Phoenix Sports 2-1 Hollands & Blair - We've got to learn quick, says Steve O'Boyle

PHOENIX SPORTS  2-1  HOLLANDS & BLAIR
Kent Invicta League Challenge Shield
Friday 2^nd August 2013
Stephen McCartney reports from Mayplace Road East

PHOENIX SPORTS’ joint-manager Steve O’Boyle says he was pleased with his side’s character after they turned it around to win the first piece of silverware of the new season.

Phoenix Sports clinched the Kent Invicta League title by finishing four points clear of runners-up Hollands & Blair – who had to settle for the Kent Invicta League Challenge Trophy after defeating Lydd Town 4-3 at Ashford United’s Homelands Stadium on the first day of April.

Hollands & Blair looked like they were destined to win the Kent Invicta League Challenge Shield for the first time tonight when right-winger Louis Valencia had given them an early lead with a well taken goal, during a decent first half performance from the Gillingham-based outfit.

But Phoenix Sports fought back and equalised when striker Ricky Freeman – who scored 36 goals for Hollands & Blair last season – slotted home on the counter attack.

But Phoenix Sports – who went down to a 3-1 extra time defeat at Rochester United in the inaugural Shield match last season – grabbed the victory courtesy of an own-goal from visiting keeper James Smith with eight minutes remaining in front of a Friday night crowd of 151 in Barnehurst.

“I thought first half we were quite poor,” admitted O’Boyle, 36, before enjoying the food at the club’s barbeque after the game.

“They looked like every time they went forward they would score.  I was impressed with their number nine (Rob Denness). I thought he ran their line quite well and I just thought we had no cutting edge going forward in the first half when we had it.

“They got in between us too often, which we spoke to them about at half-time. 

“The two centre halves (Ryan Smith and Jack Hope) never played together before today, the right-back (Jack Asbury) hasn’t played too often. It was a whole new backline basically and it showed first half.”

Hollands & Blair boss Paul Piggott, 42, knew exactly where his side went wrong.

“I was disappointed with our second half performance,” he said. 

“I thought we played well, started well, came out of the traps well, looked fit but I was a little bit disappointed that we got sloppy as the game went on.

“If the game was decided on chances I think we would’ve won it! In the first half we must’ve created seven or eight chances, but didn’t convert them and that’s what you’ve got to do and we got punished for a sloppy corner, which let them back in the game and they grew on from that so they won at the end of the day.”

Phoenix Sports thought they had drawn first blood inside the opening four minutes.

They won a free-kick close to the corner flag on the right-hand side and left-back Richie Hamill cut the ball back to an unmarked Lynton Hayles, who swept a looping right-footed shot from inside the penalty area and Smith stuck out his right hand to palm over.

Former goalkeeper Piggott said: “It was a good save.  I’m a little bit disappointed we lose across the middle from a corner, which we don’t like to do.  James had to do what he had to do.”

Hollands & Blair skipper Bryan Greenfield floated over a free-kick from just inside Phoenix’s half but Billy Johnson’s back header from eighteen-yards bounced into Dean Nash’s gloves for a comfortable save.

But Hollands & Blair opened the scoring inside eleven minutes through Valencia’s fine finish.

Central midfielder Sam Prescott clipped a fine diagonal pass to find Rob Denness and the striker brought the ball under control before cutting inside Hamill before playing the ball inside to Valencia, who took a couple of touches before rifling a left-footed shot over Nash’s outstretched left arm, into the top right-hand corner from eighteen-yards.

A surprised Piggott said: “His chocolate foot as well!!  He came inside on his left foot and I thought his chances were going but he pulled one put of the bag there. It was a great goal.”

O’Boyle said of Valencia: “Another good player!  The only thing I would say, good strike, good run, but we didn’t really pressurise him. He had a free run on goal really. I’d like to see a little bit more pressure on our back line.”

