Fisher 1-2 Canterbury City - We've made history for the club, says proud boss Simon Austin

FISHER  1-2  CANTERBURY CITY
The FA Carlsberg Vase Second Qualifying Round
Saturday 15^th September 2012
Stephen McCartney reports from Champion Hill Stadium

CANTERBURY CITY player-manager Simon Austin praised Kane Rice for scoring a last-gasp 50-yard strike – which brought back memories of THAT David Beckham strike for Manchester United gainst Wimbledon which sailed over goalkeeper Neil Sullivan at Selhurst Park back in 1996.

With this FA Carlsberg Vase Second Qualifying Round tie locked at 1-1 with the game entering stoppage time, 23-year-old Rice looked up and noticed that Fisher keeper Danny Firkins was standing on the edge of his penalty area and sent a right-footed lob from 50-yards sailing over the embarrassed keeper’s head to drop into an empty net to send Canterbury City in the First Round and stun Fisher’s lowest crowd of the season.

Canterbury City had taken a 34^th minute lead courtesy of central midfielder Alex Nelson’s right-footed screamer from 20-yards which flew into the top right-hand corner, before Fisher debutant Huseyin Budak headed home an equaliser from a corner inside seven second half minutes to bring the home side back into the game.

But Rice ensured that the game avoided extra-time when he scored the goal of the season from just inside the Fisher half to book a trip to Frimley Green in the First Round on 13 October.

Austin, who made an eight-minute cameo appearance at the end of the game, hailed his match-winning skipper by saying, “Kane’s got that in his locker!  All day long we know that’s what he can do.  When I played with him at Maidstone when he was younger he tried that every time he got the ball. 

“We’ve got him down here. We know he’s got ability, we know he can do that and we’ve tried to rein him in and not get him to do those worldy balls every time.

“He’s got a great strike on him and he’s the natural talent is there and he’s produced an absolute wonder goal to win us the game and to be fair Alex (Nelson’s) goal wasn’t bad either!”

Gobsmacked Fisher boss Steve Firkins added: “He’s seen his chance and he’s taken it!  The bad part is it’s the second time I’ve been done in a Cup tie lie that.  The fella at Corinthian done it last year with Joe Hagan in goal and then today, but it’s one of those things.

“When things are going against you, you’re not having the rub of the green.  They either go over the wall or go in row Z or whatever but he’s found the net so fair play to the fella – it’s a good strike!”

At least Fisher lost to a couple of quality strikes and Firkins acknowledged that fact by adding, “Both of their goals, if you look at them, the first strike he couldn’t get it more perfect I suppose.”

It was hard on a Fisher side who played some decent football and seventeen-year-old Academy product, diminutive right-winger Jordan Green seems to be a find as he terrorised Canterbury left-back Chris Elliott throughout.

Boss Steve Firkins’ luck seems to be out at present as today’s heartbreaking defeat means his side have won only one of their first ten games this season.

He said: “I thought we deserved at least a draw. Hopefully the crowd appreciated that but we’ve got to try and take the positives out of the game and move on.”

The Fisher boss, who made eight changes to the side that suffered a 5-2 home defeat to Lordswood seven days ago, had to reshuffle his pack after right-back Adam Wadmore, who was listed as number 2 on the official team sheet, had to be withdrawn before the game through a knock he sustained Cray Valley, so in came Femi Olugbemi from the substitutes bench.

But one plus point was the return of highly-rated central defender Ben Frempah, 17, who returned to put in another assured performance at the back for Fisher and continues his trial at Championship outfit Charlton Athletic next Tuesday.

Frempah, who was picked up from Welling United’s Academy, is too good for Kent League football.

Firkins said: “He was on trial this week and I was a bit concerned whether he’ll be playing today because they had a game today but they apparently didn’t invite him in but they’ve invited him back next week, Tuesday I think.

“For selfish reasons I hope he don’t (leave) but if he does good luck to the lad.”

