We're feeling a bit down in the dumps but we'll have to pick ourselves up, says Scott Saunders

BASEMENT side Orpington could play a major part in who goes on to clinch the inaugural Kent Invicta League title at the end of the month.


The Crockenhill-based outfit have picked up only three points from their last five league games – since their shock 8-1 win away to Erith & Dartford Town in February – but host title challengers Phoenix Sports on Easter Monday and Bly Spartans next Saturday.

Phoenix Sports must use their game in hand and beat Orpington tomorrow to move to within two points of leaders Bly Spartans.  If they don’t, then the Strood based outfit will be favourites to go on and complete the double.

Bly Spartans clinched the first ever Kent Invicta League Challenge Trophy on Good Friday, by beating Phoenix Sports 4-2 on penalties, after a thrilling game finished 2-2 after extra time.

Bly Spartans had taken a fourteenth minute lead through Matt McHugh’s finish, but a goalkeeping blunder from Luke Watkins gifted their Barnehurst based opponents an equaliser when Gary Phillimore’s shot slid underneath his body.

Phoenix missed chance-after-chance during a dominant second half and McHugh turned hero to villain in the 75^th minute for flicking a boot out at a grounded Dom Websdale as the two tussled for the ball.

But Bly snatched the lead again, when substitute Sean Hetterley fired home in the 99^th minute after Ryan Robinson’s ball over the top was flicked on by 28-goal striker Stuart Zanone.

However, a minute later, Hetterley was forced off through injury and Phoenix throw the kitchen sink at their opponents and they forced extra time when Alfie Harris stabbed the ball over the line, for his 22^nd goal of the season, after Watkins allowed Websdale’s hopeful cross sail over him and bounced down off the crossbar.

But Watkins had the last laugh as he pulled off excellent saves from substitute Callum O’Sullivan and Luke Cuthbert in the penalty shoot-out, which saw Bly Spartans won the first honour in the Kent Invicta League’s history.

Phoenix Sports’ manager, Scott Saunders, 38, admitted losing in such a manner was hard to take.

He said: “It’s going to take a little while to sink in, I think, but as manager we’ve just given the boys a little pep talk because for me it’s our game in hand on Monday, so we’ve got to win that and we’re two points behind them in the league and we just have to hope that we win all our games and they slip up.”

Phoenix travel to Rusthall next Saturday, whilst finishing their campaign with a trip to Hollands & Blair (who stunned Kent League side Cray Valley with a 2-0 victory at Star Meadow to clinch a place in the Umbro Kent Senior Trophy Final, where they will play Sevenoaks Town on 15 April), before finishing the campaign at surprise package Bridon Ropes.

Saunders added: “The League have done really well with that they gave us a Cup Final and then a game on Monday, but you just got to get on with it, haven’t you?

“We go to Orpington on Monday a bit down in the dumps but we’ll have to pick ourselves up and crack on.”

Saunders refused to throw in the towel after losing the Cup Final to their title rivals.

He said: “It isn’t over!  We’ve got four very difficult games.  We’ve got Orpington, who will be fighting for their lives.  We’ve got Rusthall, who got a point at Bly last week, so they’re no mugs and then we’ve got the big two at the end.  We’ve got Hollands & Blair and Bridon.

“But I know Bly have got Orpington and they have to go to Bearsted, who are unbeaten at home all season, so you just don’t know.  We’re just hoping.

“It’s down to us.  We have to win our four games.”

Bly Spartans’ assistant manager, Carl Rolls, 42, meanwhile, knows Orpington could do his club a massive favour by denting Phoenix’s hopes tomorrow.

“They’ve got a game on Monday,” Rolls said, knowing that Bly Spartans have got a difficult trip to Bearsted and then they finish their campaign with a home game against perennial strugglers, third-from-bottom Crockenhill.

“We’ve got a few injuries so you never know.

“It’s going to be tough (for them at Orpington), but they’ve got a bigger squad, so it will be a time to play a few players now.

“I’ve set a target if three wins, maybe one draw, definitely three wins if we can.  We definitely want to go up (to the Kent League) and challenge up there.  We’ll have to add a few new players to it.  Three games to go we still have to do it.”

Visit Phoenix Sports’ website: www.phoenixsportsclub.org

Visit Bly Spartans’ website:  www.blyspartansfc.co.uk

Orpington  v  Phoenix Sports
Kent Invicta League
Easter Monday 9^th April 2012
Kick Off 3:00pm
at Green Court Road, Crockenhill, Kent BR6 8HJ