Despite being one man short for over an hour Fisher won at Erith and Belvedere in an entertaining Presence & Co. Southern Counties East Football League Premier Division encounter.
At two-one up, and playing against ten men, the Deres would have hoped to have gone on and win but the team from Rotherhithe battled hard and probably deserved their victory.
Courtney Barrington of Fisher was cautioned in just the second minute for a foul as Erith started brightly, but once they had settled the visitors started to create chances. Jack Gibbons headed over from a Tom Jones free kick then Barrington was unable to finish after good work by Rafael Garcia.
In the twenty-first minute, Fisher went ahead. Flávio Jumo’s flick volley came back out off the post and rebounded back into the net off Freddie Baker for an unfortunate own goal.
Two minutes later, the Deres levelled. Ladic Melconian’s free kick struck the defensive wall and Ryan Fowler struck it sweetly from twenty yards giving Fisher goalkeeper Tommy Taylor no chance.
Barrington then committed his second yellow card offence and could have no complaints about being sent off. However, the ten men visitors had the next shot on goal when Michael Sarpong hit a free kick straight into the midriff of Erith goalkeeper Charlie Cottrell.
Baker had a shot deflected wide for the Deres before they went ahead from the corner. Rob Strachan headed down Melconian’s delivery and Danny Lear fired home. According to Erith’s historian Brian Spurrell, that was the club’s one hundredth goal against Fisher.
Strachan was then in action at the other end when diverting a Jumo shot over the bar before the visitors levelled five minutes before half time. A brilliant threaded through ball by Gibbons sent Jumo through and he fired crisply inside the far post.
After Baker had a shot deflected inches wide, and he headed Bobby Dunn’s corner over, the first half came to a close.
Three minutes after the break, Fisher went back ahead. Garcia tricked his way down the left wing before playing it in to Jones. He moved it onto his left foot and placed his shot into the bottom corner.
Dunn had a free kick deflected wide before Fisher left back Conor Darwish made a brilliant goal-line clearance to deny his opposite number Matthias Broomes. Melconian headed wide for the hosts before one of their substitutes, Thomas Borders, got in behind but pulled his shot wide of the far post.
Festos Kamara came agonisingly close to opening his account for Fisher when sent through by David Mata and smashing his shot against the underside of the crossbar before Jones fired wide of the far post.
One last chance fell to the hosts when Lear created an opening for Borders but his first time shot flashed wide.
As a result of their win, Fisher moved up to sixth place, just behind the Deres, and five points behind league leaders Bearsted with two games in hand.
Erith and Belvedere: Cottrell, Davis-Whitlock (Morgan 79), Cray, Strachan, Broomes; Melconian; Baker, Fowler (Borders 63), Dunn (McClean 56), Day (Whitnell 56); Lear.
Unused sub: Alexander.
Goalscorers: Fowler (23), Lear (34)
Yellow card: Davis-Whitlock (30 foul)
Fisher: Taylor; Gibbons, Djadja, Lahan. Darwish; Sarpong (Sata 90+5); Garcia (Mata 56), Jumo, Barrington, Jones; Kamara (Duncan 89).
Unused subs: Yiadom-Kondau, Deh.
Goalscorers: Carter og (21) Jumo (40), Jones (48)
Yellow card: Barrington (2 foul), Gibbons (23 foul), Djadja (54 foul)
Red card: Barrington (26 2nd yellow card – foul)
Referee: Gavin Farrington
Assistants: Jack Matthews and Joseph Murray
Attendance: 240