VCD Athletic 2-1 Fisher - It's a pleasure to be in charge of this football club and get this club back to Step Four, says promotion-winning VCD Athletic joint-manager Ross Baker

VCD Athletic 2 – 1 Fisher
Location	Oakwood, Old Road, Crayford, Kent DA1 4DN
Kickoff	05/05/2025 15:00

VCD ATHLETIC  2-1  FISHER
Presence & Co Southern Counties East Football League Premier Division Play-Off Final
Bank Holiday Monday 5 May 2025

VCD ATHLETIC joint-manager Ross Baker says it’s an absolute pleasure to be in charge of the club and get it back into the Isthmian League following a two-year absence.
 

An enthralling Southern Counties East Football League Premier Division promotion race has reached its climax with champions Faversham Town being joined in the eighth-tier by runners-up VCD Athletic.



GOING UP:  VCD Athletic celebrate winning the Southern Counties East Football League Premier Division Play-Off Final.
Photo: Alan Coomes

Tommy Warrilow’s side picked up 88 points (26 wins, 10 draws and two defeats) from their 38 league outings, while Baker and Danny Joy’s men picked up 81 points (24 wins, 10 draws and four defeats, with a point deducted).

Whitstable Town finished in third-place with 75 points (23 wins, six draws and nine defeats), Fisher finished in fourth on 67 points (19 wins, 10 draws and nine defeats) while Chipie Sian’s Punjab United also finished on 67 points (20 wins, seven draws and 11 defeats).

Fisher stunned Jamie Coyle’s men by beating Whitstable Town 4-3 on penalties after a 1-1 draw at Belmont Road last Tuesday, while VCD Athletic beat Punjab United 2-0 at Oakwood in the other Play-Off Semi-Final.

VCD Athletic opened the scoring inside the opening six minutes through attacking midfielder Lee Bird tapping in his ninth goal of the season, before Fisher restored parity with a clinical strike from Flavio Jumo.

The Vickers signed non-contracted Sheppey United striker Daniel Bradshaw on dual-registration terms before transfer deadline day in March and gave him his debut as a 71^st minute substitute during Tuesday night’s play-off Semi-Final.

Bradshaw, 34, came off the bench to sniff out an 89^th minute winner for VCD Athletic to seal promotion, having only played 27 minutes for the Crayford outfit during two play-off ties, having scored 17 goals for the Isthmian League South East Division outfit.

“Unreal, an unreal day for everyone involved in this football club,” said Baker.

“It’s been 100 games of hard work. It’s nothing that those boys in that changing room don’t deserve. They’ve been excellent since the minute they’ve come into this football club. They deserve everything that they’ve got this season. They’ve been superb from start to finish.

“The (title-race) has been good, it’s been exciting, it’s been like nerve wracking at times. I think around January time when we were still in the Vase, especially inside the club we’re talking about a possible trip to Wembley, a possible league title.  Yes, it’s been interesting, it’s been interesting. It’s been fun. I’ve enjoyed every minute of it!

“Stressful? Yes, of course it is. The job, any manager will tell you, is stressful. There are times that you wake up and you think ‘what have I been dealt with today,’ but days like today, it’s all worth it. It’s your reward for all your hard work.”

Fisher manager Ajay Ashanike added: “Gutted, gutted, gutted! We’ve worked hard all season to get to this point and to lose out on the odd goal is really guttering but again just got to be proud of what the boys have done this season.

“It’s been mad! It’s been a really, really up and down season where we started off really bad and we got the right signings in for the fourth league game against Stansfeld and we didn’t look back after that. We went on a good run.

“Gutted, gutted for the boys, gutted for the fans that we couldn’t do it but again, proud of them.”

VCD Athletic started the game on the front foot and 23-goal former Bearsted striker Ollie Freeman sent right-winger Nathaniel Olawole on his way and his low cross-shot was gobbled up by visiting goalkeeper Isaac Ogunseri, low to his right, after only 45 seconds.

VCD Athletic took the lead with five minutes and 39 seconds on the clock, having switched the play from right-to-left.

