Fisher 2-0 Chislehurst Glebe - Listen, it will come, I've got no doubts about the group being good enough to climb up the ladder and get well away from the drop zone, says newly-appointed Chislehurst Glebe manager Frankie Sawyer

Fisher 2 – 0 Chislehurst Glebe
Location	St Paul's Stadium, Salter Road, Rotherhithe, London SE16 6NT
Kickoff	11/11/2025 19:45

FISHER  2-0  CHISLEHURST GLEBE
Presence & Co Southern Counties East Football League Premier Division
Tuesday 11 November 2025
Stephen McCartney reports from St Paul’s Stadium

NEWLY-APPOINTED Chislehurst Glebe player-manager Frankie Sawyer believes he will become the club’s longest serving manager.

The 37-year-old striker was appointed interim manager on 25 September, the same day that chairman Rocky McMillan sacked Dan Lawrence after failing to win any of his 13 games in charge.

Sawyer oversaw six games in interim charge, Sutton Athletic (3-3), Tunbridge Wells (0-0), Kennington (lost 5-4 on penalties after the Kent Senior Trophy tie finished 1-1), Erith & Belvedere (3-4, Challenge Cup), Stansfeld (3-1) and Hollands & Blair (1-0) and was appointed permanent manager on Sunday 9 November.

The longest serving management team at Foxbury Avenue was Craig Nelson and Danny Oakins, who lasted only 68 games between 2022-24.

However, the Foxes failed to lay a glove on Fisher, during a lacklustre performance, which leaves the club deep in relegation trouble tonight.

Chislehurst Glebe remain third-from-bottom in the ninth-tier Southern Counties East Football League Premier Division table with 10 points (two wins, four draws and nine defeats) from their 15 games. 

Darren Blackburn’s Hollands & Blair (10 points from 15 games) and Billy Shinners’ Stansfeld (nine points from 14 games) are beneath them in the relegation zone.

Fisher, meanwhile, controlled large chunks of this game and scored from two clinical strikes from outside the penalty area, inside the final 17 minutes, from striker Kesna Clarke and central midfielder Michael Sarpong.

“Disappointing, never like to lose but they were the better team on the night,” admitted Sawyer.

“We knew we had to ride a storm but we rode a storm for a lot longer than I would’ve liked to.

“We probably had a spell for about 10-15 minutes in the first half where we looked quite comfortable in possession but other than that, we weren’t good enough in possession today.  We didn’t create enough going forward.

“Everything was a little bit frantic on the ball, probably also due to the fact of the hard work that we had to do off the ball today.  Defensively, as a unit, we probably worked harder as a group than they had to in any game that I’ve been involved in up to now.

“Credit to Ajay, he’s got a good side there. They were relentless, working forwards, working backwards. I don’t think we threatened them enough in behind.

“The game-plan before the game was to get in behind them.  I think we put one ball over the top in the first half that caused them a bit of trouble but other than that we didn’t threaten enough on the night at all.

“Fisher are very, very good in possession, comfortable in possession across the pitch. They’ve got some very, very quick wingers.  Kesna Clarke up front was a threat all game, took his goal very, very well.  They were very good outside going forward, the wide men getting in behind and putting dangerous crosses across the box.”

Fisher manager Ajay Ashanike added: “Good game, a good game of football. I thought we were in control from the word go. We’re back to full-strength and it’s giving me a headache and when we get headache, we give a performance like that, which is good for us.

“I think it should’ve been more. With the front line we’ve got, we should be scoring a lot more goals but Glebe didn’t make it easy for us. They’re looking like a good side that’s coming on a journey and I think Frankie’s done really well since he’s walked in and it’s a credit to him.

“I thought we dealt with everything they’ve got to give us, obviously their wingers were very, very lively and we knew that from the word go, that they’re going to be lively out wide.

