Fisher 1-1 Erith Town - We like leaving it late, admits Lisney

Monday 22nd March 2010

FISHER 1-1 ERITH TOWN
Bulmers Cider Kent League
Monday 22nd March 2010
Stephen McCartney reports from Champion Hill Stadium

FISHER boss Gary Lisney praised poacher Luke Coleman as his last-gasp header grabbed a point to deny Erith Town sixth place in the Bulmers Cider Kent League table tonight.

Erith Town, who led courtesy off a looping over-head kick from striker Adam Marsh, were pegged back by Coleman’s seventh goal in Fisher colours in the fourth minute of time added on at the end of a poor game at Champion Hill.

The visitors gave former Thamesmead Town attacker Peter Smith his debut, having signed from Ryman League Division One North side Waltham Forest, and he slotted in the hole behind Marsh and Kevin George.

Fisher - who sealed a shock win at league leaders Faversham Town at the weekend - were reliant on Coleman for their best goalscoring chances, but pulled it out of the bag when all seemed lost.

“We like leaving it late, don’t we?” Lisney told www.kentishfootball.co.uk afterwards.

“That’s what Luke’s about though! He’s very known within the Kent League. He’s played for a number of teams in this league and he’s highly-respected because that’s what he does, he nicks goals.

“He may not be in it for a period of time then pops up in the right place at the right time. Goalscorers have a knack of doing that!”

Coleman’s 12th minute right-footed free-kick from 25-yards flashed just past the near post with visiting goalkeeper Tim Roberts scrambling across his goal, before Erith Town took the lead just four minutes later from their first shot on goal.

Fisher captaining right-back, Kris Hollidge, failed to get any distance on a penalty box clearance and the ball looped up rather than out.

With his back to goal, Marsh sent an over-head kick from 22-yards towards goal, and the ball looped high above the stranded keeper’s head and then dropped into the far corner of the net.

Fisher’s first shot on target arrived when Louis Sprossen centred low from the left and the ball bounced behind Coleman, but the striker still managed to get a shot away, but this was too comfortable for Roberts in the Dockers’ goal.

Roberts turned aside a hopeful long-range shot from Hollidge as the ball appeared destined to loop in at the far post, before an impressive move almost gave Erith a deserved two-goal lead.

Central midfielder Ted Hart exchanged a one-two with Marsh and was played in behind the Fisher defence down the inside right-channel and his cross found it’s way to Smith on the edge of the penalty box and his low strike brought a smart low save from Adam Lisney to prevent the ball fining the corner.

Fisher squandered their best chance of the half when a ball over the top of the Erith defence was pounced on by Coleman but with only the keeper to beat his poor right-footed chip was comfortably gathered by Roberts above his head.

The second half, however, was poor football on a difficult pitch, but Erith should have wrapped up the game early on in the half when Smith’s pass wasn’t cut out by Fisher defender Lloyd Boateng and Marsh’s low shot was comfortably saved by Lisney.

Other than Bryan Glover’s chip (which was caught by Roberts) from an acute angle, Fisher didn’t look like scoring.

Their manager threw on Anthony Glover and all of his looping throws into the Erith penalty area were comfortably dealt with by a solid looking visiting defence.

But Fisher fans should NEVER leave their games early as Lisney threw bodies forward late on and his gung-ho style was rewarded at the death.

The Erith Town manager shouted “Don’t panic out there! Just defend it properly!” before Sprossen floated in a corner from the right.

But his side switched off when it mattered most. Coleman wasn’t picked up and the striker’s header sailed into the far corner of the net, left unguarded by Erith substitute Vincenzo Wade and as a result stretched Fisher’s unbeaten run to five competitive games.

“In all honesty, I don’t think we played particularly well tonight,” admitted the Fisher boss.

“We played pretty well for the last three or four games and tonight was probably the worst out of the last five but we kept going, never say did and we nicked the result.

“You could easily end up losing that 2-0 throwing people forward but I’d rather do that then not give it a go.”

Erith Town boss, Steve O’Boyle, meanwhile, admitted he was “gutted” as Coleman denied his side sixth-place in the table.

“Second half they pinned us in a little bit, played three up top and they were putting a little bit of pressure on. We should’ve defended it a little bit better,” bemoaned O’Boyle, when speaking to www.kentishfootball.co.uk.

“A free header, the man on the post has come off the post. We do try and do things properly and we have two on the post and he’s actually come off the post and it’s gone where he should’ve been.

“Vincenzo Wade should’ve been on the post but he’s actually pulled off so it’s a bad error from us.”

Reflecting on the game, O’Boyle added, “I thought we played well first half-an-hour. We moved it about, caused them some problems and the last fifteen minutes of the first half they came into it a little bit.

“I will say the pitch out there, it looked flat but it was very bobbly and there weren’t much football played in the second half. It was hard to get it down but I thought we could’ve kept it a little bit better than what we did.”

O’Boyle is pleased that he has managed to persuade Smith to drop back down a league.

“He’s a player I’ve rated for a long time,” he said. “Very, very good player, scored goals at Kent League level. I wanted to sign him in the summer. He made his debut tonight, he’s a player I’ve liked a long time and he’s a player I’m looking to bring in for next season. He’s a good player, so I’m happy about that.”

Fisher: Adam Lisney, Kris Hollidge (Declan Thompson 67), Mark Lewis, Jimmy Beauchamp, Lloyd Boateng, Bryan Glover, Louis Sprossen, Jamie Lawrence, Cedric Abraham (George Savage 90), Luke Coleman, Raphael Akala (Anthony Glover 62).
Subs: Luiz Rosen, Danny Baldwinson.

Goal: Luke Coleman 90

Erith Town: Tim Roberts, Aran Heyrettin, Lawrence Collins, Ted Hart, Dean Kearley, Lee Craig, Darren Nash, Lee Morgan (Vincenzo Wade 67), Peter Smith, Adam Marsh, Kevin George.
Subs: Harry Montgomery, Salih Hafiz, James Taylor, Lewis Ambrose.

Goal: Adam Marsh 16

Booked: Lee Morgan 53

Attendance: 73
Referee: Mr Rob Baker (Maidstone)
Assistants: Mr Anwar Aumjaud (Lewisham, London SE6) & Mr Issac Aumjaud (Lewisham, London SE6)