Phoenix Sports 5-0 Beckenham Town - They’re all very much together and I think they’ll come back stronger from this and they’ll definitely learn from this tonight, says apologetic Beckenham Town manager Adam Griffin

Phoenix Sports 5 – 0 Beckenham Town
Location	Mayplace Ground, Mayplace Road East, Barnehurst, Kent DA7 6JT
Kickoff	28/08/2026 19:45

PHOENIX SPORTS  5-0  BECKENHAM TOWN
Southern Counties East Football League Premier Division
Friday 28 August 2026
Stephen McCartney reports from Mayplace Road East

DISAPOINTED Beckenham Town manager Adam Griffin apologised to travelling supporters that witnessed his side’s humiliating defeat away to bottom-of-the-table side Phoenix Sports and claims League Two  Gillingham sent him a goalkeeper that was not ready to play in the ninth-tier Southern Counties East Football League Premier Division.

Eighteen-year-old goalkeeper Fletcher Hegerty put in an awful performance in his second game for Beckenham Town and was at fault for Phoenix Sports’ first two goals, as they got their first points on the board to climb of the foot of the table.

Hegerty raced out of his penalty area to gift Phoenix Sports their first two goals inside the opening 11 minutes, which were put away by striker Tom Borders and attacking midfielder Jamarie Brissett.

Left-winger Steven Townsend found the far corner to score against his old club to put Phoenix Sports in the driving seat after only 17 minutes.

Borders notched his second of the night and substitute attacker Isaac Hadlow both scored inside the final 22 minutes and Beckenham Town’s centre-half Daniel Vaughan was also sent-off for picking up two yellow cards.

“Really pleasing, again, that’s what we needed,” admitted Phoenix Sports’ manager Jake Goodman, 33, who was ruled out with a slight tear in his calf.

“We put a lot of pressure and anxiety on ourselves to get the results (losing all of our first three league games). It’s not the start we wanted, so just glad we’ve got the result, got the win and now we can focus and move forward and focus on everything moving forward. We can forget what’s just happened.

“It was just about calming everyone down really.  We’ve added some additions, that’s become available, so we felt that’s what we needed to make sure we’ve got the right personnel for the right system, the right style, we want to play and the right characters in the changing room.

“As soon as I knew they were available, I didn’t really want to mess around. I wanted to get them in because I knew they could add to the group, with what we’ve already got.”

Reflecting on his sixth game in charge of Beckenham Town, Griffin said: “Very disappointing, disappointing performance.  Hard one that one but not happy with it.

“What’s missing? End product. I think once the first couple went in early with mistakes, I think we could’ve dealt with the first one, one ball and then heads went.

“I think that was always going to be the case really when we went 2-0 down with this group because they’re a young group and a new group. I think it was hard for the boys.”

When asked about the performance of his goalkeeper, Griffin snapped: “Listen, look at the scoreline. What was the score? So how do you think he done? Yes, it’s a difficult one for a young boy to play in and I think he learnt a lot tonight do you know what I mean.”

Griffin later added: “I think a lot of boys that are in pro clubs, they look at non-league as an easy pickings or somewhere where they can go and get games but you have to be at a level, to compete and play and I think it’s difficult because we struggle to get players and if we do speak to professional clubs like Gillingham, they say, ‘oh yes, have this one, have that one,’ but you don’t know how much they actually look into if the player is ready and I think that kind of shows sometimes when you’re giving boys opportunities.

“We go on what these pro clubs tell us but we take the brunt of it with the results at times.  Games (in our League) mean more on a sense where it’s more competitive of course.  We play in a competitive League. The under 18s is just a developmental League, isn’t it? It’s development football with the academies but listen we’re going to win three points and it does make a difference, a goalkeeper doesn’t it, so it’s a different type of game for them, where there’s three points affected.”

Phoenix Sports opened the floodgates after only 122 seconds when awful Beckenham centre-half Harry Gamble opened the gate.

Gamble failed to cut out a left-footed through ball from Phoenix Sports’ left-back Oluwadamiola Olusesi and the awful Hegerty rushed out and Borders rolled his left-footed shot underneath the goalkeeper into the centre of the empty goal.

“We signed him (from Erith & Belvedere) because we knew the quality, certainly having played against him last year, he’s got so much ability and he can progress a hell of a lot more. That’s why we’ve brought him because we knew he had that ability and we knew he’d add to us as a team,” said Goodman.

Griffin’s strange response was, “Exactly what you’ve just said.  Just one ball and I think Fletch could’ve dealt with it. I think defensive wise we’ve switched off at centre-back there, didn’t expect it maybe.”

Beckenham Town – who suffered their first ever relegation under the watching Del Oldfield last season as the club lost its four-year Isthmian League status – created a fine chance after 4 minutes and 59 seconds.

