Faversham Town 0-0 Fisher - They had a lot of questions to ask us and we've come up with the answers, says Fisher manager Ajay Ashanike

Faversham Town 0 – 0 Fisher
Location	Salters Lane, Faversham, Kent ME13 8ND
Kickoff	11/01/2025 15:00

FAVERSHAM TOWN  0-0  FISHER
Presence & Co Southern Counties East Football League Premier Division
Saturday 11 January 2025
Stephen McCartney reports from Salters Lane

FISHER manager Ajay Ashanike says most people are now listening to his side in this Southern Counties East Football League Premier Division promotion race after holding league leaders Faversham Town to a draw at a wintry Salters Lane.
 

All games scheduled on grass pitches throughout Kent today were called off due to frozen pitches but the artificial surface here was in pristine condition and the 611 fans in attendance that braved the bitterly cold wintry sunny conditions (during the first half before the sun went down at half-time) were treated to an end-to-end encounter but all that was lacking was that clinical moment in front of goal.

Faversham Town have recently rose to the summit and have lost just once in their first 20 league games and have picked up 47 points (14 wins, five draws) following today.

VCD Athletic – whose FA Vase Fourth Round tie at home to Epsom & Ewell also fell victim to the weather today – are in second-place with 45 points from 21 games, while Fisher remain in third-place with 45 points (14 wins, three draws and seven defeats) from 24 games, followed by Larkfield & New Hythe (38 points from 24 games) and Punjab United with 34 points from 21 games.

Since losing 3-1 at home to Faversham Town on 5 October, Fisher have won nine, drawn two and lost one of their last 12 league games and proved today that they should be taken seriously in this promotion race from this ninth-tier division.

“It was a good game of football, two good sides going at it, which was good to see,” said Ashanike.

“It was played on the floor really well, a lot of movement on the pitch. It was really good, compared to what we’ve been doing in the last few years’, today was really, really good. Well done to the boys.”

Faversham Town manager Tommy Warrilow has been in charge of the club for 366 days, with a record of 50 games, 33 wins, 11 draws and six defeats.

“I think it was an entertaining game for a 0-0. Lots of attacking, the final end ball was a bit disappointing but I think that could be a big point at the end of the season,” said Warrilow.

“We never set up to draw or not to win a game of football but like I said the most important thing to do is if you don’t win a game, you don’t lose it and today we didn’t lose it against a very good side, who are on good form at the moment.”

Both managers were asked what their game plan was today.

Warrilow said: “What it always is, just be positive. The one thing I was disappointed with, I thought our passing was a little bit poor today and we gave the ball away cheaply and when you do that against a side like Fisher, they do counter on you very, very well but overall I can’t moan.

“I would’ve liked to have got three (points). I thought we got into some really, really good areas but our deliveries and things like that just let us down a little bit.”

Ashanike added: “Whenever you play against teams like this, you know they work really hard.  Tommy and his team always get their squad really well so for us is can we stop them playing from the back and I think we’ve done it really, really well.

“The last two games we’ve played against them, I thought we could do more.  We just thought if we had more energy, we might be able to win the ball and if they go long, we need to win the second ball and that’s why Flavio Jumo was there today and collectively they done really well.”

Fisher missed a glorious chance to take the lead after only 31 seconds.

A poor clearance from Faversham Town goalkeeper Jacob Russell was intercepted by Jake Lovell and he fed his strike partner, the 11-goal Kesna Clarke, who took a touch and lacked composure by sending his right-footed drive over the crossbar from 20-yards.

Ashanike said: “Normally, we would’ve just sat off and let them play their pattern and they look good but because we stopped their pattern from happening. 

“The keeper was caught in two minds and against good teams like that, once their patterns aren’t working or they can’t see the picture of what they’re actually seeing, because good players, they need patterns and we done really well to take the patterns away from them.  We couldn’t capitalise and score the first goal.”

Warrilow added: “We could’ve been 1-0 down after a minute when Jacob got caught on the ball, so it’s one of them, it’s 0-0 and it could be a massive point.

“Luckily enough, we rushed him (Clarke) into it a little bit but it could’ve started a little bit worse but the week before last against Whitstable we were two down after six minutes (before winning 4-3 here on 28 December), so that’s the thing. Even if it did go in, the one thing with the boys we never drop our heads. We know we’re going to get in areas to create chances and I thought we did today but we just never picked that final pass out.”