Olawole cut the ball back to Vickers’ right-back Harry Lawrence who whipped in a deep cross towards the other side of the pitch.

Impressive left-winger Bethel Gboda, rode a tackle, cut inside, fed Freeman who squeezed the ball past a couple of pressing defenders and put it on a plate for Bird, who placed his first-time right-footed shot into the bottom left-hand corner from six-yards.

“Listen, it was a good move from three players who have been outrageously good for us all season,” said Baker.

“If I’m honest though, we probably scored too early because the first five minutes Fisher looked quite flat and we were getting quite a lot of joy out of it in the first five minutes and then obviously we scored and it kind of work them up.

“It’s the old cliché isn’t it, ‘you probably scored too early,’ bit you’ve got to take your chances.”

Ashanike added: “We knew they were a good side. We knew they had a bit of combinations for the 90 minutes. I thought they played good football.

“I couldn’t ask for much from the boys to come round and do their running and they’ve done all of their running for us, what we needed.

“But the first six minutes was really cagey for us because it changed completely what we were ready for but the boys adapted to it after the goal. I thought we were on top after the goal.”

Fisher responded and started to play on the front foot and were to be denied an equaliser (10:46) through a goal-line clearance from Vickers’ left-back George Whitelock.

Salim Nassor swung in the away side’s first of 10 corners, the ball was met at the far post by centre-half Ange Djadja and 19-goal striker Kesna Clarke stabbed a high foot towards goal but couldn’t get the ball past a well-positioned Whitelock.

“Those kind of games we need a bit of luck in it and we didn’t get that luck what we needed there,” admitted Ashanike.

“Kesna got himself in a good position. It was a good corner, just hooked it on. It wasn’t a fully clean hit but I think he could’ve hit it a bit higher to get past him.”

Baker added: “Listen, let’s just touch on George. He’s not a left-back! We’ve had outrageously bad luck at left-back position all season. We’ve had tried and tested there, it hasn’t worked. We’ve probably signed the best left-back in the position in Tom Carlse and he’s picked up a horrible injury and we’ve not been able to replace him for whatever reason.

“George has stepped in, Michael Fenn has stepped in at times and they’ve done the job there and both of them when they have filled in at left-back have been outrageously good for us and George today knew he was up against a good winger and he’s dealt with him (Jake Lovell).  He’s dealt with everything that was thrown at him today, the goal-line clearances, last ditch tackles, playing out, he’s done well.

“George gets a lot of stick and fully deserved by the way because he’s an absolute pest but he’s done really well today.”

When asked about Carlse’s progress, Baker replied: “Tom was here today. Tom came into the changing room before we went out and he’s on the mend. He’s had his tubes out and he’s all good, he’s all good.”

A cagey game of very little chances with so much at stake, VCD Athletic called Fisher goalkeeper Ogunseri into making a comfortable save in the 20^th minute.

Bird laid the ball off to Freeman, who got the better of Fisher midfielder Nassor, before slipping the ball through to Connor Dymond, who cracked a left-footed drive straight into the keeper’s midriff from 25-yards.

“You’re right, it was cagey. It was a little bit of a tactical affair, who was going to make the first mistake,” said Baker.

“We were 1-0 up but you’re never comfortable. All credit where credits due to Ajay and the job he’s done there. They’re a good side Fisher and they don’t go away, they stick in and stick in and stick in and we always felt if they score they’re going to be hard to break down because they are so good at what they do.”

Ashanike added: “If they’re shooting from 25-yards – I’ve said it all season – his job is one job – he’s there to save them and he’s done really well with that, watching the ball coming through bodies as well. He’s done really well with that.”

With the game slowing down, Fisher brought the game to life by scoring an equaliser with 37 minutes and 39 seconds on the clock.

Left-back Conor Darwish threw the ball to Clarke, who cut through a crowd of players within the left-channel before playing the ball inside to Jumo, who turned and clinically drove a low right-footed shot past the diving Andy Walker to find the bottom left-hand corner from 22-yards.