O’Boyle revealed that former Lydd Town central defender Ryan Smith put pen to paper for the club tonight.

He said: “I wasn’t there for Tuesday night’s game but apparently against Hythe he was excellent.  He’s had a tough game tonight but they’ve been told that they’re going to get that week in week out in the Kent League, big strong centre forwards and they’ve got to get used to that quick.”

Hollands & Blair continued to dominate and following Steve Dampier’s throw, Ashley Doe took a touch before spinning to crack a right-footed dipping volley just over the crossbar from 30-yards.

Denness was giving Hamill a nightmare during the first half and he got the better of his opponent to cut into the penalty area and his cross was sliced just past his own post by Phoenix Sports’ central defender Jack Hope.

Denness created a chance for himself in the 26^th minute when he stole the ball off Hope and raced forward before steering a right-footed drive towards the near post which Nash did well to swiftly dive low to his left to push around the post.

Piggott revealed tonight that he has signed Denness, whose previous clubs include Chatham Town, Ashford Town and Lordswood.

He said: “He’s not sharp enough yet. He’s a great signing for us and he’s a good lad and he’s about three or four weeks behind everyone else and he knows that. He’s trying his best to get there but he’s a great signing for us, good signing, good centre forward.”

Denness then hammered a first time volley with his right-foot into the side netting after Tom Staff picked him out from a free-kick.

But the turning point arrived in the 35^th minute when Hollands & Blair squandered an excellent chance to double their lead and put the game out of Phoenix Sports’ reach.

The move would have been acted out in Medway’s parks on many occasions as two brothers played their part.

Winger Ashley Doe wriggled his way down the left flank before whipping in an excellent cross (which sailed over keeper Nash) where his unmarked brother Jason planted his header agonisingly over an open goal from six-yards.

“He just got underneath the ball,” said a disappointed Piggott. “He didn’t have enough control on the ball to put it in the back of the net, but Ash looked strong down the left-hand side.  He dug out a great cross for us to his brother. Joe was just struggling, another couple of inches and he would’ve been there.”

It was a crucial moment in the game and when asked whether his side would have gone on to win the Shield had that chance been buried, Piggott replied: “It could well have been! You don’t know how well they would’ve reacted to that, but in the first half I thought we created some very good chances. It’s still pre-season, people are still trying to find their strengths and weaknesses and work on them and finishing could be one of them for us.”

O’Boyle added: “I said to them after the game, well done for winning the game. You showed a lot of character to come back. Hollands & Blair are a tough side to play, a tough side to beat, so we’ve come through 1-0 down to win 2-1, but if we do that next week come half-time it’ll be game over, so we’ve got to learn and learn quick!”

The tide began to turn later in the first half in Phoenix Sports’ favour, with a couple of chances.

Hamill played the ball into Steve Strotten’s feet, who stabbed the ball through Staff’s legs before drilling a low right-footed drive from the edge of the box, which was saved by Smith at the second attempt.

The home side produced a sweeping slick move when Sam O’Keefe played the ball into Jordan Gallacher, who swept a first time pass to Hamill, who whipped in a cross towards the far post for Freeman to loop his header over from a tight angle.

Whatever was said inside the home dressing room clearly had the desired effect as Phoenix Sports came out with more purpose.

O’Boyle revealed: “Tony (Beckingham) obviously went through the side and told them what they were doing wrong and I worked a little bit with the back four telling them they were squeezing up the pitch a little bit too high.  We needed to defend with a bit more depth.  They didn’t really get behind us too often in the second half, which I’m pleased about because at least they listened.”

They equalised inside the opening eleven minutes when they hit Hollands & Blair with a clinical counter-attack.

Blair skipper Greenfield cut his corner back to Ashley Doe, who lost possession and Phoenix played the ball forward to Gallacher, who released Freeman through on goal, who recovered from a poor first touch before stroking a right-footed shot across the keeper for the ball to nestle inside the bottom far corner.