Faversham Town created their first opening with eight minutes and 49 seconds on the clock.

Striker Tashi-Jay Kwayie hooked the ball to Samuel Hasler, who rolled the ball inside to left-winger Kieron Campvell, who played left-back Bradley Simms on the overlap and Kwayie steered his looping near-post header over the crossbar.

Fisher were a threat during the early stages of the game and they produced a slick one-touch passing move inside the Lilywhites’ half.

Central midfielder Kyrique Garvey-Williams and Clarke linked up well before the impressive Armani-Jordan Martin was played in behind Faversham centre-half Ben Gorham but goalkeeper Russell rushed off his line and smothered the shot low to his right in a one-v-one dual on the angle.

“Armani should be scoring those kind of chances,” added Ashanike.

“When we get into positions like that, especially in big games, that should be hitting the back of the net but again massive credit to the goalkeeper there. He’s done really well. He made himself big early, he came out early and just took all the angles away from him.”

The first half was like a basketball match as both sides traded attacks one-after-the-other and the 22-goal Kwayie was presented with another headed chance.

High left-back Simms cut the ball back to holding midfielder Hasler, who whipped in a first time cross towards the near post where Kwayie peeled off Mayvin Vigneswaran to flash his header past the near post.

When asked about the openness of this game, Warrilow replied: “We didn’t want that. We said to the boys we haven’t got to rush things but it’s two teams that want to win a game of football.”

Ashanike explained why he played with three centre-halves today with the outstanding Ange Djadja in dominant mood in the middle of Vigneswaran and Donald Macauley.

“The way they play, it’s totally different to a lot of teams that we’re going to face so if we go three at the back it gives us two forwards to go and work on,” explained the Fisher manager.

“We didn’t need to change the system but we thought going three at the back today might be better for us to capitalise on it and it nearly worked, we could’ve scored in the first two minutes.”

Faversham Town rode the storm and started to take control of proceedings and creating chances from outside the box.

Former Fisher man Campbell drove forward before playing the ball inside to Kwayie, who drilled a low right-footed drive from 25-yards, which was comfortably saved low down by Fisher goalkeeper Isaac Ogunseri.

Warrilow added: “Fisher are an athletic side so we’ve got to get some shots off or draw them out to get some third man runs going but I think we had three or four shots that have sort of gone straight at the goalie though and to be fair he’s held them all. He could’ve fumbled because we had follow-ups.

“But sometimes some teams come and sit deep and you’ve got to address that.”

Just 28 seconds later, Fisher’s left-wing-back Jacob Katonia cut into the box and reached the by-line and his shot from a tight angle was comfortably held by Russell low to his right, although his shot was heading the wrong side of the foot of the near post.

Hasler swung in his first corner of the game in the 19^th minute and the ball came out to centre-half Callum Davies, whose left-footed shot from the edge of the box deflected past the left-hand post.

Hasler’s second corner – again from the left-  was met by (holding midfielder) Matthew Newman’s free header from 16-yards, which whistled through a crowd of players and only just missed the target.

Simms’ first of six long throws into the Fisher penalty area was launched in the 22^nd minute and Ogunseri came a long way out to punch the ball away whilst under pressure and the ball was worked to Hasler, who cut onto his left-footed and flashed past the diving goalkeeper and past the right-hand post from 25-yards.

Visiting goalkeeper Ogunseri stepped to his left and used a strong palm to push the ball over the top of his near-post in the 29^th minute.

Russell was outside his penalty area before he launched a long ball forward with his right-foot, the ball was flicked on by Johan Caney-Bryan before Kwayie swept the ball out to Bryan within the right-channel. His cross took a nick on its way through and Ogunseri ensured the ball didn’t fly into the top near corner.

Campbell went on a driving run straight down the middle of the pitch before letting fly from 30-yards, which was comfortably saved by Ogunseri, who dropped down to his knees and held the ball within his midriff.

Ashanike said: “Like I’ve said in training on Thursday, if they’re shooting from outside the box, I’m happy.  We’ve got a six foot six keeper in goal and he should be saving it, that’s his job! If he stays in goal and gets beaten from 40 or 30 yards, they probably have to ask questions about the goalkeeper but we kept them at bay. We kept them long and shooting from there doesn’t really hurt us.”

