Phoenix Sports 1-0 Hollands & Blair - We should thank the commitee for title win, says Beckingham

PHOENIX SPORTS  1-0  HOLLANDS & BLAIR
Kent Invicta League
Wednesday 17^th April 2013
Stephen McCartney reports from Mayplace Ground

PHOENIX SPORTS’ joint-manager Tony Beckingham paid tribute to the club’s committee for making their Kent Invicta League title winning campaign possible.

The Barnehurst-based outfit had to avoid defeat in this nervy top-of-the-table clash to clinch the title and Marcus Cassius’ seventh-goal for the club during the first half ensured goalkeeper captain Adam Woodward collected the silverware at the end of the game.

Phoenix Sports have done it with a record of 25 wins, 2 draws and 1 defeat and joint-manager Beckingham was relieved to get over the finishing line in first place.

“It’s been horrible for the last few weeks,” he said.  “We’ve had such a good start and everyone wrote everybody else off and gave us the title quite a while ago and we knew it wasn’t.

“Hollands & Blair, to be fair, have put together a fantastic run of results (coming here sixteen games unbeaten). 

“Two Saturday’s ago we suffered our first defeat – in April – and we still hadn’t won the league.  I’ve never known anything like it and credit to them. 

“I don’t know if you are aware the circumstances tonight.  It was very unfortunate it clashed with a final and I’m pretty sure that their manager quite rightly will bemoan the fact that he hasn’t been able to come here with a full side, but we’ve had to do what we had to do.”

Beckingham, who was then drenched in water thrown over his head by Steve Strotten and Woodward, continued: “I don’t care what side they put out. It’s going to be competitive and they were.  I thought the conditions spoilt it with the wind, which made it difficult for both teams.”

For Hollands & Blair boss Paul Piggott, he was disappointed that his side’s record of 22 wins, two draws and now four defeats, fell short in the title race.

“I couldn’t ask for more from my players. They gave me everything,” he said.

“Chances wise in the game, I thought it was an even game.  We missed a penalty, which has probably summed our night up but there you go.  They’re the champions, the worthy champions and it’s a good club to go up.

“They’ve lost one league game haven’t they and to take it to the last two weeks of the season I think is a credit to our players.  A decent side like this have won the league and we’ve pushed them all the way.  We’ll take a little bit of heart from that but we’re disappointed that we’ve lost our title chance.”

Phoenix Sports almost got off to the best possible start when diminutive winger Ben Yiadom raced towards the by-line and cut the ball back to Marcus Perona, who steered his shot over when he stretched for the ball just six-yards from goal after only 35 seconds.

Another chance fell the home side’s way inside nine minutes when burly target-man Steve Strotten swept the ball across goal for Daryll Wheeler and his right-footed drive from sixteen-yards deflected into Dan Stevens’ gloves.

Hollands & Blair, who were missing some influential players because they were playing in a cup final for their Sunday League side, certainly missed the threat of Michael Jenner, Louis Valencia and 36-goal striker Ricky Freeman.

Billy Johnson sliced his left-footed shot over after Phoenix Sports had two opportunities to clear the ball out of their penalty area, but the Gillingham-based club, this season’s winners of the Kent Invicta League Challenge Trophy, lacked any threat up front.

The home side’s best chance to ease the tension arrived in the 14^th minute when Laurence Collins swung in a free-kick into the penalty area and Stotten’s looping header from 10-yards was tipped over by Blair keeper Stevens.

But Hollands & Blair’s best chance from open play arrived five minutes later.

Skipper Ross Brookes played the ball in behind the Phoenix defence to Darren Blackburn, who hooked a cross back from the right by-line but striker Lee Preston nipped in front of Dean Kearley to nod agonisingly wide of the near post from two-yards.

Piggott said: “Yes, he got in at the near post for us where we ask our centre forwards to get in and he did everything right but hit the target.”

