Kentish Football 
Fisher 2-4 Cray Wanderers - It was a game too many for us, admits Fisher boss Steve Firkins
Sunday 24th July 2011
FISHER 2-4 CRAY WANDERERS
Pre-Season Friendly
Sunday 24th July 2011
Stephen McCartney reports from Champion Hill Stadium
CRAY WANDERERS boss Ian Jenkins says he was pleased with his side’s fitness after they maintained their 100% record following their third pre-season friendly at a warm and sunny Champion Hill.
Jenkins saw his side win 2-1 away to Kent League side VCD Athletic yesterday afternoon, and today they fought back from 2-0 down to score four goals in the final 27 minutes to end Fisher’s 100% record in pre-season after wins over Barkingside, Tonbridge Angels and East Grinstead yesterday.
Bermondsey born and bred, Michael Jones, 22, scored the goal of the season to give Fisher a 31st minute lead and striker Danny Hunt squandered two excellent chances to put the game beyond Cray’s reach, whilst goalkeeper Danny Firkins kept the visitors’ at bay at the other end.
Fisher doubled their lead seven minutes into the second half as Cray Wanderers goalkeeper Andy Walker got a final glancing touch to Jamie Turner’s in-swinging corner from the left.
Fisher’s first half team were much stronger than their second half replacements and Cray’s superior fitness – the Ryman Premier League side have been training four times a week – told as midfielder Chris Saunders scored two good goals in nine minutes, sandwiched by a Luke Coleman penalty, and Tommy Whitnell scored his third goal of pre-season late on.
Jenkins, 44, who goes away to Turkey for a two-week holiday tomorrow and will leave the team in the capable hands of Joe Francis and Tony Dolby, said afterwards, “Considering we played yesterday, I thought we looked quite fit to be honest with you. I put the same team out there today - we had a few missing – and we were quite sharp – good to come back from 2-0 down.
“I thought they (Fisher) were a good side all throughout to be honest with you. He’s got some really good players here. He’s got a big squad but if he can keep them all together, the way they play, I think they’ll do well in the Kent League.”
Fisher boss Steve Firkins took 45 minutes to emerge from the home dressing room, and said: “I thought for the first hour, I thought, we matched them and if you look at it the chances that we had in the first half, Danny Hunt has gone through twice, should’ve put at least one of them away. We should be comfortable but they’re a Ryman Premier League side and their quality showed in the second half. That’s something, hopefully, we’ve taken on board and learn from – you can’t step off tempo or pace against good, quality opposition.”
Firkins added: “Although we let ourselves down a little bit in the second half, to be fair to the lads that came on in the second half, most of them played 90 minutes yesterday against East Grinstead, especially young Ellis Wilson-Joseph – he was immense yesterday and I think he got a little bit tired out there.
“The same as young Jamie Taylor and Jamie Turner, who was actually due to start in the first half but twisted his ankle in the warm-up and we had to reconsider that. A few of the lads looked tired midway through that second half and that’s when Cray hit us.”
Trialist striker, James Humphries, 19, squandered a decent chance to give Cray Wanderers an early lead but he planted his header wide after right-back Grant Brown whipped in a cross towards the near post
Fisher’s trademark “carpet football” carved open the Cray defence, but Hunt squandered the sixteenth minute chance.
Mark Sisson released Hunt through on goal and had only the talkative Walker to beat but the former Faversham Town striker lost his composure and slid his right-footed shot agonisingly past the foot of the near post.
Cray Wanderers forced Fisher keeper Danny Firkins into making two smart saves after 25 minutes.
Frankie Warren fouled Humphries on the edge of the D and set-piece specialist Jack Clark stroked a low left-footed free-kick towards goal from 22-yards and Firkins dived to his right to push the ball away. Humphries then floated in a cross from the left and the unmarked Saunders was thwarted by a reflex save from the grounded keeper, who plucked the ball out of the air above his head on the goal line.
Jones, however, scored the best solo goal any Kent footballer is going to score this season, as he gave Fisher a 31st minute lead.
The left winger picked up the ball inside the Cray half and burst forward, cut inside and jinked past four Cray defenders and produced a finish of pure quality once inside the box – a right-footed chip which left Walker rooted to the spot as the ball bounced into the bottom left-hand corner.