“Our full-back Jack (Gibbons) picked up a booking but he’s experienced enough to manage the game from there and we looked after the ball really, really well and we squeezed up the pitch. We didn’t allow the ball to come near to where they can be really hurting us.”

The Fish remain in 12^th place in the pecking order with 22 points (six wins, four draws and four defeats) and are only six points adrift of fifth-placed Bearsted, who lost 4-2 at leaders Whitstable Town tonight.

The first 20 minutes of this game was an open affair, but Glebe’s 13-goal talisman striker, Jamie Philpot, 29, left often isolated in a 4-2-3-1 formation.

Chislehurst Glebe centre-half Elliott Wenham started shakily, giving the ball away to Clarke, who cut onto his right-foot to drill a 30-yarder, which was comfortably saved by 28-year-old visiting goalkeeper Nathan Edwards.

“We’ve just got to keep focused. We’re a good side; they just need to stay focused. This team is better than what we had last year and we made the play-offs,” said Ashanike.

“Kesna’s been looking for goals but if you don’t shoot, you don’t score and that’s what we’ve been saying to them and I’m glad that we’re having shots and they’re good shots as well.”

Fisher centre-half Ange Djadja cracked a long ball over the top of Foxes’ left-back Tom Cousins to release Sarpong, who reached the by-line before the impressive Tom Jones fizzed a low shot across the keeper and past the far post.

A long ball out of defence by Matthew Holness should have been dealt with by Fisher goalkeeper Isaac Ogunseri, who held his composure when he got back into position to ensure Nathan Mampano’s shot was blocked on the very edge of his penalty area after a lay-off inside by Chislehurst Glebe’s often missing central midfielder Louie Belsham.

Sawyer said: “I think that came from the one ball that we put over the top.  The keeper came out and flapped at it a little bit but listen, we didn’t threaten them enough, nowhere near enough. I think that’s the only notable chance I can think of in the 90 minutes – and that’s not good enough!

Ashanike added: “Honestly, they had a game-plan and I thought our game-plan was working as well. We focus on ourselves and whilst we focus on ourselves and we’re just doing what we’re doing, we are so much better than anyone else.

“The boys know what we want to do. They know exactly how I want to play; they know what shape they need to pick up when we’re going forward. Defensively, they need to work hard and it’s not rocket science. It’s just make sure we get the best out of the boys and win their personal duals, that’s the most important thing for us and we done that in abundance tonight.”

Jones fed Clarke down the left and he played left-back Conor Darwish on the overlap and the Fisher man drilled a low right-footed angled drive against the outside of the foot of the near-post in the ninth minute.

Poplar resident Jones impressed for Fisher during the first half, as did right-winger Festos Kamara – a team-mate of his at Tunbridge Wells.

“Festos has had an unlucky season. I think if Festos was there we wouldn’t be sitting where we are sitting right now in the League,” said Ashanike.

“He had a motorbike accident in pre-season. He’s come back and he’s done his foot against Larkfield (1-1 home draw, 27 September) and this was his second game back for us but you can see what he can give us.

“Festos is on a different level to anyone else in this League as wingers and he’s a real threat and we’ve got to make sure we use him and look after him.”

Ashanike revealed the club have received plenty of seven-day approaches for Jones, who should be playing one level above this one.

“Tom Jones is another level, honestly we’re receiving seven days after seven days for him. I can’t say (who from).  Tom’s, Tom and he’s enjoying it here. We’ve turned down a lot of approaches for him.”

Chislehurst Glebe’s main attacking threat during the first half came down the left with winger Khavarn Williams.

“Khavarn’s got loads of ability. I don’t think I’ve seen a player at this level or probably a level or two above that carries the ball as well as he does. It almost sticks to his foot at times,” said Sawyer.

“I would’ve liked to have received the ball a little bit high. He did start to in the second half. The first half he was coming a little bit too deep to receive and I want him to receive it 20 yards into their half where he can turn and drive and be a threat going forward.”

The three of them were sniffled out for 30 minutes of the second half, however.