O’Boyle is pleased that he has been able to snap up two former Hollands & Blair players following their promotion.

Reflecting on the goal, O’Boyle said: “He left himself with a lot to do Ricky to be honest with you. I thought his first touch weren’t great but I’ll be honest with you when he gets in front of goal he knows where the back of the net is! Whatever level you play at, if you get chances like that, I think he’ll put them away and he showed that tonight.”

He added: “We’ve gone up this year and Hollands & Blair last season we’re excellent.  They were by far the second best side in the division and when you get a team like that we wanted to have a little look. Do any of their boys want to play higher?

“Ricky and Dan Parish scored 73 goals between them last year. I jokingly said to them if they can do that again this season they’ll be excellent.

“I had a nightmare with Jordan (Gallacher) last year. We played them away and he absolutely tore us apart. We won the game 3-2 but he was just unbelievable and when we played them out here as well he was man-of-the-match in the two games and he was one I really wanted and Ricky was one that I targeted straight away.

“It’s hard luck for Hollands & Blair. I really want them to do well next season. I hope they win the league. I like the manager. I think they’re a good side, a good club and I really hope they win the league, but we’ve had it done to us! We’ve had good players down here and bigger clubs have come along and taken our players. We’ve lost so many players from last year, players have gone to a higher level. It’s football.”

Piggott bemoaned the manner in which his side shipped the equaliser.

“From our point of view, it was a sloppy corner,” he said.  “You can’t afford to give away sloppy corners like that because you get punished when you give the ball away like that.”

Reflecting on Freeman scoring against his former club, Piggott said: “It was always meant to be wasn’t he? He scores goals. That’s Ricky!  Of course we are disappointed to lose any good player but he’s decided his future is elsewhere so that’s his decision.”

Denness drilled a right-footed angled drive from 18-yards, which forced Nash to dive to his left to block, before wilting through a lack of fitness.

Halfway through the second half, Phoenix Sports’ right-back Jack Asbury whipped in a cross for the ball to bounce off Freeman’s head to clear the crossbar.

Hayles then swung in a corner from the left, which was headed away by a player in a red-shirt and Hope flashed his right-footed shot past the post from the edge of the penalty area.

Piggott added: “I thought they got a little bit stronger as the game went on and we kept giving the ball away which was probably down to a little bit of tiredness. That’s something that we need to have a look at and work on.”

But Phoenix Sports embarrassed visiting keeper Smith with eight minutes remaining to score the winning goal.

Hope clipped a clearance out of defence and substitute Dan Parish fashioned a pass to release Freeman to cut into the penalty area before drilling the ball low across the face of goal.

Keeper Smith was standing beside his near post and inexplicably allowed the ball to bounce off his right-foot and trickle into his bottom near corner to go down as an own-goal from the keeper, who acknowledged his mistake by crouching down on his knees in despair.

Piggott admitted: “It wasn’t the greatest. It didn’t look pretty did it?  The pace of the ball caught him unaware but even still James is better than that. He knows that but we’ll work hard in training to eradicate those mistakes but that’s the kind of lad he is.”

O’Boyle was desperate to award the own-goal to Freeman.

“You want to speak to Ricky Freeman!  I’ve just said to Ricky I’ll claim everything!

“Dan Parish, I’ll be honest with you, has been dropped tonight for Steve (Strotten). He hasn’t been poor but he’s been average in the last few games so Strotts played the other night against Hythe and apparently done really well so we decided to go with Strotts tonight.

“I thought it was the other way round.  I thought Strotts was poor tonight and Dan Parish came on and I thought he was excellent. He held the ball up really well and it was all down to Dan Parish fighting for the ball that Ricky got in and got the shot in for the goal.  That is what Dan Parish is all about, when he’s on his game.”

Hollands & Blair tried to force a penalty shoot-out but Valencia lashed a left-footed shot high over the bar from 25-yards, before West did the same thing from similar distance after playing a neat one-two with the goalscorer.