Firkins said: “We’ve had a little of a head-to-head about where his best position is and I think he’s a much better player coming in of the left – I that (goal) proves that.”
“He’s such a powerful lad, he’s got a lot of energy, he’s strong as an ox and he’s got a lot of ability. I think coming in like he did from the wing coming through he’s the sort of player defender’s don’t want him running at them and I think he showed that today. He’s beat a quality back line there and scored a quality goal.”
Jenkins added: “It was a great finish by the fella, but it was from our own making that got him in. Aaron went to ground to tackle, Steve (Lozano) dived in and the geeza has gone through the middle of us and it shouldn’t have happened, should it?”
Hunt stole the ball from Day and burst into the penalty area and cut the ball back from the right hand side but Jones blasted his left-footed shot over the bar.
Stunned Walker shouted out “liven up” to his team-mates after that gilt-edged miss - and left-back Steve Lozano found space before unleashing a left-footed drive from 35-yards, which forced Firkins into making a fine diving save to his right.
Hunt was guilty of another miss when he latched onto Sisson’s delightful through ball, which cut open Day and Lazano, but Hunt’s attempted right-footed chip sailed embarrassingly over the top of the far post when he only had Walker to beat.
Fisher keeper Firkins smothered a Jack Clark shot after the Cray midfielder cut in from the left flank and Cray couldn’t force the ball over the line in a goal-mouth scramble.
Jenkins and coach Paul Blade sat in the dug-out for a couple of minutes after the half-time whistle to contemplate what went on before them during the first half.
Fisher boss Firkins replaced ten of his outfield players at the interval – goalkeeper Danny Firkins was the only player to get through 90 minutes – whilst Jenkins brought on former Fisher striker Coleman at the interval – and later on brought on Tony Dolby, his nephew Harry (at right-back) and Chris Barnett on the right wing.
Import, central midfielder, Enoch Akosah drilled a left-footed drive wide of the near post for the visitors’ before Fisher were gifted a second in the 52nd minute.
Walker had denied Ellis Wilson-Joseph after Richie Monan cut the ball back from the right by-line and from the resulting left-wing corner, Jones swung the ball in and the ball glanced off Walker’s gloves at the near post and the ball sailed over him and into the far corner.
Jenkins said: “He’s gutted Walks. He said to me out there ‘he don’t like letting goals in at the best of times when there down to him, but we can rib him about it now. We’ve won the game. We can get a bit of ribbing in. He’ll take it on the chin. He’ll be alright.”
Despite his blunder, Jenkins praised the highly-rated former Bromley and Maidstone United goalkeeper.
He said: “He doesn’t stop talking, Walks. It’s important. At the end of the day he’s a goalkeeper but the talking he gives you, fantastic. The information (he gives out to team-mates is) brilliant. A lot of keepers don’t do that. If you’ve got that in your locker, it makes it much easier for everyone else.”
Walker made amends when he made a comfortable routine save from Jamie Turner’s low angled drive after he cut in from the left after exchanging passes from left-back, Kenny Jarrett-Elliott.
But Cray pulled a goal back in the 63rd minute, through Saunders’ first fine strike.
Substitute Dolby slipped a short free-kick through to Clark, who cut the ball back to Saunders, who rifled a left-footed shot through a crowd of players into the roof of the net.
Fisher’s play after this became disjointed, Cray Wanderers on the other hand grew in strength, which will bode well for their forthcoming Ryman Premier League campaign.
Cray took only four minutes to equalise after Grant Brown was brought down by Monan on the right hand side of the penalty area
Dolby was in conversation with Coleman before the penalty – the substitute striker kept his nerve and sent Firkins the wrong way as he slotted his right-footed penalty comfortably into the net.
There was only going to be one winner from this moment and Cray Wanderers took the lead for the first time in the match in the 72nd minute.
Whitnell showed his all-round game when he cut the ball back from the left by-line for Saunders, who cracked a stunning right-footed shot into the top right-hand corner from inside the box.
The Cray boss wants Saunders to continue his goalscoring form for the whole season.
He said: “We said to him when we signed him he needs to get more goals. He answered that today so hopefully he takes that into the season. Obviously (striker) Tommy (Whitnell) will score. When forwards are scoring in games it’s good.”