Phoenix Sports continued to press during an entertaining first half and left-back Collins played the ball in to Perona, who drilled a first time right-footed angled drive from 20-yards, which was tipped over by Stevens.

But Phoenix Sports will be playing at their highest level of football in their 78-year history next season thanks to their 27^th minute winner.

Right-winger Daryll Wheeler, who is good enough to play at least two levels higher than this, produced an excellent 30-yard pass in between Johnson and Tom Staff to release Cassius, whose electrifying pace took him into the box.  His initial shot was blocked by the advancing Stevens, but Cassius pounced on the loose ball in a flash and fired his right-footed shot into the empty net from eight-yards.

Phoenix dropped 37-goal striker Dan Parish, who made a nine minute cameo at the end and Beckingham said: “We dropped Dan Parish tonight. It was a gamble and the reason why we saw the conditions and Strotts up front and Marcus playing off him and that’s exactly how the goal worked out.  Marcus with a bit of pace in behind them and a little bit of quality and it’s won us the game and ultimately the league.”

O’Boyle added: “That’s what he does. He scores goals doesn’t he?  He didn’t score Saturday so I said ‘make sure you get the winner tonight’ and he’s done that. Brilliant!  When we brought him (from Erith Town) I said ‘come and win us the league’ and he’s done that tonight hasn’t he?  He’s a good player. I don’t know what else to say really, Marcus Cassius scores goals.”

Piggott said: “He got himself free, a little bit of pace got him away and got him that half a yard of pace you need.  Dan’s made a good save initially and as luck would have it it’s bobbled behind him and Marcus has picked it up and put it into the back of the net, which he has been doing regularly at a higher standard than this.”

Phoenix Sports were denied a second goal in the 37^th minute when Perona swung in a right-footed free-kick from the left flank and Lee Morgan powered his header towards goal from 12-yards which forced Stevens into making a save to his left and Blackburn cleared the loose ball.

Reflecting on the first half, Beckingham said: “I wouldn’t say we had loads of chances. I think we got in more dangerous positions than they did but it just seemed to be our final ball or final pass was a little bit lacking in a way.

“You can’t blame them. The prize was there. I don’t care who you are.  You’re playing for a league title there’s going to be a little bit of tension.  I thought the game was a little bit tense and on any other day I thought we would’ve scored a few more.”

Unfortunately for the 164 supporters that turned out to watch the game the second half didn’t live up to expectations, mainly due to nerves and the wind.

Phoenix Sports were presented with a free-kick some 30-yards from goal on the hour-mark, but Wheeler sent his left-footed effort sailing over the crossbar.

Cassius was then freed down the left channel and he whipped in a low cross but Strotten poked his first time shot past the far post after he ran unchallenged into the box.

Phoenix Sports went close at the half-way point when Cassius played another ball in and Perona curled a right-footed shot narrowly past the far post.

Strotten then managed to get his right-footed free-kick over the four-man wall from 20-yards, but the ball curled agonisingly over the top of the left-hand post.

But Hollands & Blair squandered an excellent chance to grab a point in the 72^nd minute after referee Lee Culpeck adjudged Yiadom to have brought down Staff just inside a very crowded penalty area.

Needing a win to keep their slender title hopes alive, Cliff Eldridge had to bury the penalty, but his right-footed effort towards the right corner was at a good height for keeper Adam Woodward, who dived full-length to his left to push the ball away.

Piggott said: “I think it was Tom Staff who was fouled so it gave us an opportunity to level the game but to be fair to Adam he’s made a good save. You never want to miss a penalty but if you’re going to miss it, but make the goalkeeper earn his crust is the way to do it.”

It was to be Blair’s only chance of the second half and Piggott also said the tension was a factor.

He said: “I don’t think it helped the football to be fair. I think what you’ve got to remember there was a lot riding on the game so I think there was a lot of nerves out there.   It weren’t a classic but it’s the end of the season, there’s a lot riding on the game and I don’t think you get classics when it’s like that.”

Both of the Phoenix managers were asked their thoughts on the penalty.