“Flav started as a number four but we shifted him off to go into the number 10 role, which I think he carried out really well after the first goal.  I thought Flav went in there and marshalled, did really well and played Connor (Dymond) out of the game completely,” said Ashanike, who was pressed by his scorer notching only his second goal of the season.

“Flav’s come in late as well and he’s done absolutely well for us. He didn’t put a foot wrong and in a Final to score that goal, I’ll take that all day long.

“I think both sides respected each other and that’s why there were a lot of cagey moments.  I think we should’ve won a lot more than what we did, if I’m being far but overall it was a cagey game.”

Baker added: “It was a great strike by the young boy, he’s a good player and he played well today and he’s probably hard done by to be on the losing side because I felt he done a real good job in there but he’s done his job, a shot from distance has gone in. Walks had no chance.”

Darwish fouled Olawole and Dymond’s wind-assisted right-footed free-kick from 35-yards sailed just over the Fisher crossbar three minutes before the interval.

Both managers were asked their thoughts at the break.

Baker said: “We just said to them, ‘just keep going’. We made a tactical change like the way we shut them down and the way we shuffled across and that. We just told them just keep going.  You’ve been in this position before 38 times, 39 times, just keep doing what you’re good at. Keep doing your jobs. If you do your jobs today you will win and the proof is in the pudding, as they say.”

Ashanike said: “Just more of the same, just more of the same. I felt we needed more energy. I felt the first 45, (it looked like we had played) two days ago. We were leggy. We’re playing on grass, not 3G where we’re normally very, verry sharp on but look, if you have played football in the last seven days, it’s always going to happen and the boys have had enough rest.

“But it’s what we do off the pitch that matters and I don’t think a lot of them did what they need to do off the pitch but what we are, a team that don’t pay to be here. We wasn’t meant to be here in the first place but they’ve worked their socks off all season to get credit to get here.”

VCD Athletic created their first chance of the second half after only 44 seconds, courtesy of some more impressive wing-play from the highly-rated Gboda.

He easily cut inside Fisher right-back Jack Gibbons inside the channel, cut the ball back to Whitelock, whose shot from 25-yards took a deflection off Tyron Mbuenimo and was comfortably saved by the Fisher goalkeeper.

“Just touching on Bethel, he’s been here as long as me and Danny have been here two seasons, he’s just getting better and better each week,” said Baker.

“The idea at half-time was to get him more space to operate in and the first 20 minutes of the second half we done that.  You could see the different sort of Bethel. When he ticks this football club here clicks. If he’s having a bad day, you can see.  You can see the little bit of spark gone but when he’s on fire, it makes this football club tick.”

Ashanike added: “I thought Bethel was the best player on the pitch today by far, he was unbelievable! In the first half, he was unstoppable.  He was picking up pockets, where we couldn’t touch him. He’s done really, really well.  Bethel’s someone we know really, really well and he’s going to have a massive future ahead of him.”

Clarke stabbed the ball out to Fisher winger Jake Lovell, who cut inside Whitelock but lacked composure as space opened up and stroked his left-footed shot across the keeper and harmlessly wide of the far post from 22-yards.

VCD Athletic almost grabbed the lead on the hour-mark following their third of seven corners.

Dymond played the ball in with his right-foot from the left and Freeman and centre-half Michael Fenn charged towards the ball at the near-post and Fenn flicked his shot against the crossbar from a tight angle.

Ashanike added: “I don’t think he really meant that. I think it was a cross. It wasn’t really a real short but we rode the storm and we done really well to clear it.”

Fisher winger Courtney Barrington whipped in a cross from the left and the ball sat up nicely for Clarke inside the box but his right-footed half-volley sailed over Walker and across the top of the far post from 12-yards in the 65^th minute.

“I saw what he was trying to do there. He’s trying to be clever when Walks was in goal. I think he saw him off his line and he tried to dink it from far but (we needed) a bit of composure there,” added the Fisher manager.

“For a young team, a young guy, he’s always going to learn and as long as they’re learning from those kind of moments, is what we need.”

