Four games ago many would have said we are odds on to go down but there is a fighting spirit in this group and they aren’t just going to give up without a fight, vows Phoenix Sports Reserves boss Del Oldfield

PHOENIX SPORTS Reserves manager Del Oldfield says his young side will fight to retain their Southern Counties East Football League First Division status during the last two months of the season.

 

The club are in the bottom three in the table with 22 points from 25 games and are only four points clear of the bottom two sides, Rochester United and Meridian VP.

Oldfield’s side came away from Lydd Town with a point in a 3-3 draw last Saturday.

“We were actually disappointed to come away with a draw.  We went 3-1 up very early in the second half but kicking against extremely high winds and against a tough opponents, who know how to play the conditions, it was never going to be easy,” said Oldfield.

“I could sit here and say it was this or it was that but we actually played quite well and I was pleased with the performance as a whole.

“Mistakes are a part of the learning process and as long as we learn from those mistakes then I can’t ask for any more than that.

“The draw meant we were four unbeaten, so we will take the positives out of that and look to continue to picking up points.”

Phoenix Sports Reserves welcome ninth-placed Greenways to Mayplace tomorrow, a side that have slipped down to ninth-place in the table.

Looking ahead to their first meeting, Oldfield admitted:  “I don’t know a great deal about them, other than the fact they have two or three players that are more than capable of hurting anyone in this division on their day.

“After a decent start to the season, they then went on a really poor run, not winning in 13 games, but they seemed to have turned things around again now, so we are expecting yet another tough game, as they all are for us.”

Oldfield revealed four of his players have been called up by first team manager Paul Byron for their trip to Faversham Town in the Bostik South East Division tomorrow.

“Sam Fitzgerald, Andrew Dythe, Dan Hunwick and Kameron Mendez have all been called up to the first team tomorrow, so we will be without those guys, but we do have Oliver Andrews and Harry Wootten back from injury, as well as a possible debut for young Archie Roast from our under 16s.

“Our aims for the rest of the season haven’t changed from the beginning of the season and it’s all about staying in the division and competing as much as we can, whilst developing exciting young players for the first team and the future of the club.

“With nine games to go, we are fully in a relegation scrap along with six or seven other teams.

“We know that, but a few weeks back we set the boys a points challenge that we feel would keep us safe and right now we are two points ahead of schedule, so as long as we keep fighting and keep learning, absolutely anything is possible for this group of young men.

“Four games ago, many would have said we are odds on to go down but there is a fighting spirit in this group and they aren’t just going to give up without a fight, much to the annoyance of a few teams around us.

“Come what May at the end of the season, we will be able to hold our heads high and say that we have given it a good go.”

Visit Phoenix Sports’ website: www.phoenixsportsclub.co.uk

Phoenix Sports Reserves  v  Greenways
Southern Counties East Football League First Division
Saturday 9 March 2019
Kick Off 3:00pm
at Mayplace Road East, Barnehurst, Kent DA7 6JT