Beckingham said: “I don’t know. I couldn’t look!  I was hiding around the corner of the dug-out. I couldn’t look at it!”

“Given the chances we had there, I do think ultimately we did deserve to win the game. You have to put them into the back of the net. I do think that would’ve been an injustice on us really if we hadn’t won.  I’m sure Paul (Piggott) would have a different opinion.”

O’Boyle added: “He guessed the right way. It was a good height. It was a good save. He’s saved a few this season. He’s done well there.”

Phoenix Sports had further chances to increase their lead but substitute left-back Aaron Jeffrey steered his shot wide of the right-hand post when he only had Stevens to beat and the goalkeeper used his legs at his near post to block Wheeler’s injury time drive after he cut in from the right.

Piggott said he will lift his troops for their last remaining games, both at home, to Meridian on Saturday, and against Crockenhill seven days later.

He said: “We’ll pick ourselves up and dust ourselves down for the last two games. We can’t finish first now. The points tally dictates that but we want to finish second, that’s the nest best thing and that’s what we’ll do.  We’ll make sure against Crockenhill and Meridian that we get back maximum points and do that.”

Piggott added: “We had big players missing tonight but they were nothing to the side tonight because they weren’t here.  My only thoughts were on the players that were here and they gave us everything.  Everyone here today gave us everything and I couldn’t ask for no more.”

The Phoenix Sports’ joint-management team can now start planning ahead of the start of a new dawn at the club.

They complete their campaign with trips to Seven Acre & Sidcup on Saturday and Lydd Town seven days later.

When asked how they will treat those games, Beckingham said: “We don’t care now! Of course we care!  As you can imagine it’s been tense for the last few weeks. We just want to relax now and let the players’ just play and enjoy it and to be frank we’re really not bothered about results now.  We’ve done it. It’s time to relax and let’s enjoy the moment really.”

Beckingham added: “I think it would be a good time to say we should thank the committee and the people off the pitch for actually getting us in this position.  We’ve done well on the pitch but they’ve actually stuck to their side of the bargain and more and this is for them.

“I never, ever, in our wildest dreams would’ve thought we could’ve done as well as we’ve done.  We thought we’d probably be fighting out with Hollands & Blair and Bearsted for second because we expected Ashford to win it at the start of the season and the season panned out as we expected.  Yes, we’ve done better than we thought.  You know what it’s like, a bit of momentum, we got on a roll.”

O’Boyle added: “We’ve been here for a season but this has been going on for five, six, seven, I don’t know how many years so for those guys in there tonight they must be so happy and they deserve it and I intend to celebrate with them for quite a while.”

O’Boyle paid tribute to the men in green who have made this title winning campaign possible.

He said: “We’ve got some really good boys, boys that have been around with us for a few years now.  I said to them in the dressing room before the game, you’ve all played in some big games before and I had 100% confident in them going out there and finishing it off tonight.”


Phoenix Sports: Adam Woodward, Aran Hayrettin, Laurence Collins, Ben Yiadom (Aaron Jeffrey 81), James Brown, Dean Kearley, Marcus Perona, Lee Morgan, Steve Strotten (Dan Parish 81), Marcus Cassius (Sam O'Keefe 86), Daryll Wheeler.
Subs:  Martin Chirimutta, Danny Kemp

Goal:  Marcus Cassius 27

Hollands & Blair: Dan Stevens, Sean Hetterley, Steve Dampier, Darren Blackburn, Billy Johnson, Tom Staff, Cliff Eldridge (Ben Brown 76), Ross Brookes, Lee Preston, Steve Hafner, Jordan Gallacher.
Subs: Ashley Doe, Damien Hopkins, Paul Piggott.

Booked: Ben Brown 77, Steve Hafner 80

Attendance: 164
Referee: Mr Lee Culpeck (Gravesend)
Assistants: Mr Luke Challinger (Crayford) & Mr Kelvin Clare (Aylesford)