Kamara’s quickly taken free-kick after being fouled by Cousins, released Jones, who cut inside and curled a deflected left-footed drive over the crossbar from 18-yards.

Cousins played the ball out to Khavarn Williams, who easily cut inside Fisher right-back Jack Gibbons and ran into the D and his drive was comfortably gathered by Ogunseri, thanks to pressing from Tyron Mbuenimo.

Edwards pulled off a big save for Chislehurst Glebe to prevent Fisher taking a deserved lead, with 19:19 on the clock.

Darwish played the ball along the deck to Jones (who shrugged past Belsham) before playing the ball back to Darwish, who fizzed in a great low cross from within the channel towards the far post towards the unmarked Kamara, who looked certain to score with a first time right-footed shot from four-yards.

However, Edwards got across towards his near-post, spread himself low to his left and used his legs to make a big save.

“There’s a reason why they call him the Cat,” said Ashanike.

“It’s something that we’ve been working on in training every single week, to get that chance. I thought it was a goal. I think he came from the near post to the back post very, very quick to smother that out. H’s done really well. I don’t think any keeper in this League saves that, even my keeper.”

Sawyer added: “Very, very good save. I think everyone on the sideline thought it was going to be a goal.  He was very, very good when called upon. Cat, as he is called, he’s Mr Reliable, made some top saves and to be honest there’s nothing he could’ve done about the two goals, nothing at all.”

Fisher won the corner count by six-to-one and Chislehurst Glebe almost scored with their 28^th minute delivery.

Holding midfielder Thibault Abie swung the ball in from the right towards the back post and Belsham knocked the ball down and the ball was recycled back into the box by Khavarn Williams and Mampano’s downward header was comfortably gathered by an untroubled Ogunseri, to his left.

A lively game then turned rather scrappy on the half-hour mark for 30 minutes.

Abie’s first time pass was swept out to the impressive Khavarn Williams, who cut inside Gibbons again before arrowing his right-footed shot across the keeper and past the far post from 15-yards.

“Khavarn is someone we know really well. We tried to go and get him just a couple of games ago. We tried to get him but obviously we missed out to Larkfield but he’s gone back to Glebe without me knowing that. I thought Jack (Gibbons) done really well to isolate him all the way through 90 minutes,” added Ashanike.

Fisher then created two goalscoring chances just before the interval, on a showery November night in Rotherhithe.

Ogunseri went route one with a big kick straight down the middle, where the Foxes’ defence let the ball bounce over them and this put winger Rafael Garcia through on goal but his right-footed chip dropped just past the foot of the far post (44:16).

“When it’s scrappy like that, remember a couple of seasons ago, we lost that game 1-0 because people think they can come and just bully us. The boys have manned up a bit; they’ve grown up and now they’re just showing the ability they’ve got that they can do the ugly side of the game and that’s what I’m really proud off,” said Ashanike.

“If you can do the ugly side and do the pretty side as well – that I know they can do – then they can win football matches.”

Reflecting on Garcia’s big moment, the Fisher boss replied: “Those kind of chances, I don’t think any other team in the top five misses that. We’ve just got to be clinical and be ruthless in both boxes and they know that and it’s something I’ve been speaking to Rafa about.

“We’ve got to take care and just be ruthless and that was his only chance he got in the game before we took him off.”

Sawyer added: “It was very, very scrappy. I think they had a spell early on in the first half and we then sort of got a little bit more of a foothold and had a spell for about 10 minutes, probably the back end of the first half it was pretty even.

“I was disappointed with that (chance). We wasn’t good enough in the transition today. The keeper’s caught us quick, the ball’s actually bounced in the middle of the pitch, which I’m disappointed with that no one’s come and made contact on that. Yes, he’s got to put it away really, I think.”

Djadja then clipped a long ball out of defence and Jones whipped in a quality cross from the right towards the back post where the unmarked Clarke steered his header over the crossbar from six-yards.

