London Lions 1-2 Fisher - I thought it was a good test, says Fisher boss Steve Firkins

LONDON LIONS  1-2  FISHER
Pre-Season Friendly
Saturday 30^th June 2012
Stephen McCartney reports from Rowley Lane

FISHER manager Steve Firkins says London Lions gave his side a good work-out after  they opened their pre-season campaign with a morale-boosting victory.

The Kent League side opened the scoring inside the opening eleven minutes through impressive attacking midfielder, trialist Oloye Oyettunji, before Adam Wadmore converted from the penalty spot just before half-time.

But with only three training sessions behind them, the Barnet based outfit pulled a goal back early in the second half, courtesy of a clinical strike from impressive substitute Tony Junior Keterman.

“It was an interesting thing for me to see some of the lads, that what I’d say are fringe trialists, but I can have a look and see what they can give me,” said Firkins, 55, afterwards.

“I thought it was a good test. I thought they were not a bad side to be honest.”

London Lions, who finished last season in seventh-place in the Spartan South Midlands League Division One, which in this part of the world would be the Kent Invicta League, created the first chance of the game when striker Darren Bern picked the ball up before running on to sweep an angled left-footed drive, which was pushed around the near post by returning Fisher keeper Dan Firkins.

Fisher issued the hosts a warning when lone target-man Chris Bernard received a poor pass out of the home side’s defence from Guy Morris and with his second touch sent a right-footed chip from 25-yards sailing over stranded keeper Dan Lee’s head, but the ball crashed back down off the underside of the crossbar and towards safety.

Fisher, who were playing some lovely passing football on the home club’s pristine training pitch, opened the scoring through Oyettunji’s quality strike.

The trialist cut inside Ben Lampert and stroked a left-footed shot across keeper Lee and the ball nestled inside the bottom far corner.

Firkins heaped plenty of praise on the number 19 today.

He said: “Young Tunji, who has just been in the country for a few months and he’s had all sorts of problems the poor lad.  He obviously looks a decent footballer.”

When asked about his background, Firkins replied, “As far as I know he’s come from Spain.  He just emailed (the club asking for a trial).  I’m taking a chance to see what these lads’ are like.   You can normally tell in a couple of training sessions whether they’re decent players or not.  He looked like he had a good touch and quite skilful and I thought he scored an excellent goal so I think he’s one to watch.”

The goalscorer almost doubled his tally for the afternoon within three minutes but he dragged a left-footed shot just past the far post.

London Lions started to get back into the game after the half-an-hour mark and Firkins made comfortable saves from Sam Sloma and Ben Ellis.

Fisher doubled their lead two minutes before the break when Aron Barnes slid in and brought down Ope Aromona inside the penalty area.

And with England suffering a heartbreaking exit at Euro 2012 to Italy 4-2 on penalties just six days earlier when Ashley Young and Ashley Cole both continued England’s penalty spot curse, Wadmore showed the way when he despatched a right-footed penalty high above the diving Lee to find the left corner.

Firkins added: “Perhaps he ought to be playing for England!  It was a good penalty and that’s an area we suffered with last year funnily enough.   He’s big enough to go up there and take them at the moment so I’ll let him crack on until he misses one!”

Reflecting on his first half’s good performance, Firkins said: “I thought it was a good first half, an entertaining first half.  We played some decent stuff, kept the ball well.  I was happy with the shape.

“I made a couple of changes after about 25-30 minutes and once we started chopping and changing around a little bit it stifled the game a little bit and it all got a bit frenetic and people didn’t know what to do.

“But again it showed me that there were a couple of boys out there who were certainly not fit enough at the moment and they openly held their hands up to me in the changing room – so it was a good work out for them.

“I think the lads who have been training for the last few weeks, it was something that they needed as well.   Going into next Friday’s game (against AFC Croydon Athletic) and then we’re playing Lewes on the Sunday, we needed a good run out like that.”

London Lions started the second half on the front foot and after Barnes played the ball inside, Daniel Stanton dragged his shot just past the far post.

But they pulled a goal back in the 48^th minute when Sloma was given time and space down the left channel to whip in a low cross which found the unmarked Keterman, who steered a clinical first time right-footed shot underneath Firkins’ body into the net.

Boss Firkins admitted that he doesn’t want old habits creeping into this new look team.

He said: “It seems a bit of a pattern with us, especially over the last season.  We’ll have a good first half and then second half we seem to, I don’t know, we sit back, sometimes let teams get involved more.

