Phoenix Sports 1-2 Sutton Athletic - I think that's the perfect season, says James Collins

PHOENIX SPORTS  1-2  SUTTON ATHLETIC
Hospitals Charity Cup Final
Friday 16^th May 2014
Stephen McCartney reports from Park View Road:

SUTTON ATHLETIC manager James Collins says his first season in charge of the club has been the perfect season after finishing in third-place in the Kent Invicta League and completing a cup double.

The Hextable-based club finished behind Hollands & Blair and Lydd Town in the league and claimed the Hospitals Charity Cup for the ninth time in their history tonight, to add to the Pain & Glory Sports Kent Invicta League Challenge Trophy that they won with a 3-0 win over Fleet Leisure last Saturday in what turned out to be Lee Richmond’s last game in charge of the club.

Sutton Athletic – playing their 41st competitive game of the season – were the better side during a one-sided first half and captain Mike Mills and striker Arlie Desanges scored to put the Greens in the box seat.

However, Phoenix Sports – who fielded a youthful side that finished runners-up to Corinthian in the Suburban League Southern Division – put in a vastly improved performance during the second half and deservedly pulled a goal back on the hour through striker Timi Osibodu’s thumping header.

The Barnehurst-based club almost snatched a draw in normal time when a stunning drive from substitute Albert Caton, 17, smashed against the crossbar.

“I said to the boys, I think that’s the perfect season,” said Collins, 31.

“I don’t think we was ready to win the league. Hollands & Blair dropped eight points. We dropped nine in our first six games. That was unrealistic but to finish third and to win two cups, I couldn’t have hoped for more.”

Collins has been rewarded by respecting the competition and fielding strong sides throughout the competition.

“We done it all the way through the competition. We’ve played the strongest team possible,” said the former Erith Town manager, who should be given a chance at a higher level of the game.

“I can’t go into a game if I don’t believe 100% that we’re going to win a game so if we weren’t going to take it seriously there’s no point going into it.  We entered it. We wanted to win it and we picked our best team.”

Phoenix Sports manager John Hope added: “I thought they were far the better team in the first half.  We didn’t keep the ball!

“We had a lot of young players out there, seventeen and eighteen year olds and I think they sort of froze a little bit.

“Second half we came out and played and we pushed them back and I thought we were the better team.

“I think that was a penalty and it makes it two-all and the game’s totally different but they’re a good team. They’re the best team we’ve played this season probably.

“We play in the Suburban South reserve division and finished runners-up so it’s not a bad season and we’ve played a lot of seventeen and eighteen year olds, some sixteen-year-olds throughout the season.”

The game, which was hosted by Erith & Belvedere, attracted a crowd of 184 fans to Park View Road.

Sutton Athletic went at their opponents early and created their first chance inside the opening three minutes.

Adam Williams played the ball into Desanges feet, who played a sublime diagonal pass out wide to winger Richie Humphrey, whose shot was blocked by Phoenix Sports’ left-back Rob Saunders inside the penalty area.

Phoenix Sports’ left-winger Jack Mahon, meanwhile, flashed a shot from outside the penalty area into the hands of goalkeeper Dean James, who picked up the rolling ball at his near post.

Sutton Athletic’s 27-goal striker Chris McGinty, who played behind a front two of Adam Williams and Desanges, linked up well and poked the ball through to Mills, who lacked control inside the penalty area and his shot rolled harmlessly wide.

Mills then played a one-two with Desanges, but dragged his eight-footed shot across the keeper and harmlessly wide of the far post from fourteen-yards.

Saunders then sliced his left-footed speculative drive wide of the left-hand post from 25-yards in a rare attempt on goal by Phoenix Sports.

Chris Mirrlees’ long throws were a threat for Sutton Athletic - and Sean Heather clipped the ball on and Mills’ right-footed shot on the turn rolled into Stavros Guirguis’ hands.