Somehow, it remained goal-less going into the dressing rooms.

Ashanike said:  “Honestly, I didn’t say much. I just thought we can control our emotions and that’s just play football and to play football the right way.”

Sawyer added: “It was kept very positive. We knew we were going to have to ride another storm. Unfortunately, it was a little bit too long of a storm and it was inevitable at some point with the pressure they were putting on us, they were going to find the net and to be honest Kesna took it very, very well.”

The first thing of note that happened in the second half came from Cousins’ second of three long throws, with 18:51 on the clock, but an often isolated Philpot flicked his near-post header which failed to cause any alarm to Ogunseri.

When asked whether he thought his side would nick a 1-0 win during this poor spell of the game, Sawyer admitted: “If I’m being honest, I didn’t, no. We just didn’t create enough going forward today and it’s something we’re going to address.”

When asked about Djadja and Macaulay keeping Philpot very quiet indeed, Ashanike replied: “There’s a way to isolate him and we know it’s not the same Jamie who was there two or three years’ ago when I first started (to manage in this League).

“If you squeeze up the pitch, we know we can handle him. We’ve got enough legs to cover up at the back as well and if you keep him away from your goal, he won’t score – but if you allow him to come closer to your goal that’s when he comes alive and we made sure we didn’t give him the ball.”

Fisher are a fit team full of energy and plenty of desire and they were all very talkative during this game – but the 66^th minute introduction of Lorenzo Duncan brought the game back to life.

Ashanike said: “We’ve got a good centre midfield at the moment. Since Lorenzo’s come in from Corinthian, he’s done really, really well and he hasn’t done nothing wrong.

“But only three of them can play but he’s always taking his chance when he comes on in the game late on and he’s on top of everything and he’s a really good player.”

Fisher centre-half Donald Macaulay played the ball down the line and Duncan put in a cross from the left and Clarke’s shot on the turn took a nick and was heading behind for a corner, only for Edwards to smother the ball low to his right.

Chislehurst Glebe’s right-centre-back Yanic Kissi – Richmond’s younger brother – was playing well but he did make one mistake that should have proved costly just before the second goal.

Darwish’s long ball out of Fisher’s defence saw Kissi open the gate by giving the ball away to Clarke, who cut inside and onto his right-foot and lacked composure as he stroked his 25-yard shot straight at Edwards, who came off his line and couldn’t believe his luck as the ball landed into his gloves.

“Yanick was actually the first signing I brought in once I came in as interim manager,” revealed Sawyer, who brought him in from local football outside the National League System.

“Yanick is probably a level or two above Step Five and today playing right-side centre-half, being left-back, wasn’t going to be easy but he looks so comfortable at times.

“I liken at times to (retired former Manchester City, Aston Villa, England centre-half) Micah Richards, in a sense that he never, ever looks in trouble. He might get caught out every now and then but he’s such a strong, powerful athlete that he always recovers and I thought he looked quite comfortable all night.”

However, Fisher FINALLY broke the stalemate with 27 minutes and 59 seconds on the clock, with a clinical strike from inside the D.

Kamara sprung into life, playing the ball in from within the right-channel and Duncan’s sublime touch laid the ball off to Clarke, who emphatically drilled his right-footed shot into the top right-hand corner from 20-yards to score his fourth goal for Fisher this season and several players ran over to Kamara for playing his part.

“Do you know what, I always knew we were going to score. We are a fit team and you’ve got to be able to match us for 90 minutes and not a lot of teams will be able to match us for 90 minutes,” said Ashanike.

“If you can match us for 90 minutes, you’re still in the game but it’s about tiring you down but this team is an absolute fit team and they’re ready to run through brick walls for me.

“Kesna is a different level when it comes to finishing. If he’s in front of the goal, he will score and you’ve just got to keep feeding him. The more chances he gets, he’s like (retired Manchester United strike partnership) Andy Cole and Dwight Yorke. If you keep giving him chances, he will put one away and he’s done well today.

