Playing each other for the second time in four days, Fisher host Punjab United, this time in a Southern Counties East Football League Premier Division encounter.

On Saturday they met at Punjab’s ground in Gravesend with a place in the FA Vase Quarter Finals at stake. Having worked tirelessly to make the pitch playable, the club were rewarded when Chipie Sian’s Punjab team won two-nil.

Jack Hopkins headed them ahead in the twenty-first minute, and Will Johnson-Cole also used his head to good effect four minutes later. They are the last SCEFL side standing as Whitstable Town were beaten by Cockfosters on penalties in their tie.

Both Punjab and Fisher harbour play-off hopes. Punjab are one place and three points outside the top five, but have played a game fewer. The Fish are down in twelfth place but are only four points behind Punjab and Ajay Ashanike’s team has two games in hand. 

In their last league match, back in early January, Fisher drew nil-nil at Snodland Town. Punjab’s most recent game was on the last Saturday of January when the won four-one at Erith and Belvedere.

The hosts held a one-nil half time lead through a goal by Casey Dudley but Wayne Bushell levelled eight minutes into the second half. Hopkins then added a brace before Dudley scored an own goal.

When the two teams met at the St Paul’s Sports Ground last season, Punjab took all three points with a solitary Hopkins goal midway through the second period.

Although both team’s managers will be drumming it into their players that this is another game, and that all that matters is the three points on offer, there may be a little more tension with the match coming so soon after the Vase tie.