But the goalkeeper was at fault when Sutton Athletic deservedly took a nineteenth-minute lead.

Sutton Athletic were awarded a free-kick down the left touchline and McGinty floated over a quality right-footed free-kick towards the far post.  Mirrlees headed the ball back across goal where Mills out-jumped the static goalkeeper to plant his header into the roof of the net from six-yards.

“We work on that corner going to the back stick and heading it back across and we’ve hardly scored any goals,” revealed Collins.

“Chris has decided to do it on a set-piece and I’m pleased it’s come off.”

Collins was pleased that his side got an early goal.

“I think they’d be sitting in the changing room and think ‘Sutton are a good team and they’ll be hard to beat and it will be a hard game.’

“I said for the first 20 minutes make sure we do the right things, get them on the back foot and go at them. 

“If you start sloppy for 20 minutes all off a sudden they might think Sutton aren’t that good!

“I wanted them to come out of the blocks early today and we did.”

Hope simply added: “Sloppy marking!  It’s one of those things.  Players have to learn to keep players tight and stay with their markers.”

Former Ebbsfleet United striker Adam Williams unleashed a dipping free-kick narrowly over the crossbar from 28-yards, which had Guirguis struggling.

Another chance fell Sutton Athletic’s way on the half-hour mark, following another long throw into the box by central midfielder Mirrlees.

This time Desanges won his header at the near post and Adam Williams’ twisted and turned his marker before making some space for himself before drilling his left-footed shot over the bar from eight-yards.

Central defender Sean Heather then got in on the act to curl his right-footed shot around the far post from a long way out, before another chance went begging for dominant Sutton Athletic.

They produced a sweeping move involving Mirrlees and McGinty, but Adam Williams sliced his right-footed shot wide of the far post without testing the goalkeeper.

“We didn’t really test the goalkeeper though did we? Which I said at half-time,” said Collins.

“I don’t think Dean had too much to do but I don’t think their goalkeeper did. That’s been the story of our season.  Sometimes we get into the final third and we try to score the perfect goal and when you’re in and around the area test the goalkeeper!

“That’s one criticism that I’ve got off us – we should’ve had more shots on goal in the first half!”

Mirrlees played a pass down the line to left-back Tom Carlse, who whipped in a low and hard low cross, which forced Guirguis to get his large frame down to claim the ball, but he couldn’t prevent Sutton Athletic deservedly doubling their lead in the 37^th minute.

McGinty released Desanges through on goal and as Guirguis came off his line to narrow the angle the striker drilled a low right-footed shot into the bottom near corner from the corner of the six-yard box – underneath the diving keeper - to score his 11^th goal of the season.

“I’m so pleased for him because he hasn’t played as much as he would’ve wanted to play this season,” said Collins.

“I said before the game I said we had to freshen it up.  I thought we looked a little bit tired on Tuesday night (in our 2-1 win over Seven Acre & Sidcup in the semi-final) so I said to him it wasn’t a sentimental thing.  He’s been here all season and he’s scored a large amount of goals so I’m so pleased for him that he’s scored.  It was a good finish as well, but he is a good finisher!”

Hope added: “That’s the same thing really. We switched off. We didn’t say tight on players and you can’t let players like that have room!”

Saunders ventured forward for another time to curl his left-footed shot around the far post from 20-yards, but Phoenix Sports put in a much better second half performance.

Both managers were asked their thoughts at half-time.

“I wanted us to get the third goal because when we’re expected to beat teams we sometimes get a little bit sloppy and we stop doing the right things and we end up giving teams a chance,” said Collins.

“They find that bit of extra energy and I said the only difference between these and Kent Invicta League sides, I didn’t feel that they would tire.

“I felt if we gave them a chance they would keep going as in the Invicta League maybe the longer you go on the teams tire where as they’re a young side so I thought we’d be in for a game.

“What they did do they pressed us and they hunted in groups of four so I said we need to be cute and move the ball quickly. We’ll be able to exploit the space.

