There was a Third Round London Senior Cup shock when Fisher defeated Wingate and Finchley.

Looking from the outside, it may have looked as if Isthmian Premier Wingate had played a second string team against their Southern Counties East Football League opponents, but that was far from the truth. In fact, it was the hosts who were weakened when both full backs had to depart with injuries, one at half time and the other with twelve minutes left, and both had to be replaced by attacking wide players.

Joshua Gibbons fired high and wide for the visitors early on before the Fish’s Michael Sarpong twice drew saves out of Fergal Hale-Brown.

Then, in the seventeenth minute, the hosts went ahead. Tom Jones took aim unleashed a brilliant shot from the right corner of the penalty that flew into the top corner.

Ayyuba Jambang arrived late for Wingate and his close range header was turned over the bar acrobatically by Isaac Ogunseri before the hosts doubled their lead. Jones delivered a low corner from the right and Donald Macauley turned it home from close range.

Romeo Akinola hit a free kick wide of Ogunseri’s near post then Camilo Restrepo worked his way in and drew a good save out of the Fisher goalkeeper. The visitors continued to push and Jambang opened his body but shot too centrally and Ogunseri saved comfortably. 

Casey Shann received a short corner from Sam Cornish and he picked out Akinola whose header was tipped over by Ogunseri then Wingate missed a great chance to pull one back with the last kick of the first half. Cornish sent over a corner that William Cracknell headed back across goal and Charlie Stallard volleyed over from fifteen yards.

Jack Gibbons, Fisher’s captain, was unable to continue and was replaced by Omari Williams however, they still created the first chance of the second period when Esteban Salgado, at full stretch, was unable to turn Sarpong’s cross home at the far post.

Not to be outdone, the North West London club aped their hosts by taking off their Gibbons with Gianluca Botti taking his place.

Again Jones was in the thick of the action when winning a tackle and letting fly with a twenty yard effort that flew just over with Hale-Brown struggling, then the visitors twice came close. Stallard had a header blocked off the line, then Restrepo side-footed over from the edge of the area when he will probably feel that he should have hit the target.

Lorenzo Duncan fired over for the hosts then Ogunseri did well to hold onto a fierce driven cross by Rhamar Garrett-Douglas. 

Just over twenty minutes remained when Wingate pulled one back. Garrett-Douglas again drilled low across the face of goal and Botti turned it home at the far post.

Surprisingly, the expected onslaught did not materialise. In fact Fisher went close when Salgado’s shot was palmed out by Hale-Brown behind Chris Ojemen and he went for an overhead effort that flew just wide.

As the game moved into the latter stages, it became more stretched and Botti had a shot blocked by Ogunseri at the near post before Salgado fired just beyond the far upright at the other end.

Once more, Ogunseri did well to hold on to a fierce effort by Restrepo. Wingate substitute Ben Watt was then shown yellow cards twice in three minutes of stoppage time, and was dismissed having only been introduced twelve minutes earlier.

In the final minute of stoppage time, Fisher made the most of their numerical advantage with a three on one counter-attack. Jones led the break and drew the last defender towards him before switching it to Sha’mar Lawson. He surged forward and gave Hale-Brown no chance with a clinical finish.

Almost immediately after the restart, referee Emre Arslan brought proceedings to a close and Fisher now await the Quarter Finals draw brimming with confidence.

Fisher: Ogunseri, Gibbons (Williams 46), Kingson, Macaulay, Duncan (Mata 78); Crespo; Ojemen (Katonia 79), Jones, Sarpong (Lawson 62), Salgado; Kamara (Garcia 74).

Subs not used: None.

Goalscorers: Jones (17), Macauley (30), Lawson (90+6)

Yellow cards: Williams (86 foul), Lawson (90+2 delay of restart)

Wingate and Finchley: Hale-Brown; Horsley-McKay; Cracknell, Stallard; Garrett-Douglas, Cornish (Lowe 66), Akinola, Shann (Allsopp 66), Camilo; Gibbons (Botti 52), Jambang (Watt 78).

Subs not used: Fernandez.

Goalscorer: Botti (69)

Yellow card: Watt (90+1 foul)

Second yellow card: Watt (90+3 foul)

Referee: Emre Arslan

Assistants: Alex Mathieson and Amar Badrashi Loddo

Attendance: 201