Cray wrapped up their victory in the final five minutes. Coleman’s driven shot clipped off the near post and flashed across the face of goal and Whitnell tapped the ball over the line for his third goal of pre-season.
Saunders wasted his hat-trick chance when he skied a right-footed half-volley after Firkins punched Clark’s free-kick away.
Jenkins, who was without Leigh Bremner, Sam Long, Allan McLeod, Mark Willy, Tyrone Sterling, Ebenesa Masade, Alex Bentley and Callum O’Shea (he has signed all but O’Shea at present), spoke about the trailists on show today.
Central defender, Danny Young, 23, put pen to paper straight after the final whistle.
“We’ve signed Youngie in the dug-out there. When I dragged him off, I’ve signed him there so that’s all done and dusted,” revealed Jenkins.
“He’s a good centre half and will partner Wills (Mark Willy) this year if he’s fit because we’ve lost Guesty (John Guest) as he’s retired from football at the minute because of his work. He (Young) was at Margate.”
Jenkins went on: “Grant Brown, he was two years at Motherwell, he played there last year for the first ten games in the reserves. We’re just having a look at him at the minute. Hopefully he can get involved. He was training at Welling pre-season and he’s come down to us. Hopefully we can get him (signed).
“Enock Akosah – just signed him. He’s a good lad. I love the way he plays, get the ball into him, he just keeps it simple. He was at Leyton last year and trained at Welling this year and he’s come down to us and wants to play.
“Jamie Humphries – we’ll be signing him. I like him. He’s just come down pre-season as a trailist and he’s impressed me. He’s got big, big, big heart for a little lad and he can finish. He’s played three games and has yet to score but he’s a good lad. He’s 19, hasn’t played for anyone. He was with our reserves a few years’ ago and went off the rails a little bit but he’s come back and put his head back into it now.
“Harry Dolby – he’s a nephew of Tony, who has come down for pre-season. He’s one for the future. I don’t know what he’s going to do but he’s got a good future.
“Chris Barnett is another trailist. He’s done alright and he’s come down to do a pre-season and that’s it.”
Jenkins will discuss Coleman’s future when the long-serving manager returns from his holiday.
“We’ll be signing Luke. He’s had a good pre-season with us so I’ve got to have another look at him and go from there. I won’t be signing him today but I’ll get him signed on when I come back from holiday.”
After two goals from Steve O’Donnell sealed a 2-0 win for Fisher at East Grinstead yesterday, Firkins admitted his second half team struggled.
“Maybe two games back-to-back was a bit too much,” admitted Firkins. “Yesterday’s game at East Grinstead was a tough, old game for us, although we ran out comfortable in the end. I think we tired up a little bit (today). One game too many, probably came a day too soon.
“All credit to Jenko there, he’s brought a full squad down. He said he would and he did. As I say that was a good test for us and for the first hour we matched them. I’m not going to say we were better than them, but we matched them. Cray are two divisions above us.”
Fisher: Danny Firkins, Micah Banton (Adam Wadmore 46), Danny Tipple (Kenny Jarrett-Elliott 46), Frankie Warren (Ellis Wilson-Joseph 46), Kobi DeGraft-Johnson (Charlie Helps 46), Billy Walton (Bobby Hanley 46), Chris Hubbard (Richie Monan 46, Chan Quan 83), Isa Bangura (Jamie Turner 46), Mark Sisson (Peter Afolayan 46), Danny Hunt (Nathaniel Bell 46), Michael Jones (Jamie Taylor 46).
Goals: Michael Jones 31, Andy Walker 52 (own goal)
Cray Wanderers: Andy Walker, Steve Lozano, Grant Brown, Chris Saunders, Danny Young (Tony Dolby 57), Aaron Day, Danny Phillips (Harry Dolby 67), Enoch Akosah (Chris Barnett 67), Tommy Whitnell, Jamie Humphries (Luke Coleman 46), Jack Clark.
Sub: Ian Jenkins
Goals: Chris Saunders 63, 72, Luke Coleman 67 (pen), Tommy Whitnell 85
Booked: Danny Phillips 33
Attendance: 107
Referee: Mr Ben Wright (Walworth, London SE17)
Assistants: Mr Alasdair King (Deptford, London SE8) & Mr Jamie Broughton (Deptford, London SE8)
Red Dragon I.T. Ltd