“We came out, I just think we’re tired. I just think we’re on our last legs. People out there are injured and playing through injuries.  We just dug in. I’m so glad that we’ve got that side to our game. We’ve got that in the last couple of games where we’ve just seen games out.”

Hope revealed he gave his young guns some inspiration during the interval.

“We changed it round, we went 4-4-2 and we just told players to have a little bit more belief in their ability and I think they proved that in the second half. Some of the youngsters stood up!”

Sutton Athletic missed a chance to kill the game off inside the opening five minutes of the second half.

McGinty swung in a corner from the right and Mirrlees looped his header over at the far post from six-yards.

But Phoenix Sports galvanised themselves into action.

Skipper Joe Borland played a diagonal pass to Richie Hamill on the left, who floated a cross towards the far post but Mahon’s free-header bounced into James’ gloves from sixteen-yards.

Hope said: “Perhaps another time he might have brought that done and hit a shot but it’s a learning experience for the young boys.”

Phoenix Sports’ fight-back was put on hold when James produced a world-class save in the 56^th minute.

Hamill drilled his left-footed free-kick towards the far corner from 35-yards and the Sutton Athletic keeper dived to his left to push the ball onto the post and behind for a corner.

Hope said: “We had our chances in the second half and we just didn’t take them. They made some good saves, we hit the bar as well from young Albert.  I thought it was a cast iron penalty as well to be fair but it’s one of those things.  It’s a learning curve for the young boys and they need to take the positives from that and step up.”

“What a save that was!” hailed the Sutton Athletic manager.

“That’s a great save but he would have been disappointed if he had conceded that because he pulls them off all the time!

“He’s such a good goalkeeper. He really is. He’s so good.  People say he’s too small and people say he flaps at things but I don’t see it!

“He’s had two or three bad games maybe but he’s small but he knows when to punch. He’s been brilliant for us this season.

“He’s very good on the ball as well! When the ball goes back you don’t worry.”

James, who produced a brilliant save at the end of Tuesday night’s game to deny Seven Acre & Sidcup a last-gasp leveller in near darkness at Oxford Road has the makings of playing at a higher level of football.

Collins replied: “100% yes! 100% - if he wants to!

“When I came to the club at the beginning of the season they were a mates side that wanted to progress but they were in a situation where Guy (Eldridge, my predecessor) had taken them a long way and they done really well but when I went to the interview they said they wanted just a fresh face and I came in and I said I wanted to win this and wanted to do that and they thought I was mad when I first joined – that’s what they said to me!

“I think hopefully I’ve given them a buzz to go on and kick on higher and be successful and nights like that help.”

Hamill whipped in the resulting corner from the right and Sutton full-back Newman almost headed the ball back into his own goal and was thankful to Carlse to head the ball off the line before Osibodu lashed his shot over the bar.

But Phoenix Sports deservedly pulled a goal back with an hour on the clock.

Central midfielder Hamill – who put in an inspirational second half performance – swing in a free-kick from the right and Osibodu nipped in front of his marker to plant his bullet diving header screaming past James from six-yards.

Hope said: “Great header! I think they were on the back foot then and holding on.  You could see that in the end when they were playing balls in the corner and didn’t come out.”

Collins added: “We shouldn’t be getting beaten with the height that I had (out there) today.  I think sometimes give credit where credit’s due.  It was a sloppy free-kick to give away, but I think it was tiredness. Tom Fitzgerald has played a lot of games and he’s been brilliant since he’s played centre half. 

“It was a great delivery and a good header! Sometimes you just say well done!”

Phoenix Sports were now on the front foot and Harry Tatlock forced James to pluck the ball from out of the air following his left-footed chipped shot from eighteen-yards.

McGinty gave Sutton Athletic some respite, however, when in the 65^th minute he drilled his right-footed shot towards goal from 30-yards, which was parried by Guirguis to his left before the keeper gathered the ball at the second attempt.