“I thought we defended reasonably well.  I’m disappointed with the goal we conceded.  Again, it seems to be something we’ve adapted through the course of last season.  That’s something we have got to work on.

“Half-time, you can come out there a little bit cold but it hasn’t affected the other team, so it’s something we have to get out of our system.”

Fisher’s best chance to increase their lead fell to Zak Henry, who was left lurking unmarked at the far post, after substitute David Akinmosa picked him out with a precise floated cross from the right channel, but Henry’s right-footed volley flashed across substitute goalkeeper Mario Cenolli and agonisingly past the foot of the far post.

After the hour the game turned into a typical pre-season friendly, with substitutions damaging the flow of the game.

But, also a fine performance from Fisher central defender Ben Frempah ensured that goalscoring chances were kept to a premium.

Firkins praised the number four by saying, “I was very pleased with young Ben Frempah.  He’s seventeen and I think he’s definitely one of the future. 

“I think he’s at Welling’s Academy as far as I’m aware. Obviously we have to look into his circumstances but he’s come in at pre-season and he’s done exceptionally well, so I’m pleased with him.”

Fisher substitute, Lee Wilson, who made a brief cameo at the end of the game due to a hamstring injury, had a goal ruled out for offside with his first touch of the ball in the 81^st minute, but keeper Firkins saved the best for last with a flying save to thwart Craig Ellis at the death.

Ellis cracked a right-footed drive from 30-yards which seemed destined to crash into the roof of the net, but the highly-rated 23-year-old keeper’s outstretched right hand ensured the former Greenwich Borough stopper tipped the ball over the crossbar

Boss Firkins said: “It was a very good save!  I won’t say too much, he’s too big headed otherwise!  People recognise Dan as a decent keeper.  I’m not saying he’s one of the best, but he’s a decent keeper in this League alongside Nick Blue (of Beckenham Town) and one or two others.

Explaining the goalkeeping situation at Champion Hill, boss Firkins added:  “Young Billy Hensman done really well last year.  It’s really hard to retain two keepers of that sort of quality, but Bill’s a good goalkeeper and he proved himself last year that he’s more than capable of stepping in when we need him.  I’m quite happy to go along with Billy as Dan’s number two and I think Bill’s quite happy to do that at the moment.”

With a sixteen-man squad taking to the field, on a sunny but blustery day, adjacent to the A1, Firkins was asked how many of this squad have signed for the club.

“I haven’t signed no-one.   I’ve not signed a single person, probably next week hopefully,” revealed Firkins.

“There’s nothing sinister in that. It’s just that a lot of the fellas have been away on holiday so I’d like to get them all together and do it all in one hit basically so hopefully we can possibly do that next Friday after the AFC Croydon Athletic game.”

That game will be the artist formerly known as Croydon Athletic’s first game back in football following their much-publicised troubles last season.  The Rams, who were thrown out of the Ryman League at the beginning of this year, have been placed in the Combined Counties League Division One.

The game will be played on the 3G pitch at Bacon’s College, which is situated close to Fisher Athletic’s former Salters Road ground in Rotherhithe and will kick-off at 8pm.

Fisher then travel to Enfield Town on Sunday, 8 July (1pm) to face Ryman Premier League side Lewes.

Firkins added: “It was a really good test for us today.  I wouldn’t have liked to play Lewes without having a game under our belt.”

London Lions: Dan Lee (Mario Cenolli 46), Michael Sacks, Ben Lampert (Jake Gottlieb 69), Craig Ellis, Adam Myeroff (Ricky Engleman 46, Guy Morris 85), Guy Morris (Adam Myreoff 79), Sam Sloma, Daniel Stanton, Ben Ellis (Tony Junior Keterman 46), Darren Bern (Ben Ellis 79), Aron Barnes.

Goal:  Tony Junior Keterman 48

Fisher: Dan Firkins, Femi Diran, Ben Frempah, Luqman Adesina (Sanito Sarcone 41, Luqman Adesina 76), Billy Walton, Richie Monan, Adam Wadmore (Blade Clazel 60), Zak Henry, Ope Aromona (Micah Banton 46), Chris Bernard (David Akinmosa 35, Chris Bernard 76), Oloye Oyettunji (Lee Wilson 81, David Akinmosa 89).

Goals: Oloye Oyettunji 11, Adam Wadmore 43 (pen)

Attendance: 75
Referee: Mr Jon Feenstra (Bushey Heath, Hertfordshire)