Fisher wasted a decent chance to open the scoring in the 39^th minute following a back-pass from Ossai.

A poor clearance from goalkeeper Russell went straight to Martin, who headed the ball forward some 35-yards from goal to play Lovell in behind Gorham. 

Russell made amends by coming off his line to narrow the angle and sticking out his right leg to kick the ball behind for the second of four Fisher corners.

Ashanike wants his players to become more streetwise in such situations and try to persuade referee Jacob Miller to award a penalty rather than a corner in one-v-one penalty box duals.

“That’s the dark side of football that me and Luke (With, my assistant manager) are trying to inject into this team.  They’re very honest kids but to be at the level that this team are now, VCD and Faversham are, we have to start doing the dark arts of football but they’ll learn, they’ll learn, they’re young boys but they will learn.”

Faversham Town right-winger Nathan Wood exploded into life and played the ball inside to Hasler, who cut onto his right-foot and stung Ogunseri’s fingers from long range before Fisher slammed the door shut inside their box as Kwayie was living off scraps.

When asked about the performance from Kwayie and Caney-Bryan today, Warrilow replied: “Not their best games if you want the truth but to be fair to their defenders, they were big and strong.

“We said about keeping the ball and holding it up a little bit. The two boys, I wouldn’t swap them for anything. Did they really have a lot of chances today? I don’t think so. Tashi might have had a couple.  I don’t think Johan really had much of a chance. Johan had a battle up with the number five (Djadja) and to be fair to the lad he done well.

“Listen, sometimes it happens. If it’s them two, or the midfield might go missing or your full-backs might not have a good game, your centre-halves. It’s going to happen in a game of football.

“You play 40-50 games a season, you’re going to have some games where you’re underperforming but I thought the one thing is they put a shift in for me and caused some problems but you’ve got to look at the service they’re getting as well.”

Both managers were asked their thoughts at the break as a decent first half came to an end.

Warrilow said: “Just look after the ball better! I thought our passing was poor, not poor, sorry that’s a bit harsh but I thought our passing was a bit erratic and the way we do play, if we do give the ball away, teams will counter on us and we did it again in the second half quite a few times.”

Ashanike added: “Just more of the same, more of the same. They had a lot of questions, which was good. They (Faversham) had a lot and lot of questions to ask us and we’ve come up with the answers.

“Second half they came out again and they’ve done the same business. As long as we kept on doing the same thing and I want them to work hard and put their  bodies on the line, we’ll get something from the game, which they did.”

Faversham Town came out with all guns blazing and Ogunseri pulled off a big save after just 69 seconds.

Djadja fouled Bryan in a dangerous central position and Ogunseri lined up a four-man wall for Hasler’s free-kick, which he stroked over the wall and heading towards the top right-hand corner, only for the Fisher keeper to claw the ball out high to his left using a strong hand.

“He’s hit the target. I’m trying to think whether Jacob made a save in the second half? You’re looking around but it wasn’t that type of game. It was a fair game, a good game. At least we’re trying to have a go,” said Warrilow.

“Like I said perhaps that final bit was missing from both sides but from my point of view I thought we got into some really good areas.”

Ashanike added: “We had the ball, we gave a stupid free-kick away and if we’re giving chances away to big teams like this, they are going to punish you.

“Isaac is there for a reason. You don’t praise your goalkeeper, that’s his job! He’s got to save them. If he’s making an unbelievable save then we’ll understand but that’s his kind of job so if you’re shooting from far, we work on it every week so it shouldn’t be easy for you (to score against us).”

The second half was a much more cagier affair and after Ossai had his pocket picked inside the final third, Katonia ran and ran and ran and ran and ran unchallenged down the left, going on an 80-yard run to reach the by-line before cutting the ball back to Lovell, who stabbed his right-footed shot across Russell and past the far post in the 59^th minute.

“Jacob had to go in today because we were missing Courtney Barrington.  When people like Courtney are getting injured then you’re not worried, you know where your squad is then and we’re in a good place with people like Jacob,” said Ashanike.

“He’s come to full fitness now and I believe there’s more from Jacob to come. The more he keeps going forward, the more threat you’re going to see from him and there is more goals and assists inside him.”