In between those two chances, Hayles clipped a 40-yard diagonal cross to pick out Gallacher, who took a touch before unleashing a left-footed drive which screamed past the near post.

With club captain Adam Woodward nursing a hamstring injury, the goalkeeper replicated the antics of Chelsea captain John Terry when he went up with stand-in skipper David Crofts (who was substituted later in the game) to collect the Shield from League Chair Denise Richmond.

O’Boyle said of Woodward: “He loves it doesn’t he? He’s a good lad, he’s a good character and he’s still part of it. He was our supporters’ player-of-the-year last year and he had a good season and he’s chomping at the bit to get back but Nashy, the goalkeeper, has done alright.”

Both managers were asked about their good and bad points tonight.

Piggott, whose side welcome Sutton Athletic on the opening day of the Kent Invicta League on 10 August said: “The positives were how we started the game, the chances we created. I was more than happy with the chances we created.

“Negatives, we didn’t quite get over the finishing line as far as our fitness as I would’ve liked but we’ve still got another week before our first game so we’ve still got a couple of training sessions to get in.”

O’Boyle, who takes his side to Lordswood to open their inaugural Southern Counties East Football League campaign on the same day, added: “Positives? We played in a pre-season friendly last season, which was the Challenge Shield and we was a lot fitter this season than we were last season. You could see when we went to extra-time last year we were dead on our feet and I thought, not being horrible, we were the fitter of the two sides (tonight). There’s a lot of positives.

“Second half performance was a lot better than the first. We looked a lot better defensively second half and we had a bit more oomph about us going forward but we are a little way off where I want to be at this moment in time.”

O’Boyle was asked to elaborate on that comment and said: “A little bit more pace in our attacks, a bit more of a threat going forward. I thought first half we had no threat at all. Second half that improved.  I thought they were better than us first half. Every time they attacked they looked like they could create something.

“First half I thought we were running down blind alleys but we’ll work with that. We’ve got to work with what we’ve got to work with, they’re a good bunch of lads and we’ll do ok.”

Piggott said he enjoyed his visit to a progressive club.

“I like the club, I think it’s a good club and they’ve gone about things the right way. They’ve got a lovely ground, they’ve done the facilities right, the pitch is lovely, they’ve got good people that run the club so good luck to them.”

More Kent clubs should experiment with Friday night football this season, after 151 fans attended this game.

“Anything can take off down here,” said O’Boyle.  “This is a great club, it’s a brilliant club. We’ve got a barbeque tonight, I don’t want to tell you what time the bar will close, they love it down here.  (Crowds of) 151 can be quite regular down here this season, midweek, Saturday, whatever.”

Phoenix Sports: Dean Nash, Jack Asbury, Richie Hamill, David Crofts (Mark Allen 81), Jack Hope, Ryan Smith, Sam O’Keefe (Ben Yiadom 57), Lynton Hayles, Steve Strotten (Dan Parish 57), Ricky Freeman, Jordan Gallacher.
Subs: Karl Knight, Danny Kemp

Goals: Ricky Freeman 56, James Smith 82 (own goal)

Booked:  Lynton Hayles 61, Dan Parish 90

Hollands & Blair: James Smith, Steve Dampier, Bryan Greenfield, Sam Prescott, Billy Johnson, Tom Staff, Louis Valencia, Stuart West, Rob Denness, Jason Doe (Liam Stone 64), Ashley Doe.
Subs: Marc Chapman, Tom Michelson, Sam Flisher, Cliff Eldridge

Goal: Louis Valencia 11

Booked:  Stuart West 14, Billy Johnson 45, Bryan Greenfield 90

Attendance: 151
Referee: Mr Kane Dempster (Hythe)
Assistants: Mr Gary Bourne (New Romney) & Paul Greenfield (Eltham)
Fourth Official: Mr Steve Martin (Orpington)