Bird and a deep dropping Freeman, linked up well inside the Fisher half before Gboda took a touch before drilling his right-footed shot whistling past the foot of the right-hand post from 35-yards as the game was now inside the final 20 minutes.

Baker added: “We were getting more room to operate in the second half and you could see the benefit we got and he was reaping the benefit of the little bit of the tactical change that we made where he had more space to drive into and pick the second ball up and there’s no one better in this division when he’s on fire with stuff like that.”

Lawrence hit a long ball up to Freeman who laid the ball to substitute winger Francis Babalola and his speculative right-footed drive from 25-yards bounced several times across the keeper and past the far post.

This was Fisher’s moment, a moment to bring Isthmian League football to St Paul’s next season – but Walker pulled off a big save with 36:50 on the clock.

Ogunseri launched a big kick upfield, Mbuenimo put the ball into the box and Clarke tussled for the ball with VCD Athletic centre-half Dexter Peter inside the box.

Clarke played a short through ball to Mbuenimo, who was through on goal and only had Walker to beat.  The 44-year-old rushed off his line and dived to his right to make a big save and with it ended Fisher’s chances of promotion.

“That’s the moment, isn’t it? That’s the moment. That’s the moment there you cherish with eight minutes to go. That would’ve changed the whole game,” agonised Ashanike.

“We would’ve managed to ride the storm really well but that gives them confidence to come forward more, to play the type of football that they wanted to play.

“Have a bit of composure there. That was the winner, that was the winner! That was the winner there but from a young team, they’ll learn from it and you can’t really criticise them for what they’ve done all season.

“We’ve got to learn from this experience. If we manage to keep all of them together as a team, then they’ll learn from it and move on from it.”

It was a season defining moment and Baker was grateful to Walker’s intervention.

Baker said: “Listen, that was an outrageously good stop by an outrageously good goalkeeper!

“Since Walks has been here, his professionalism on and off the pitch is second to none and the next question you’re going to ask me is ‘is he staying next season?’ and the answer is, I don’t know!

“But from the bottom of my heart, I hope he is here next season because he is by far the best goalkeeper in this division by a country mile.”

Walker then made a routine catch above head height as Fisher substitute Armani-Jordan Martin looped a shot towards goal from 25-yards.

Baker and Joy had brought Bradshaw on (36:13) and the Sheppey United striker scored the winning goal that sent VCD Athletic back into the Isthmian League South East Division next season, with 43 minutes and 40 seconds on the clock.

Lawrence whipped the ball into a crowded box from the right, the ball was cleared out to Bird, whose right-footed shot from 18-yards was destined for the bottom right-hand corner.  Ogunseri dived to his left to push the ball out and Bradshaw sensed blood, pounced and rifled his right-footed shot into the roof of the net from three-yards.



FROM SHEPPEY WITH LOVE:  Sheppey United striker Daniel Bradshaw (middle) made a total number of 27 minutes in two play-off games but scored the winning goal to send VCD Athletic back into the Isthmian League after a two-year absence.
Photo: Alan Coomes

“He’s now a VCD Legend by all accounts,” claimed Baker.  “Twenty-seven minutes? There you go, 27, there you go, 27 minutes, legend!

“Dan came in on dual-registration. We felt we needed a little bit of back up to Ollie Freeman and look, our decision has been justified.  He’s come in and he’s scored the goal that took this club back to Step Four, so that’s it. We’ll get a statue at the front for him now.”

This exciting promotion race has been full of twists and turns but bringing in a striker full of Isthmian League quality to score the promotion-winning goal despite only playing 27 minutes for the club was harsh on Fisher.

How would VCD Athletic feel if Fisher had signed, for example, the entire Millwall first team squad on loan to play on Bank Holiday Monday in May?  Something must be done so that players must play a certain number of League games before turning out in season defining play-off ties.

No other player on the pitch would have scored the goal that Bradshaw scored, sniffing out a chance after Bird’s shot was parried.

Ashanike said: “It’s the Rules. I wouldn’t do something like that. I wouldn’t drop none of my players unless something massively has happened but if the Rules are there, you have got to use them as much as you can, for the advantage.

