Match Preview

BIG MATCH PREVIEW

PHOENIX SPORTS v CRAY VALLEY (PM)
29th JAN 2022
PITCHING IN ISTHMIAN LEAGUE – SOUTH EAST DIVISION

By Richard J Green

Valley make the short journey to Barnehurst on Saturday to face a Phoenix Sports side battling to retain the Isthmian League status earned seven years ago.
Manager of Sports when they convincingly won the SCEFL in 2015 – suffering only one defeat in 38 league matches – was Steve O’Boyle, and it is “Boyley” who is back at the club leading “the Great Escape” this season.
When O’Boyle succeeded Paul Bryon at the start of November, Sports were firmly anchored to the bottom of the league with four points from eleven matches and looking doomed. That they now find themselves seven points from safety and in with a fighting chance of survival is in itself worthy of mention.
The December signing of strikers Connor French and Calvin Poku - from Sutton Common Rovers and Halstead Town respectively -, is anticipated to compensate for the departure of club talisman Jeff Duah-Kessie to neighbours VCD Athletic, while long serving goalkeeper Steve “Frenchie” Phillips remains a dependable last line of defence.
When the teams met at the Artic Stadium early in October, it took until the 76th minute for a Marcel Barrington strike to finally beat a resilient defensive performance from Sports, in which Alex Brefo stood out prior to his move to Eltham.
Despite registering only one win in their last seven league fixtures, Valley remain firmly within the promotion play-off places and will be buoyed by two successive clean sheets, while on Tuesday, goals from Barrington and Francis Babalola saw them to a 2-0 win against Felixstowe & Walton United in the 3rd round of the Velocity Cup.

SEASON 2020/21 LEAGUE FORM GUIDE

Phoenix Sports
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Cray Valley (PM)
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MATCH DETAILS

DATE:-

SATURDAY 29th JANUARY 2022, KICK-OFF 3PM

VENUE :-

Phoenix Sports Club, Mayplace Road East, Barnehurst, KENT DA7 6JT

(APPROX JOURNEY TIME FROM THE ARTIC STADIUM – 15 MINS, 8 MILES)

Official Club website – https://www.phoenixsportsclub.co.uk

ADMISSION

Adults: £9.00
OAP's (65+): £5.00
Under 16's: FREE

MATCH OFFICIALS

Referee – Karl Sear
Assistants – Craig Charles and John Duffy

PREVIOUS MEETINGS

LEAGUE (Incl SCEFL)

Played 6
Won 1
Drawn 3
Lost 2

Isthmian league SE Div
Played 3
Won 2
Drawn 0
Lost 1
Season 2021/22
Tue 5 Oct 2020 - Cray Valley (PM) 1 Phoenix Sports 0

Season 2019/20

Sat 14 Dec 2019 – Phoenix Sports 2 Cray Valley (PM) 0
Sat 8 Feb 2020 – Cray Valley (PM) 2 Phoenix Sports 0

CUP

Played 1
Won 0
Drawn 0
Lost 1

Full details of our previous encounters can be found at
https://www.crayvalleypmfc.com/a/season-202122--opponents-previous-meetings-62212.html?page=13