Worst was to follow for Fisher as former Corinthian left-back, Joe Penny, was substituted after only sixteen minutes into his debut due to a twisted ankle.

Canterbury City, who lost striker Michael Smissen after he accepted an approach from Ryman League Division One South basement side Whitstable Town in the week, lost Ryan Andrews early in the second half through an ankle injury, handed former Hythe Town defender, Tom Parkinson, 21, his debut after he came on for the hobbling right-back.

Austin said: “Buster’s left us. He’s decided to go to Whitstable.  Whitstable put in a seven-day approach. Buster wanted to talk to them, which he did and left the club. He’s accepted their offer so Buster has now left the club.  I wish Buster all the best. There’s no hard feelings. I think he had an offer which he couldn’t refuse and they’re in a higher league and he wanted to play in.

“Buster is a loss. You look at his goalscoring record over the last few seasons he gets us goals. He missed pre-season so it was always going to take him a little bit of time to get back up to full speed.

“But we brought in Tom Parkinson. We needed to strengthen defensively.  Yes, Buster is a loss but I would put a spin on it that I’ve improved the team with Tom coming in.  Tom done very well. I know what Tom’s about, that’s why I’ve signed him.  He’s level headed, calm and he’s a calming influence at the back but he also wins his headers and that’s exactly what he did.  He fitted in straight away.”

Fisher started well and they were to rue missing some decent chances during their best spell of the game inside the opening 20 minutes at a sun-kissed Champion Hill.

They ditched their trademark carpet football inside the opening six minutes when they went route one.

Firkins launched a big right-footed clearance straight down the middle of the pitch and debutant Badar Mohamed flicked the ball on to release striker Marvin Alebiosu through on goal but his right-footed chip sailed just over the crossbar.

A decent chance missed and Firkins knew it! “What can you say?  You can’t berate the lad can you?  It’s only his second start for us but when you’re in a bit of a slump like what we are at the moment things seem to be going against you. When you’re riding high maybe it goes in.  At the moment we don’t seem to be getting that rub of the green or things going for you but we have to keep battling.”

Holding midfielder Sean Brown then curled a right-footed free-kick just over the crossbar from 25-yards before Fisher lost Penny to injury.

Canterbury City defender Steven Baines allowed the ball to skim off his head and Alebiosu played a fantastic diagonal pass to let Green show his talents but after putting Elliot under his spell, his right-footed angled drive was straight at Kieron Mann at his near post.

Alebiosu then rode Richard Atkins’ challenge before playing another diagonal to Green, who cut inside and flashed a low right-footed drive just wide of the far post.

But Fisher’s best chance came in the 23^rd minute and Canterbury City thanked their former Hythe Town keeper for making a match defining save.

Nippy winger Green – who despite his tiny size has a good future in the game – stole the ball off Rice and threaded a pass through to put Alebiosu through on goal but Mann dived low to his left and got a strong left hand to the stroked right-footed shot, which was destined to nestle inside the bottom far corner of the Canterbury net.

Austin said: “Kieron made a great save. He made a couple great saves throughout the game and the boys have thanked him in the changing room because he’s kept us in it in the first half especially. 

“Fisher were fairly lively up front, down the wings attacking. They kept the ball well in midfield.  The 19 (Sean Brown) sat in there, ticking things over, kept the ball going and I was quite impressed with Fisher.”

Firkins said: “I couldn’t really see it.  I thought it had gone in but fair play, the keeper’s made a good save.”

That’s where strikers earn their money, but as Fisher do not pay their players, that policy came back to haunt them as by the time Canterbury City created their first chance on the half-hour mark, the home side really should have been in front.

Olugbemi was penalised for handball and Rice swung in a teasing right-footed curler with pace on the ball from 30-yards and Firkins managed to tip the ball over his crossbar at the last moment.

Canterbury City almost punished Fisher on the break when Alex Waugh released winger Nick Hegley down the left and his low centre found Waugh eight-yards from goal and the leading striker turned his marker but steered his low shot just past the right-hand post.

