Fisher crashed out of the FA Cup at the first stage after a crazy opening half hour left them with little chance of getting past Redhill of the Combined Counties League, despite a spirited showing in the last hour of the game.
With manager Ajay Ashanike absent on a family holiday, Fisher gave a debut to Courtney Barrington and Dan Flemming came into the back line, returning for another spell at the club.
Sam Nwabuko was between the sticks after Sam Amedu was forced out with a ruptured tendon in a finger. On the bench Jake Lovell and Ayuub Ali came in set for their debuts when introduced.
Any pre match plans were thrown into disarray within two minutes of the start of the game as a half cleared header led to a clumsy tackle five yards outside the Fisher box and Ethan Ford stepped up and placed the ball effortlessly into the top corner, leaving Nwabuko stranded.
A bad start became worse two minutes later, as Tyron Mbuenimo slid in on a Redhill forward and despite making contact with the ball eventually, had clearly taken the forward’s foot as well and the referee had no hesitation in pointing to the spot. A poorly taken kick by Gavun Quintyne looked set to be save by Nwabuko, but somehow the ball slipped through his grasp having dived correctly to his right and squirmed into the bottom corner.
Two down inside five minutes gave Fisher a major mountain to climb to get back into the game, but before they could work out a plan of attack Redhill were gifted a third. Nwabuko came for a high ball into the box, but his punch lacked distance and landed at the feet of a Redhill forward who drove the ball goalward where despite Billy Brown miraculously clearing off the line Fisher had the misfortune to see the clearance ricochet off Mayvin Vigneswaran and back into the net.
A crazy opening ten minutes almost saw Fisher pull a goal back when Mbuenimo’s driving run and shot was clawed away from the top corner by the Redhill keeper and Thomas Ngegba pounced to convert the rebound but alas from an offside position.
Fisher’s day continued to implode, as just before the midpoint of the first half three became four when some hesitant defending from a long throw into the box allowed Eoin Fraser space at the back of the box to fire low across the goal and in off the post and then on twenty four minutes and dumbstruck St Paul’s crowd watched in horror as a low ball fizzed across the box deflected of the unfortunate Vigneswaran into the goal, for a fifth for the visitors.
Five down in under half an hour was the equivalent of an Olympic gymnast continuing their routine after a couple of falls off the high bars, but to their credit Fisher did somehow regroup and start to try and make a fist of the game.
Teddy Jones pulled the first goal back just before the half hour mark after excellent work down the left by Courtney Barrington whose dinked cross saw Jones bundle the ball over the line from close range. Shortly before half time Fisher had a second, this time it was a good run from Nathan Tshola down the left and his pull back again found Jones who slotted home with more ease than his first.
There were not many in the crowd of 217 who could recall a 2-5 half time score before, but Fisher’s two replies had at least given hope for a contest in the second half and the side came out knowing an early goal could start the most improbable of comebacks.
Within a minute they almost had it, as Teddy Jones found space on the right and his powerful drive crashed against the crossbar but alas away to safety.
Throwing caution to the wind Fisher laid siege to the Redhill goal looking for a way back. Diego Makesa saw a blistering effort blocked by the keeper and Jones and Ngegba were just denied as the looked to burst into the box. With Barrington a constant threat a third for Fisher seemed to be coming but Tshola saw his effort just fly wide with the keeper beaten and Jones was denied a hat trick when his shot past just wide of the post.
At the other end Fisher were leaving gaps as they pressed forward and Nwabuko saved well to deny Redhill a sixth. Fisher continued to press but the humid heat was taking its toll and the game lacked fluency in the final quarter despite Redhill going down to ten after clumsy challenge on Mbuenimo saw them receive a red card.
With Redhill’s keeper claiming all thrown into his box well there was no route back for Fisher and despite a massively improved second half the damage had well and truly been done in the first spell and it was Redhill who advanced to play East Grinstead Town in the next round.
