby to him and he’s got a job tomorrow, which he’s got to call in sick for the next couple of weeks.

“Obviously we’re going to support him as a club and as a team. We’re going to try to support him as much as we can.  It frustrates me to see that.”

Fisher did not have a substitute goalkeeper in their 18-man match day squad so Imoru took the gloves.

“When we’re in training, Prince jumps in goal now and then and he does really well, so we knew at the back of our mind he was the next in line to go in goal for us,” revealed Ashanike.

Fisher were a threat on the counter-attack, with Amgbaduba impressing with his hold up play and bringing his team-mates in the game.  Brown whipped in a cross from the right, which deflected off Elliott and visiting goalkeeper Sonny Wheeler comfortably plucked the ball out of the air with both of his hands.

Westfield grabbed an equaliser with 33:10 on the clock as an unmarked Elliott played the ball forward from defence, Adaje played in Ndombe, whose sublime first touch controlled the ball before placing his right-footed shot past Fisher’s stand-in goalkeeper from 15-yards.

“If you’ve got a player in goal, any shot you have, you should be scoring,” said Ashanike, a centre-half.

“We score against Prince all of the time in training. Even I can score against Prince. I can’t give no credit to no players for scoring those kind of goals tonight.”

Westfield went close to scoring a third goal when Jackson played a half-volley forward before the impressive Baxter swept a first-time pass through to Ndombe, who drilled his right-footed shot screaming past the top of the right-hand post from similar distance.

Westfield effectively booked their place in the next round by scoring their third goal with 44:36 on the clock.

Wheeler (who has a big kick on him) launched the ball upfield, and attacking midfielder Crossley faced a couple of Fisher defenders just in front of him in the final third before he squeezed the ball through to Adaje, who easily placed his shot past Imoru.

“If I was their gaffer now, I won’t be taking any credit for nothing. I can’t celebrate that win. I can’t be happy with that win at all for my team but each to their own.

“Everyone plays football differently but I will not be celebrating that win if that was my team because it wasn’t the right way to win,” claimed the Fisher boss.

Ashanike explained his reasons for holding his brief half-time team-talk with his players sat on the subs bench or within the technical area before walking over towards the Fisher dressing room to check the health of his injured goalkeeper.

An NHS ambulance pulled into the car-park at nine minutes to nine as the players were walking out for the second half.

“Obviously Sam was in the changing room with the ambulance staff so I wanted to give him privacy there and we stayed outside and the boys understood to stay outside as well,” said Ashanike.

“I just told them (my players) to man up a bit because right now they’ve got to go and do it for Sam and they took it on board and they went out and they gave me their all but it was too much for them.”

Fisher had a go and a brilliant save from Wheeler prevented brave Fisher from pulling a goal back inside the opening four minutes of the second half.

Brown played the ball in from within the right-channel into the box where Amgbaduba laid the ball off for Miller to drill a first-time low drive from 18-yards towards the bottom right-hand corner, only for Wheeler to dive to his left and use a strong hand to pull off a great save.

“I don’t know how he saved that! That was a heavy shot,” said Ashanike.

“Ezekiel has come in from Stansfeld and he’s been an absolute boss.  He’s a centre-back but I’ve looked to convert him and I think he’s worked really well again.  Good for the boy, he’s playing out of position but he’s taking information on and he’s been our best player for the last three games.

“Even today he was injured and he was on the bench and we had to bring him on.  We knew what he can do. He’s a different level.”

Miller had a second chance to score from Fisher’s second corner.  Darwish swung the ball in with his left-foot from the right towards the back stick but Miller got underneath it and steered his header narrowly over the crossbar from close range.

“I’ve been talking to him. He’s got to be scoring chances like that especially for a big lad like him. He’s got to be scoring a lot of headers. He knows he’s got to be a lot more powerful in there at both ends of the pitch.”

Westfield grabbed their fourth goal with 11 minute and 29 seconds on the clock, courtesy of a slick one-touch raid within the final third.

Ndombe fed Crossley, who played a first time ball out to Baxter out on the right and his low cross was tucked into the bottom near corner by Ndombe’s first-time finish from six-yards.

Ashanike said: “Again, it’s a goal you can’t celebrate. I saw him celebrating as well, which is absolutely funny.  You can’t score against non-goalkeeper’s and celebrate chances like that.  You’re meant to be putting them away if you’re playing against Prince in goal.”

Westfield produced another fine move in the 62^nd minute following King’s second corner of the night, which was cleared out to Baxter out on the right and his back-heal saw him feed Crossley, who drilled in a shot which was kept out by Imoru’s outstretched leg at his near post.

Westfield’s players switched off after making their first substitution of the night and allowed Fisher’s substitute attacker Kyron Cooper to cut inside and drill a right-footed 30-yard drive, which was heading towards the bottom far corner, only for Wheeler to dive to his left to push towards safety.

“Their keeper is a good keeper, he’s a very good keeper. My keeper was good as well.  If I had my keeper, we wouldn’t be standing here feeling the way I am feeling now, so it’s a game that I just want to forget about and just move on from it,” added Ashanike.

“We were 2-0 up, the game was easy for us and for what happened to happen that changed our whole game plan.

“Like I’ve said to the boys, we’ve just got to delete this game, like this game never happened. I’ll speak to the club as well to see if they can take it off our website just to forget it because it’s not a game that reflects on what we need to do.”