But Canterbury City opened their lead with a stunning 34^th minute goal from Nelson, scoring his second goal of the season.

Andrews played the ball in from the right and Waugh outmuscled Charlie Helps away and played the ball inside to Nelson, who cracked a stunning left-footed volley from 20-yards, which screamed past Firkins and crashed into the top right-hand corner.

Austin said: “We’re always on at Alex Waugh to use his strength.  He’s a strong lad.   He has to use his strength to hold defenders as much as possible, which is exactly what he did there and also Alex (Nelson) has got a great engine to break and get forward to join in with the attack once we get good possession. I don’t want him just running for the sake of it!  Once he sees we’ve got good possession to and join in and that’s exactly what he did and he’s produced a great volley into the top corner.”

Firkins added: “It was a good goal.  I thought he done well. He (Waugh) held our centre half (Helps), he couldn’t move.  He had hold off his shirt which restricted him from getting in front but he’s held it up, laid it off to the fella and he’s hit a screamer!”

Canterbury City forced themselves a corner and Jake Gess went over to take the flag-kick quickly and cut the ball back to set-piece taker Rice, who had time and space to drill a low right-footed drive from outside of the box, which Firkins did well to stoop down at his near post to make a fine block.

Canterbury City had the last chance of the first half when Waugh had two bites of the cherry to score following Ryan Moreby’s cross from the right, but his right-footed shot on the turn was easily gathered by the Fisher keeper.

Firkins reflected on a good first half performance from the men in black and white striped shirts.

He said: “I just thought we were playing well.   I thought we was knocking the ball about as well as we could and got into good areas.  We probably had the better chances of the first half I would have thought. We were a little bit unfortunate with the goal.  We just got caught.”

Reflecting on his side’s opening half, Austin said: “The goal settled us down. Every game is 100mph for the first 15-20 minutes. The boys know that we’ve got the ability, we can pass the ball. We needed to settle down. Sometimes there’s certain key points in games that enable us to do that and that was one.”

Fisher striker Alebiosu really should have equalised inside the opening two minutes of the second half when he was put through on goal again but he smashed his right-footed drive from sixteen-yards past the right-hand post.

The Fisher number 10 had a more difficult chance after Aromona clipped his cross into the penalty area from the left but Alebiosu’s ambitious over-head kick sailed wide from eight-yards.

But Fisher clawed themselves back into the game when Budak, who otherwise had a quiet game, scored on his debut.

Substitute, winger Damien Ramsamy, swung in a corner from the left towards the near post and the former Erith & Belvedere midfielder stooped to power his header across goal and into the far corner of the net, despite Elliott’s attempts to hack the ball clear beside the post.

Firkins admitted: “I can’t say we’ve been working on it because we haven’t been together long enough!  We just asked them to get into good areas and attack the ball and that’s what he’s done.  That’s what Huseyin does.  He’s played against us several times and he is good in the air and we just asked them to get a decent bit of movement and try and move about and get yourself a bit of space and he done that and he got us back into the game.”

Austin added: “Whoever’s man it was has held his hand up and admitted he just got away from him for two yards. He got a good header on target and it’s gone in unfortunately.”

Canterbury forced themselves a free-kick when Hegley was brought down on the very edge of the box by Olugbemi and Rice curled the resulting 19-yard free-kick over the top of the far post.

Canterbury City gave Budak time and space to crack a right-footed drive from 35-yards, which moved in the air, but Mann kept his eyes on the ball and ensured the dipping shot didn’t beat him, gathering the ball at the second attempt.

Mann then made a comfortable save to deny Mohamed also scoring on his debut with a curling left-footed shot on the turn.

Nelson tried another speculative shot from an angled right-footed drive from 20-yards but Firkins wasn’t going to be beaten at his near post.