Debutant attacking midfielder Blu Hustwaite played a fine through ball along the deck which split open Phoenix centre-half Joseph Denny and right-back Ricardo Thompson to put winger Adekunle Ajagbe through on goa, and after cutting into the D, he dragged his left-footed shot past the left-hand post.

Phoenix Sports were a threat down the left with winger Townsend often linking up well with Olusesi, as Beckenham’s right-back Jayden Morrison and centre-half Gamble were not playing at the required level.

Beckenham’s other centre-half Vaughan failed to intercept another ball over the top from Olusesi – from almost the same blade of grass as the first goal.  Keeper Hegerty rushed out of his penalty area like a headless chicken and put it on a plate for Brissett, who rolled his composed left-footed finish into the bottom far corner of an empty goal to score against his old club.

Goodman was delighted that Brissett notched his first goal of the season tonight.

“Calm in pressure moments is what we’ve lacked, so pleasing. It gives us a good start, a good base of work off again.  Just another pleasing that Magic then got his tally underway. He’s been a bit ill and he’s not really been 100 per cent. He’s just had to just play through it, so really pleased that he’s got his goal.

“Yes, the start certainly helps, it certainly helps but that’s only 11 minutes into the game, so we knew there was still another 80 minutes to play, so it’s just making sure we’re switched on and we stuck to the game plan.

“How many times you see it in games of football?  You go 2-0 up and then you sort of didn’t keep it going, so that was the pleasing thing.”

Griffin added :”Disappointed mate, disappointed.  We expected more from the players and I think tonight, we’re a new team.  We’re kind of having different scenarios each game and that was one of them.

“What we said before the game, these have been slapped around the last few games Phoenix and they’re due to slap someone back and that was us.

“But listen, disappointed but it’s football. We move on. We’ve got a game on Monday to put it right. We’re not going to dwell on it. The boys are a young team, who are learning as we go.”

Some more woeful defending from Gamble saw his poor defensive header fall at Townsend, who cracked a right-footed volley flashing across the keeper and just past the foot of the far post from outside the penalty area.

Phoenix Sports notched their third goal of the night, timed at 16 minutes and 50 seconds on the clock.

Central midfielder Lee Bird swept the ball out to Townsend on the left, who easily cut inside Morrison before drilling his right-footed angled drive past the diving Hegerty to find the far corner from 18-yards.

“Steve probably be honest as well about his start but we put him in more of his natural position and we’ve done it for the last couple of training sessions and he’s looked a hell of a lot happier,” revealed Goodman.

“He understands the role because he’s played in that position hundreds and hundreds of times, so we were just thinking if we put him in his natural position it will just come natural and you saw the way he played today.

“That’s what I expect of him and that was throughout everyone. The bare minimum standards for what I want my team to look like.”

Griffin added: “I’d go with that. That was their strong point yes (attacking our right-hand side).

“I wanted them to get warm and they took it as to get kitted up.  Like I said, everyone knows they’ve got to compete for their place and tonight didn’t do people any favours really with performances.”

Two Beckenham substitutes Kayne Roberts and Malachi John stood up in front of the technical area but had to wait until the half-time interval to enter the field.

Beckenham Town did produce a well-worked move with 24:08 on the clock when Gamble fed central midfielder Mohammed Diaby, who played the ball into Hustwaite, who unleashed a right-footed rasping drive towards goal from 30-yards, which was comfortably caught two-handed above the head of Phoenix keeper Ryan McCourt.

“I thought Blu started well to be honest.  I like Blu, I think he’s a good little footballer and another young player who needs a platform and needs games to show what he’s about, so I think it was a tough first game for him but I think he can take some positives out from what he done,” said Griffin.

Goodman added: “I think most of their chances were outside the box, which we pride ourselves on last year, making sure it’s zeros and ones (that we concede).  This year it just hasn’t started that way but it’s still been the same message from pre-season to now.

“Beckenham were exactly what I expected of them, when I saw them. They worked hard, they try, they’ve got quality. We just nullified it and we put our game plan onto them.”

Ineffective Beckenham number nine, Bobby Mills held the ball up before reversing the ball out to Ajagbe, who cut inside and arrowed his right-footed angled drive past the far post from 18-yards, but Beckenham Town played as 11 individuals and on tonight’s humiliation could replicate what Hythe Town did last season and suffer back-to-back relegations.

A sliced clearance from Hegarty was latched onto the always impressive Richard Hamill, who fed right-winger Khyie Harris, whose left-footed angled drive was saved by the legs of the Gillingham loanee goalkeeper, who was so bad, you thought he had won a raffle to play in the game from a Dog & Duck Sunday League team.

“We knew Khyie has his quality and he’s probably frustrated that he hasn’t hit the back of the net but as soon as he does I know he’ll go and get three four and five and many more goals to his game,” added Goodman.