“My players’ trust me. It is what it is. I don’t want to talk about it but that is what the Rules have done to us and we have just got to take it.  It really, really kicks you in the teeth as well but that’s football for you.”

Reflecting on the goal itself, Ashanike replied, “We could’ve done a lot better. We could’ve done a lot better. The press could’ve been better coming out but we were a bit leggy in there.

“Isaac should be doing a lot better for his standard, pushing it away from goal.  Who’s following it up? So, there’s a lot of questions. There’s four different questions I can ask.  Lino (Steve Roots), where was you? There’s so many questions but again it’s football, these things happens. We’re not all perfect so we’ve just got to learn from it and move on.”

There was still time for Fisher centre-half Ange Djadja to be wiped out by Walker a yard outside the corner of the penalty area – the keeper was very lucky just to pick up a yellow card – and both club’s medical staff treated the stricken player for a while.

Ashanike said: “Ange fell down, their (medical team, including Emily Sawyer) ran on the pitch first and she said ‘he was knocked out,’ but Ange was never knocked out, he said.

“Obviously, I’ve got to listen to my players. I’ve got to listen to my players. She didn’t see him get knocked out.  We’re chasing the game. His health comes first 100%.

“I’ve asked him, I’ve spoken to him. I know my players more than anyone. I don’t care if you’re a physio or a doctor, I know my players’ more than anyone. If I feel like if he was in any danger, he wouldn’t have carried on but he said ‘he was ok’ and I believe what he said.”

Fisher finished the game with 10 men as referee Rhys Jeffery threw Djadja in the sin-bin (50:38-) for dissent. 

Ashanike added: “They gave me more than anything, honestly they’ve given me more than everything. I can’t ask for much.

“if we’ve lost and they’ve absolutely battered us or we’re out of the game I’ll be gutted. I’m not gutted. I’m walking away as a winner today. I don’t care who’s lifted the trophy. I’m walking away as a winner. We played a winner today.”

When asked what his future lies – Ashanike – who operates without a budget and was just so very close to a penalty shoot-out and a 50-50 spin of a coin and a chance of promotion into the Isthmian League.

“Season’s over, time to rest and see what’s next. I don’t know yet. I don’t know yet.  I need a break from football completely switch off, this season has taken a lot out of me," revealed Ashanike.

“If you told me we’d be in the Play-Off Final and losing, I would’ve taken it. I would’ve bit your hands off but we understand how to win games now.  We understand this League very well and just dust ourselves off and go again but for me I’ve got to rest, speak to my missus and see what’s next.

“Thank you so much (to the Fisher fans). Absolutely been gold since I came back (from my short spell at Basildon United).  The welcome back was absolutely crazy, the goodbye was absolutely crazy. It just shows the kind of club we are and my players are absolutely incredible.  All season, not getting paid, playing against players who are getting paid every single week can’t be easy.

“For me, I know it’s not easy to see other managers getting paid right next to me and I’m not but we do it for the love of the game. We do it for the fans and I enjoy coming, I look forward to Saturday and midweek just to see the fans. Anything else that happens on the pitch, it happens on the pitch but we absolutely love this club from day one.

“They’ve given us a good opportunity to be in a good Step Five club. Everything’s done for us and all we’re doing is focus on football and it’s rare to say that.

“You’ve got to see what the future holds. I’m tired, honestly, I’m tired. I put a lot in this season and I love the club, everyone knows I love the club. I just love the club, let me see what happens.”

Ashanike will now listen to offers for his talented squad during the summer.

“That’s what we said in the huddle there, is your next move has got to be important. Anyone who wants to get them has to come, has to come and talk to me first.

“When you don’t pay players, they come in with massive belief in you and you’ve got this bond. I don’t understand why we’ve got t hat bond with every player that’s come in with us.

“If you look at the side all of our ex-players were there, every single one who’s played for Fisher were here today and that’s what we create here and I love it but their next move is so important.