“We can still break you down.  The squad that we’ve got right now, we can mix it and do both. We can go long, we can go short. We can break you down and I thought second half they came out for a draw and we had that composure in there to move it side-to-side.

“It’s about fitness. I think they emptied the tank in the first half and you’ve got to not empty the tank in the first half against us because we will take full advantage of it.”

Sawyer said: “Very good to be fair, very good goal and Kesna took it very well.  We knew he was going to be threat, we identified he was going to be a threat.

“To be honest, I thought he was kept quiet for most of the night but as good forwards do, they get a chance and they put it away and at the end of the day, he’s done his job.”

Edwards then performed to keep the score down as Fisher dominated for the rest of the game, as Chislehurst Glebe’s negative second half tactics  of not creating any chances came back to bite them.

Striker Sawyer, who came on in the 85^th minute and even hooked an often isolated Philpot, added: “Cat’s a very, very good shot stopper, probably if not one of the best in this division.”

Clarke and Kamara linked up inside the penalty area and Darwish’s low shot from a tight angle was saved by Edwards’ legs (30:25).

Kamara put in another right-channel cross and Clarke’s poke towards goal was saved by the former Holmesdale goalkeeper.

Visiting right-winger Jefferson Bento went missing during the second half and found himself at right-back by the time he was booked for a foul on Jones close to the by-line.

Edwards punched away Jones’ resulting right-footed free-kick and the ball came out to Sarpong, who drilled his right-footed volley, screaming through a crowded penalty area and his 25-yard effort nestled inside the bottom right-hand corner to score his third goal of the season, with 41 minutes and 8 seconds on the clock.

“Michael does that all the time. When he picks it up on the edge of the box, volley, up in the air, it’s just normal for him but I’m really pleased for him that he’s got a goal today,” said Ashanike.

“Since we’ve signed Sha’mar Lawson (who was ruled out with a hamstring injury, expected back on Saturday week) he’s found himself on the bench and this is the second start that he’s had in the last six games. Good credit to him, he’s put his head down and worked hard and come to training every week and he’s shown that he should be in the team.

“He’s one of the good midfielders in this League as well, so he’s just has to work hard and if you work hard for me, you’ll play.”

Sawyer added: “I was right behind it and he’s caught it very, very clean.  The ball’s come through bodies, there’s not much Cat (Edwards) can really do about that, I don’t think – a very, very good strike.”

There was still time for one more Fisher chance, when substitute David Mata played a one-two with Duncan and Edward made a low save to his right as Fisher ran out deserved winners.

Fisher welcome Kevin Stevens’ Bearsted (28 points, nine wins, one draw and five defeats) to St Paul’s on Saturday.

“Bearsted are one of the teams I tipped to do well this season, from what they had last season,” said Ashanike.

“We just have to come here again on Saturday – it’s Community Day – so it should be a packed house, so we just need to be ourselves.

“I think that 4-2 defeat (at Whitstable Town tonight) would’ve taken a lot our of them as well, so we just need to go and training and see how we can get maximum points from it.

“I’m not looking at the table right now, the table’s not real. This time last year we were in this position. I think Whitstable was in a worse position than us last season, so nothing’s won now.

“We just need to keep our head down and just keep working hard.  We’re not meant to be up there anyway.  I don’t think a lot of people gave them a chance but again we’re just going to prove people wrong, week-in-week-out.

“They’ve got character in them. I’ve got massive character. A lot of people don’t like me because of that. It’s not arrogance. It’s just a confidence in what we’re doing. If they just believe in their ability, they’ll go far. The boys we’ve got in this team should be playing at least Step Four football.”

Chislehurst Glebe, meanwhile, welcome Sam Groombridge’s Erith & Belvedere to Foxbury Avenue on Saturday.

Former Glebe manager Gary Alexander – now director of football – was on a scouting mission and left immediately after seeing the first goal.