Phoenix Sports were to be cruelly denied a deserved equaliser with nine minutes left.

Hamill swung in a corner from the right which was headed away and substitute Caton drilled a stunning right-footed volley from 18-yards, which screamed over James’ left shoulder but agonisingly crashed against the crossbar.

Hope said: “The kid’s done well! He’s been playing in the under 18’s, he’s only seventeen. He’s got a lot of ability.

“He’s hit the shot, it’s hit the bar. On another day it goes in and it’s all over.

“It’s just one of those days! Sometimes it goes for you, sometimes you don’t. 

“If we competed a little bit more in the first half, it might’ve been tighter. We might have only let one goal in.

“They’re a young team, a reserve team and they’ve played a team that’s finished third in their division and won the cup so it can only be positive for the youngsters can’t it?”

Collins admitted: “You need a bit of luck in cups don’t you? I suppose that was it!  Maybe that was our day today.

“It was a great strike. He deserved that to be a goal.  They probably deserved to get a draw out of it but maybe our experience just told at the end.  We’ve grown up this season so that’s pleasing for me.”

But despite Phoenix Sports’ pressure, Sutton Athletic held on and Mills went up to lift the trophy at the end of their long but successful campaign.

Collins revealed: “Driving up here today, I hoped this was not a game too far. Including friendlies this is our 52^nd game of the season so it’s a lot. That’s our 41^st competitive game and they work and the amount of games they’ve had to fit in the last half of the season, that’s us done now I think!”

Reflecting on the club’s lifting the silverware for a ninth-time, the Sutton Athletic manager said: “I’m pleased that we’ve done it under my management as well.  I know they’ve won it a few times.

“We earmarked this one because we thought this one was probably the most winnable at the beginning of the season.

“I said to the boys before the game it was fantastic to win on Saturday but we’ve got our golf day and our presentation tomorrow and it might’ve been a bit of a sour taste if we hadn’t gone on and won it today.”

Hope revealed his players suffer from a lack of opportunities from joint first team managers Tony Beckingham and Steve O’Boyle, who guided the club to their highest ever finish in their history, sixth-place in the Southern Counties East Football League.

Hope said: “Unfortunately that’s been the big problem this year.  People have been knocking but the door hasn’t been opened.

“They’ve (the first team management) got their opinions and they’re right but there’s been a few knocking on the door but the door remains shut unfortunately.

“We did win promotion to the Suburban Premier but I don’t know if the club is going to carry on with the reserves or go to an under 21 team in the Kent County League.

“Unfortunately we won’t be doing it next season. We’ve decided due to circumstances that we’ve done this for two years and that door remains shut and it’s been frustrating so it’s time for somebody else to have a go.”

Phoenix Sports: Stavros Guirguis, Joe Borland, Rob Saunders, Richie Hamill (Newman Poku 87), Jack Hope, Ryan Chapman, Harry Tatlock, Toby Tuley, James Cabble (Jack White 57), Timi Osibodu, Jack Mahon (Albert Caton 74).
Subs: Billy Martins, Grant Godbold

Goal: Timi Osibodu 60

Booked: Toby Tuley 62

Sutton Athletic: Dean James, Luke Newman, Tom Carlse, Chris Mirrlees, Tom Fitzgerald, Sean Heather, Mike Mills (Ben Williams 76), Chris McGinty, Adam Williams (Grant Brown 38), Arlie Desanges, Richie Humphrey (Danny Ball 63).
Subs: Jack White, Kane Rice

Goals: Mike Mills 19, Arlie Desanges 37

Booked: Chris Mirrlees 56, Grant Brown 90

Attendance: 184
Referee: Mr Scott Rudd (Dartford)
Assistants: Mr Martin Bullock (Dartford) & Mr Daniel Proctor (Dartford)
Fourth Official: Mr Dave Spriggs (Dartford)