Crossley was about to take Westfield’s third corner of the night but before he could there was concern when Amgbaduba dropped to the ground with no one close by him (25:17).

Westfield’s holding midfielder Jackson called over towards the main stand for a stretcher and jogged over towards the dressing rooms along with centre-half Quincy Rowe to collect one.

After around 10 minutes of concern, Amgbaduba was helped off the pitch by staff from each side, as well as Baxter, Jackson and Rowe, as well as Fisher’s centre-half Liam Wilson.

When asked about the Amgbaduba’s condition, Ashanike replied: “I think he had a head collision a couple of minutes before that. I think he’s got a headache from it and he just dropped. I think the ambulance staff are checking him now, so I’ll have a look at him in a minute and see how he gets on. Concussion?  Yes, I think it might be.”

Fisher were now up against it even more but Miller impressed and showed desire in midfield to win the ball before driving forward and cracking a right-footed half-volley which screamed past the left-hand post from 35-yards.

Imoru gifted Westfield their fifth goal with 38:32 minutes on the clock, kicking the ball straight to Baxter, who chipped his right-footed effort from just outside the corner of the box over Imoru, the ball clipping the underside of the crossbar and dropping into the centre of the goal.

Ashanike said: “Prince miss-judged that. It’s a weak shot but again there’s not much you can do.  Obviously the pass should’ve been a lot better than that. We gave it away straight away. It is what it is.”

Imoru made amends, however, and pulled off three brilliant diving saves that any goalkeeper would have been proud off.

Imoru got his frame down low to his right to push away Baxter’s drilled right-footed shot from 30-yards, and holding the rebound from substitute Jacob Breckon.

Alfie Huckle then found a pocket of space and cracked a right-footed drive from 25-yards, which Imoru dived to his right to tip around the post to the chorus of “Fisher number one,” from the home fans at the other end.

“Everyone started calling him ‘Fisher’s number one,’ after those saves. He done well. He did what he could do. Prince is a good character in the changing room. He’s done us proud tonight, he’s done us really proud tonight,” added Ashanike.

Westfield kept the ball well during stoppage time as Fisher’s players were dead on their feet.

Referee Robert Alderton blew for half-time at 51:08, while the final whistle was blown after 59:55 on the clock, which is fine for top-flight professional footballers but not those who play in the Isthmian League South Central (tier eight) or in Fisher’s case, the Southern Counties East Football League Premier Division (tier nine) and have been at work all day.

“I was telling him (the referee) to call it a day because everyone’s going to get shattered even more.  The game’s finished, let’s call it a day,” said Ashanike.

“We’re copying what the Premier League is doing.  You can’t blame the referee because it is what it is. The players copy what the players are doing in the Premier League so they just copy the same thing that they’ve seen on the TV but (use) just a bit of common sense. 

“The game’s finished, they don’t need to do that extra time. We had a few injuries on the pitch but there should have been at least seven minutes and let’s call it a day. 

“Let’s keep our dignity and respect because you know we have no keeper as well and the only way we were going was downhill, so save the embarrassment of something the boys could not control.”

Ashanike revealed that he has a goalkeeper replacement for Saturday’s League trip to Gillingham to play Hollands & Blair on Saturday, the side that beat them 2-1 in the Challenge Cup Final in May.

“I’ve got a keeper on loan already, which is good for us. As soon as Sam got injured, I was already on the phone while I was in the dug-out, so we’ve got someone in place for Saturday already.

“Hemel Hempstead are going to loan me a goalkeeper, which is good so we’re in a good place for a goalkeeper. I’ve just spoke to their gaffer tonight so we should be alright.”

Fisher head to Darland Avenue sitting in fourth-place after their 3-1 home win over Deal Town on the opening day of the season, while Scott Porter’s side sit in fifteenth-place after losing by a single goal at Tunbridge Wells.

Meanwhile, Fisher issued a statement at 11:00 on Wednesday morning, regarding their two injured players.

"Samuel Amedu is home from hospital but needs further assessment on his hip.  Eniyelayefa Amgbaduba was able to go home after treatment in the ambulance.

"Our best wishes to both of them and huge thanks to London Ambulance for their superb response."

Fisher: Samuel Amedu (Ezekiel Miller 22), Luke Thomas, Conor Darwish, Lewis Duberry (Kyron Cooper 58), Liam Wilson, Joseph Adewunmi (Mark Chidi 69), Jehovany Kinzonzi, Prince Imoru, Eniyelayefa Amgbaduba, Emmanuel Shoderu, Billy Brown.
Subs: Joseph Koroma, Andres Felipe Losada Tobon, Patrick Hoy, Tobi Irefin

Goals: Emmanuel Shoderu 3, Lewis Duberry 9

Booked: Eniyelayefa Amgbaduba 69, Ezekiel Miller 90

Westfield: Sonny Wheeler, Aidan King, Billy Nutbeam, Lewis Jackson, Luke Elliott, Quincy Rowe, Didi Ndombe (Tucker Quinn 90), Alfie Huckle, Jake Baxter (Theo White 90), Andrew Crossley, Mayowa Adaje (Jacob Breckon 66).
Sub: Caleb Wright

Goals: Jake Baxter 11 (penalty), 83, Didi Ndombe 34, 57, Mayowa Adaje 57

Attendance: 152
Referee: Mr Robert Alderton
Assistants: Mr Oliver Simnock & Silvester Aina