The outstanding Hamil was pulling the strings in his holding midfield role and it’s really concerning when the Beckenham manager admitted during the press-conference that he didn’t know who the Phoenix Sports number 19 is and the classy qualities that he brings to each and every game he plays.

Goodman revealed he is doing Ryan Maxwell at Isthmian League Premier Division side Welling United a favour by giving Hamil game time. 

“Richie is a player who plays two levels up and you could see it out there. He controlled the game. We’re just what he needs.  He needs minutes so he’s helping us out but a massive, massive payer.  A massive thank you to Ryan Maxwell for trusting us to help him to get back his fitness.”

When it was put to him that Phoenix Sports bossed the midfield battle, Griffin replied: ”They what? In what sense?  What do you mean? In what sense? How did they boss it?

When it was suggested that Hamil is a classy player, Griffin admitted: “I don’t know who he is to be honest!”

Beckenham Town’s left-back Folarin Awoleke found himself in the right-back position, but did enough to ensure Townsend’s snap-shot was drilled past the far post as the awful pair of Morrison and Gamble were cut open at ease.

Both manager’s were asked their thoughts at the interval.

Goodman said: “Not much, keep going. Keep doing exactly what you’re doing and manage the game, don’t get drawn into anything unnecessary.

“The second half performance from the boys was perfect, perfect. They’ve done nothing. When it went in our half it went out for a goal-kick, perfect for me.”

Griffin added: “We’ve gone over our coaching points really of what our principles are and what we’re trying to do and that sort of result kind of be behind us and go out and win the second half so I was being positive.

“We’re always positive. I’m not a type of coach that barks and shouts and tries to see the positives and give the boys some sort of advice to go off into the second half.

“It was a better performance in the second half, better.  We changed the shape and went with a three-at-the-back.  Isten, I think it’s an easy one to say the result is a tough one bit if we go and score a few of our chances it looks a bit closer bit if you don’t take your chances then these scorelines don’t look good.”

Adam Griffin brought on John and Roberts at the break and went with three at the back and this shored things up defensively.

Borders fed Bird, who played the ball out to Townsend on the left, who ran into the box and his left-footed shot rolled past the foot of the near post as Phoenix Sports created another opening (10:45).

Hustwaite played a first time pass out to central midfielder Roberts, who crossed the ball into McCourt’s midriff from the right – but you’re clutching at straws when you’re searching for Beckenham’s attempts on goal.

Phoenix Sports had to wait until 22 minutes and 3 seconds for their fourth goal of the night and Hamil’s left-footed free-kicks are always on the money.

Hamil put the ball into the corridor of uncertainty, Phoenix centre-half Joseph Denny showed the desire to get across his man and stab the ball across goal towards the far post for Borders to sweep in his right-footed shot inside the six-yard box.

“That’s exactly what I expect from my strikers. If there’s a goal that’s a yard out, take it yourself,” said Goodman.

“So perfect that he followed in and just made sure that it was going in. It was ruthless, it’s what I’ve been after.”

Griffin added: “A little bit lackadaisical, not dealing with the problem first and he’s put it away.”

Goodman then made a triple change and Isaac Hadlow impressed in attack down the right flank and scored the fifth goal of the game with 37:14 on the clock.

Hamill played a left-footed pass along the deck to send Brissett on his way down the left and he put it on plate for Hadlow, who drilled his right-footed shot past the diving keeper to nestle inside the bottom far corner with a clinical strike.

“Isaac’s a young player. He’s got loads to learn and we want players’ who we want to be able to develop and improve for their futures as well,” said Goodman.

“We know there’s going to be mistakes at times. We know there would be times that we’ll be up and down but that’s the same for all young players but he’s got a lot of quality, a lot of quality going forward and he will be a threat going the other way.”

Griffin added: “That’s it mate, that was it. That’s how it went mate, that’s how it went mate.

“Like I said, disappointed but it is what it is.  Football is a funny game. They were getting handed to the first couple of games and then they handed one out. It’s just how it is mate.

“We move on, don’t dwell on it and the boys are raring to go already. We’ve spoken to them and we’ve got to play Glebe (at home on) Monday so hopefully we’re prepared and we go again.

“They’re disappointed, obviously they’re going to be disappointed, no one likes to lose by any means. They’re all very much together and I think they’ll come back stronger from this and they’ll definitely learn from this tonight.”

When asked what message he gives the Eden Park Avenue faithful after tonight’s humiliation, Griffin read the room, thankfully.  “Thank them. Listen, great support. Apology for the result, of course.

“I think any real fan of Beckenham will how far we’ve come, do you know what I mean. It’s those moments where we’re still learning from the team.”

Reflecting on the job at hand, Griffin faces a tough task to avoid back-to-back relegations come the end of the season.