“If they move on, I don’t want to see them back here. I want to keep seeing them going forward like Adebola Oluwo (a National League winner with Barnet), Joseph Adewunmi has hade a good season at (Isthmian League North) Heybridge Swifts, both started with us.

“Just make sure they just get the right club and the right manager.”

The final whistle was blown at 53:32 and VCD Athletic celebrated winning promotion and ironically departed the Isthmian League at the same time as Faversham Town and returned with the Lilywhites.

“Listen, the boys are absolutely buzzing. Listen, you can here the noise they’re making in there now. It’s what these boys have worked so hard for since the start of pre-season,” said Baker.

“We’ve had them running in rivers, we’ve had them uphill. We’ve had them crawling through things. They’ve been in on a Tuesday, on a Thursday, on a Friday, they’ve given up their life really for this season and they’ve got their rewards for today.

“These boys in there deserve everything they get today because they’ve been excellent for me and Danny. 

“I could speak for Danny on this. It is an absolute pleasure to be in charge of this football club and get this club back to Step Four.

“A lot of people went ‘how have these boys got the job, blah, blah, blah.’  Tell me why we shouldn’t have it now? Tell me why me and Danny shouldn’t be at this football club next year?

“It took us 100 games to get us back to Step Four.  There’s people out here that have been trying to get up for four or five years and they haven’t even come close.”

Baker and Joy never played or managed in the Isthmian League and Baker was asked what he will look forward to next season.

“I’m looking forward to putting myself against other manager’s, other venues.  I always want to learn, always learn and Danny’s the same.

“We brought Macca (Martin McCarthy, coach) in who’s been a big part of what we’ve done.  I want to go up against people who I want to try to learn.  I want to take something from the game and going against so-called better managers and players, that’s what I want.

“I want to achieve the best. People know me, I’m so driven. I want to win. If I lose I’m like a child, I sulk but I just want to win and I’m looking forward to testing myself against other managers, that’s for sure.”

When asked about his current squad, Baker replied: “We’ve not had the conversation yet but I would like to keep 95% of the players we’ve got here.

“People will say who are the five you don’t want but there’s just some boys who are not going to play next year. There’s some boys who are going to pack up.  There’s some boys who don’t want to do the travelling at all, that sort of stuff, that’s what happens in football.

“But that little squad in there, I know if we ask them to run through a brick wall for us. They’re running through the brick wall. Coming back and running again so they’re the people I want at my football club.

“We’re going to enjoy it, that’s for sure. Drink as much beer as there is in this bar, that is it.  As much beer as we can get down ourselves, that’s it.

“We’ll enjoy tonight, we’ll have a couple of weeks off, a bit of family time and then all system go for next year, that’s what the plan is.”

VCD Athletic: Andy Walker, Harry Lawrence, George Whitelock, Connor Dymond, Dexter Peter, Michael Fenn, Bethel Gboda (David Ozobia 90), Liam Gillies (Francis Babalola 60), Ollie Freeman (Daniel Bradshaw 82), Lee Bird (Adebola Sotoyinbo 90), Nathaniel Olawole (Charlie Heatley 79).

Goals: Lee Bird 6, Daniel Bradshaw 89

Booked: Connor Dymond 45, Andy Walker 90

Fisher: Isaac Ogunseri, Jack Gibbons, Conor Darwish, Flavio Jumo, Ange Djadja, Donald Macaulay, Courtney Barrington, Salim Nassor (Siao Blackwood 75), Kesna Clarke, Tyron Mbuenimo (Daniel Flemming 90), Jake Lovell (Jacob Katonia 62, Armani-Jordan Martin 76)).
Sub: Samuel Amedu               

Goal: Flavio Jumo 38

Booked: Tyron Mbuenimo 70, Jack Gibbons 78, Daniel Fleming 90

Temporary Dismissal:  Ange Djadja 90

Attendance: 720
Referee: Mr Rhys Jeffery
Assistants: Mr James Beadle & Mr Steve Roots
Fourth Official: Mr Nicholas Bone
Referee’s Coach: Ms Louise Saunders