Seven-goal striker Waugh clipped an overhead kick wide of the post from fifteen-yards for Canterbury before Mann used his right-hand to palm over Green’s right-footed speculative drive after he was released by Mohamed’s pass.

Only Mann, Andrews and Elliott wore the correct shirt numbers that they were listed on the official Canterbury City team-sheet and Austin put on the number 24 shirt – then decided to wear the number 30 shirt before he came on for his late cameo.

The 31-year-old claimed he “changed the game,” after being given time and space to clip the ball across the face of the penalty area to pick out Gess at the far post who guided his header agonisingly against the crossbar from the tightest of angles after Alebiosu and Olugbemi were rushed back on after having treatment.

When asked whether he felt his side could win the game in normal time, Austin said: “You know what, I always believed.  The game was open and the players that we’ve got, I knew the chance would come. I don’t know why.  I just did think another chance would come.

“I didn’t think it would come in our own half (Kane’s strike was inside Fisher’s half of the field).  I generally did believe another chance would come.”

Firkins caught the ball high above his head after Rice’s driven cross was flicked towards goal by Waugh at the near post.

But with 27 seconds into stoppage time, Rice scored arguably one of the best goals scored by a Kent based semi-professional footballer.

A dejected keeper realised he had been beaten by a great goal, standing on the edge of the box, looking down at the ground with his hands on his knees.

Dad Steve Firkins added: “I hate losing. I will go home and just do my head in all week. We have to try and turn it around. We had a decent pre-season I can’t see why it’s all gone now.”

Firkins added: “Today’s disappointing after a decent performance to come away with nothing.  I don’t think we deserved that today.  They’re good at what they’ve done and that was it!  I think we played some decent football, created plenty of chances.  The thing is we’re not taking our chances at the moment.”

When reminded about THAT Beckham goal against Wimbledon, Austin quipped: “I think I’ve got to fine the boys if they describe it like that. Kane’s a level-headed guy. He’ll take that in his stride!”

Canterbury City’s only appearance in the First Round of this competition came back in 1999 when they lost 1-0 at home to Northwood – but this is their longest ever run in the FA Vase.

Austin said: “It’s an achievement. We’ve made history for the club. The first time new and old City have made it into this so congratulations for the lads.  Brilliant! Great for the club!

“We won 2-1. Did we deserve it? Don’t know!  The boys showed me something today that we are a new team I’ve not seen yet which is that ability when things aren’t going right and they’re not going to go right all the time.

“We can dig in and we can grind out results and we can do the dirty work and then we’ve got the ability in our team to go and get a goal.”

Canterbury City have now banked £1,200 from their FA Vase run to date, although club’s only receive it following their exit.

Austin said: “For a club like ours, or for any club at this level really, that money is so important. I know how important it is for the club although the club has not put pressure on me to get through the rounds just because it earns the money.” 

Fisher: Danny Firkins, Femi Olugbemi, Joe Penny (Damien Ramsamy 16, Zak Henry 75), Sean Brown, Ben Frempah, Charlie Helps, Jordan Green, Huseyin Budak, Badar Mohamed, Marvin Alebiosu, Ope Aromona.
Subs: Billy Hensman, Kennickson Jarrett-Elliott, Lee Wilson

Goal:  Huseyin Budak 53

Booked: Huseyin Budak 72

Canterbury City: Kieron Mann, Ryan Andrews (Tom Parkinson 53), Chris Elliott, Alex Nelson, Steven Baines, Richard Atkins, Kane Rice, Jake Gess, Alex Waugh, Ryan Moreby (Grant Bagley 61), Nick Hegley (Simon Austin 82).
Subs:  Chris Webber, Leigh Reilly

Goals: Alex Nelson 34, Kane Rice 90

Booked: Alex Nelson 39

Attendance: 85
Referee: Mr Peter Newman (Billericay, Essex)
Assistants: Mr Graham Balsom (South Ockenden, Essex) & Mr Paul Sturton (Billericay, Essex)