The Deres have slipped down from top spot and are currently in seventh-place, having picked up 24 points (seven wins, three draws and seven defeats).

“Another tough game. Listen, there’s going to be no easy games between now and the end of the season,” said Sawyer.

“We played them a few weeks ago (losing 4-3 at home in the Challenge Cup on 14 October) and they were a very, very well-drilled side. I know Gary Alexander very well. He’s got them playing some really good football, no thrills but they’re a very well drilled unit. They moved the ball, very, very good movement off the ball. Listen, we know they’re going to be a threat and we need to come up with something to nullify that.”

When asked about his job in hand, Sawyer said: “Listen, I knew the position we was in coming into it.

“Having stepped in, in the interim, the team was sitting bottom of the League with two points from 10 games. We’ve picked up eight points from the last four coming into tonight.

“I think before tonight we were sitting fourth in the form guide, which shows everything has been very, very positive up until now.

“I’m not going to dwell on tonight too much because we gave the boys a lot of information and it’s going to be a lot for them to take in over the coming weeks,

“But I believe with what I’ve got here – maybe with one or two additions – is more than capable of not just surviving relegation but climbing right up this table.

"We've got a lot of work to do going forward.  It's going to be a process.  It's not going to work overnight. Me, James Fray (coach) and Aaron Fray (assistant) have got a lot of work on the training ground, we know that, the boys know that. Working on loads of bits in posession.

"Listen, it will come. I've got no doubts about the group being good enough to climb up the ladder and get well away from the drop zone."

Sawyer knows, managers do not last long in Chislehurst - but believes he will become the club’s longest serving manager.

LONGEST SERVING MANAGERS IN GAMES:
68 Craig Nelson & Danny Oakins (2022-2024)
64 Gerry Cox & Darren Anslow (2014-15)
63 Anwar Uddin (2017-2019)
50 Simon Copley (2015-16)
49 Adam Woodward (2016-17)
47 Fred Dillon & Chris Steadman (2024-25)
44 Gary Alexander (2019-2021)
39 Harry Hudson (2021-2022)

“I was actually apart of that management team with Pitts (Nelson) and Danny Oakins and we had a very good side there, a very good spell.

“I’ve got a very, very good relationship with Rocky. I’ve known Rocky since I was seven or eight, playing against his initial Glebe side. He started Glebe for his son Lloyd, who’s my age, so I remember playing against Glebe for Lewisham Youth.

“Away from football, we speak every day. I do a lot of coaching at the club, so I coach my boy’s under eight team. I also run a striker’s specific club, one-to-one and small group sessions with a load of Academy boys.  I’m at the club every day.

“I believe that we’ll be having another interview at some point next season, probably towards the back end and we’ll be talking about me being the longest serving Glebe manager, I’ve got no doubts.”

Fisher: Isaac Ogunseri, Jack Gibbons, Conor Darwish, Tyron Mbuenimo, Ange Djadja, Donald Macaulay, Rafael Garcia (Lorenzo Duncan 66), Michael Sarpong, Kesna Clarke (David Mata 89), Tom Jones, Festos Kamara (Jake Lovell 84).
Subs: Adejola Lahan, Stephan Richard-Kingson

Goals: Kestos Kamara 73, Michael Sarpong 86

Booked: Jack Gibbons 44, Michael Sarpong 90

Chislehurst Glebe: Nathan Edwards, Matthew Holness (Frankie Sawyer 85), Tom Cousins, Thibault Abie, Elliott Wenham, Yanick Kissi, Khavarn Williams (Louie Reid Newth 90), Louie Belsham (Romaro Williams 63), Jamie Philpot (Ryan Kelly 89), Nathan Mampano (Ryan Atkinson 74), Jefferson Bento.

Booked: Matthew Holness 42, Jefferson Bento 86

Attendance: 148
Referee: Mr Paul Agyei-Tabi
Assistants: Mr Ronald Albert & Mr Paul Webb