7th December 2013
Phoenix vs Keymer & Hassocks
Div 1
K & H travelled to the hated Cherry Lane yet again for a return with Phoenix.It does increasingly seem that the Mid Sussex League rather than absorbing the old Crawley League has in fact been the subject of a reverse takeover.They also had the delight of the long trek to pitch 6 taking their baggage with them for fear nothing would remain were it left in the changing rooms
The ref introduced himself –seemed like a nice bloke and raised hopes of a good performance after he disclosed he had been a player, but then took the edge off matters by not knowing when to stop talking as the players fidgeted around him anxious to get going
The earlier contest against the home side had been fairly evenly fought but this Phoenix appeared to be almost unrecognisable both as to performance and personnel.Also this time they had the rather dubious benefit of almost non-stop instructions shouted at top volume from the sidelines as if they were incapable of thinking for themselves ( which in fact they clearly were). K & H really struggled to cope with their power and pace and ultimately were breached with a fine solo effort after a run across the box
K & H looked as if they might get back into it when Joe Davey outpaced 2 defenders and went clear in the box but with the keeper transfixed like a startled rabbit he pulled his shot agonisingly wide.
Troy Raftery had another great chance to hit back when Pete Williamson had his shirt pulled in the box but his penalty kick hit the post and went wide
It was clearly not K & H’s day and Phoenix took over in the latter stages the second coming from a great cross from the far left and the final by their quick front man who outpaced the defence and could not be caught.According to their stats it seems he played in the first game but no one remembers him-he was certainly not easy to forget on this great display maybe he was in disguise the first time around
So the game was lost against a side who had transformed themselves in a such a short space of time that maybe it could be surmised they had somehow pulled fast one in getting themselves dropped down 2 divisions from the Premier League to claim a title they were not capable of competing for at a higher level- but perhaps that is unfairly cynical