“This job was never going to be easy. I think the first sort of results papered over the cracks of actually where the club is and for people who sit there and look at tonight, you’re playing a team that have probably got three times more our budget as a team.

“It does show because you’re not going to get consistency when you’ve got a lot of young players. A lot of them, it’s their first gig at senior football so we’re putting a lot of trust and time into these young lads and we believe in it.

“But every now and again football throws up one of these results and it’s down to budget and what people are willing to do and it showed. It showed tonight.

“Listen, I want them to do as well as we can. Anything better than last season is an improvement for me.  I said, when we took over and the coaching staff came in with me, there was nothing here. We didn’t even have a bag of balls so aspirations is to improve Beckenham Town and try and go as far as we fan in the League and in the Cup.

“Listen, it’s a bad result tonight but we needed it as well.  We needed it to learn more about the boys.  It’s easy when you’re winning 1-0’s and things like that to paper over the cracks so we’ve managed to see a few players that we wouldn’t have seen.

Beckenham’s night was summed up when Vaughan was sent-off for a foul on Hadlow with 39:39 on the clock.

Griffin said: It’s a tackle he goes to win and he’s always going to do, to win those tackles, that’s Vaughney.  So obviously being on yellow card, ain’t the greatest of moves to do but that’s how he plays mate.”

Goodman added: “He’s played pretty much the whole game. He’s lunged in, he’s not looked to hurt him. It’s just one of them. Isaac just got there before him and unfortunately he’s on a second yellow, so it was unlucky for him.”

It was almost six for an impressive Phoenix Sports display but substitute winger Kadmiel Animpong pinged his right-footed free-kick against the right-hand post from the very edge of the Beckenham penalty area.

Henry Griffin (who along with Diaby and Hustwaite) failed to deliver the goods through the heart of the pitch, drilled a left-footed shot over the crossbar before Hegarty managed to make a save inside stoppage time.

Yet more woeful defending, including from substitute holding midfielder Mark Marshall saw the ball lost in their defensive third as Hadlow picked the pocket of Roberts and put it on a plate for sub Kadmiel Animpong and Hegerty finally made a comfortable low save.

Goodman, a centre-half, was delighted with the clean sheet and their first League win of the new season at the fourth attempt as they climbed up to thirteenth-place in the table.

“We’ve let ourselves down, certainly for the last four games, too many basic errors, so I’m really glad we’ve put a stop to that. It gives you a base to work off.  If you’re chasing games, it always makes things a hell of a lot harder.

“Was their pressure on me? No. I think it was just the pressure that we as a club put on ourselves. 

“We’re trying to play a certain way, a certain style of football, these things take time. We’ve had certain bumps in the road all through pre-season that haven’t helped, so we’ve always been chasing so hopefully now if we can hopefully start settling down and be a settled group together.

“Sutton (at home on Monday) is another tough game.  They’re going to be young and energetic. A load of good players, so we know we’ve got to be batching the same work-rate and the same energy as we did today.

“We do the bare minimums, the bare basics and that will give us the best chance of getting another three points on the board.

“We’ve got to be challenging. Every Leage is tough. I think there’s not really the one stand out team like there was last year but I think there’s a lot of good, solid teams that will be slightly fancying their selves of being up there and certainly challenging and we’re one of them but we know we’ve got to do the stuff on the pitch to prove ourselves right.”

Griffin, meanwhile, concluded: “This job was never going to easy.  You’ve got a lot of young players th

Phoenix Sports: Ryan McCourt, Ricardo Thompson (Louie Procopi 73), Oluwadamilola Olusesi, Joseph Denny, Ben Morrison, Steven Townsend (Kadmiel Animpong 77), Lee Bird, Tom Borders (Harry Barnes 73), Jamarie Brissett, Khyrie Harris (Isaac Hadlow 73).
Sub: Joe Docherty

Goals: Tom Borders 3, 68, Jamarie Brissett 11, Steven Townsend 17, Isaac Hadlow 83

Booked: Oluwadamilola Olusesi 15, Lee Bird 55, Harry Barnes 77

Beckenham Town: Fletcher Hegarty, Jayden Morrison (Malachi John 46),, Folarin Awoleke (Kayne Roberts 46), Henry Griffin, Harry Gamble, Daniel Vaughan, Kalani Barton, Mohammed Diaby, Blu Hustwaite (Mark Marshall 69), Adekunle Ajagbe.
Subs: Justin Lee, James Porter

Booked: Daniel Vaughan 51, Malachi John 81

Sent Off: Daniel Vaughan 85

Attendance: 286
Referee: Mr Oliver Storey
Assistants: Mr Max Cowles & Mr Aaron Saunders

Match Duration:
First Half: 48:06
Second Half: 50:54

Long Throws into the Opposition Penalty area: 0