When asked about Fisher’s current injury list, Ashanike replied: “So we’ve got Billy Brown out. Courtney Barrington (ankle) and he’s going to be out for two more weeks or something like that, so we’ve got to keep an eye on him.  Salim Nassor’s done his knee. Charles Yiadom-Konadu was unwell today, so we’re carrying a lot still. The boys are stepping up and doing really well.”

This game had a feel of being settled by just the one goal and Faversham Town started to dominate and had the momentum going into the final 25 minutes of normal time.

Wood drove down the right and tried to emulate THAT goal at Bearsted earlier on in the season, using the outside of his right-foot to curl his shot around the keeper – but this time it went past the far post from 25-yards.

Warrilow said: “I don’t think that was one to be honest. I think he saw something like that. The shot’s not really on but he was sort of going into a congested area, so I think that was the only option he had was to try to curl it around.

“Listen, he’s worked his socks off today as well. Everyone’s given their all and that’s all you can ask but I just felt that little bit of quality was just missing.

Ashanike added: “Wood is a good player. We worked really, really hard the last few days to see how we stop him from playing. We believe if we stop Wood from shining, we might be able to win the game or get something out from the game today and we’ve done that.

“Once we kept him quiet, it stopped him doing a lot of things. One thing we didn’t do well when we lost 3-1 at home to them where we allowed him to flourish and allowed him to do what he wanted to do but today we put it on him well and he couldn’t do nothing in the game.”

Substitute Charles Yiadom-Konadu released Lovell, who cut in from the left channel into the box before teeing up Flavio Jumo, whose right-footed drive from 18-yards, took a deflection as it went behind for Fisher’s third flag kick of the game.

Fisher’s vocal fans saw their side threaten late on and Lovell missed a glorious chance to put the club at the top of the league table with 45:49 on the clock.

A sliced clearance from Faversham centre-half Davies played in Lovell in space inside the box but he lacked composure and skied his right-footed shot high and wide of the near-post from 12-yards when he only had Russell to beat.

“If you want to be in this position, you’ve got to put chances like that away,” admitted Ashanike.

“If that falls to them, they score don’t they?  We need to get into that mindset of being so efficient in that area, calm and put the ball in the back of the net.

“It’s not hard. They do that in training. Just because people are watching us, doesn’t mean you have to be sloppy and a bit of composure, we win that game.”

Warrilow added: “He was quite a way through from the goal, so I won’t kill Callum for that. That’s the thing, if that had gone in, that would’ve been harsh.

“Callum Davies had a good game today. Overall, we don’t have a devine right to turn up and win a game of football and that’s a point against a very, very good side.

“I’ve fully got the utmost respect and time for Ajay and all of the boys over there. I think they’ve done an brilliant job over there.

“You don’t want to lose the game. I think it would’ve been harsh for anyone to sort of let it in but if we got a goal early, I think it might’ve changed the game a little bit. If anyone had got a goal early.

“I said to OB (coach, Alex O’Brien), the way it’s gone in the final third, one goal might’ve won it today.”

But after 99 minutes and 13 seconds of football on a wintry January day, neither side could find that clinical moment to claim the three points and both managers were asked whether they were happy with a point.

Warrilow said: “I am, obviously not because I want to win every game of football but if you come off and look at the form that they’re in and the form that we’re in, I suppose from a bookmakers’ point of view, a draw would be the result wouldn’t it?

“But no, we’ve not lost. We’ve now got four games in hand on Fisher and two points in front so we’ve got to make sure that we just make that gap as big as possible as we can and I hope Fisher win every single game now until the end of the season for obvious reasons.”

Ashanike replied: “Yes I am! I believe I am. To come to a place like this, it’s going to be hard away from home. It doesn’t matter who you play, if you’re coming away from home and you don’t lose it and you keep a clean sheet, you’ve got something to hold onto.

“We may not have showed respect on the pitch but off the pitch you’ve got to look at what they’re doing here. It’s absolutely massive and it’s a real joy to be playing against a team like this and getting a point off them and keeping a clean sheet.

“They have a massive fan base. They’ve done really well from where they were two seasons ago and what they’ve done. They’ve got a good management team.”

Fisher proved today that they are serious players in the promotion race.

“No one gave us a chance at the start of the season but we’re just doing us. We’re just being us. Like I’ve said to you, there’s no pressure on us. There’s no pressure on me or the boys. Just go out there entertain and enjoy the game every single Saturday and that’s what they’re doing,” said Ashanike.

“There’s 14 games left. We’ve played more games than most people but they’ve got to go and win them and we’re in a good position but we’ve got the points on the board.  Just wait for them and results falls our way and you never know where it can takes us but we’ve just got to keep chipping them away. Fourteen games to go, we haven’t got long to go but our mentality has to be spot on and if our mentality is spot on, you don’t know where it can take us.”

Faversham Town welcome Lydd Town to Salters Lane on Tuesday night, a side that are rooted to the foot of the table, having picked up three wins and four draws (13 points from 19 games) and are five points adrift of Lordswood and seven points adrift of safety (Hollands & Blair) at their half-way stage.

“Well, the most important thing now is to just make all the games count. We’ve got VCD at the end of the month so everyone will be building that one up as a must-win. It’s not...,” added Warrilow.

“We’ve got Lydd, bottom of the league, Tuesday night. Everyone will go ‘bottom of the league, you should be winning that.’  I’m telling you that will be a battle. That will be one of the hardest games we have.

“I just take every game as it comes. The most important thing, ideally, yes, of course you want to get here Tuesday night, three points, bang. Then we’re level with VCD (games wise), five in front.

“I just want to get these gates up. If we can get that up every week as a base and still build on it. We had 1,193 against Whitstable and that was decent. It just makes that little bit of difference. It makes a lot of difference, not just from a financial point of view, just the atmosphere, so hopefully we can get a few more here against Lydd.

“It’s a tough month. We’ve started it well. We played Corinthian and got a massive 3 points (3-2 win last weekend). We’ve played Fisher and got a point. If we can continue that against Lydd, we’re hoping we can put a performance in and get three points.

“We’ll see what fall out we get from this tomorrow with knocks and niggles and we might freshen it up for the Lydd game, which is going to be a tough, tough game.

“We’re top – we’ve just got to get out of this league. Full stop, just get out of it this season and whichever way we get out of it. You’re in control of your own destiny at the moment but that’s the challenge now is to stay there because everyone wants to, everyone wants to beat us anyway, let alone because we’re top of the league.

“We’ve got some real battles to come up against. It’s the old saying, we’ll get Lydd out of the way first and then worry about the next one and so on and so on and then hopefully again like the last time you see a bit of a gap all off a sudden and hopefully we can get our head down and gallop on.”

Ashanike, meanwhile, takes his side to play Dan Scorer’s Kennington next Saturday.

The Ashford-based outfit are in thirteenth-place with 25 points (six wins, seven draws and 11 defeats).

He said: “This is a game that we’ve got to go and win. That’s the kind of game we should be winning because there’s no point getting a point here and upsetting them and not going to get three points in a game that matters and now we’ve just got to get three points and play our way. If we play our way, everything else will come in place.

“We’ve got ourselves together and got ourselves in a position where a lot of teams are scared of us. No one wanted to listen to us first but now I think most people are listening now, which is just better for us.”

Faversham Town: Jacob Russell, Tariq Ossai, Bradley Simms, Matthew Newman (Billy Bennett 90), Callum Davies, Ben Gorham, Kieron Campbell, Samuel Hasler (Frannie Collin 83), Tashi-Jay Kwayie, Johan Caney-Bryan (Danny Parish 71), Nathan Wood.
Subs: Jarred Trespaderne

Booked: Samuel Hasler 15, Callum Davies 36, Ben Gorham 76

Fisher: Isaac Ogunseri, Jack Gibbons, Jacob Katonia (Omotunmise Akanni 68), Ange Djadja, Donald Macauley, Mayvin Vigneswaran, Armani-Jordan Martin, Kyrique Garvey-Williams (Charles Yiadom-Konadu 56), Kesna Clarke (Halim Bakre 82), Jake Lovell, Flavio Jumo.
Subs: Tyron Mbuenimo, Luke With

Booked: Armani-Jordan Martin 61, Ange Djadja 83

Attendance: 611
Referee: Mr Jacob Miller
Assistants: Mr Simon Jackson & Mr Thomas Colyer
Observer:  Mr John Paton