Kent Senior Cup Second Round
Mayplace Ground, Bexleyheath
Admission: £5.00 (Charlton season ticket holders, £9.00 otherwise)
Programme: £1.00
Attendance: 220
Using up my final annual leave allowance before the end of the year, I took today and tomorrow morning off from work, but there was little non-league football to choose from in the south-east this evening. Fortunately this was a game that appealed to me anyway, being able to watch Charlton's youngsters at a ground that I had wanted to revisit since my last visit eight years ago. A reduced admission fee for Charlton season ticket holders sealed the deal for me.
I decided to drive this evening, via the A2 and then Crayford town centre, from which The Mayplace Sports Ground is about a mile away uphill - alternatively, the closest train station, Barnehurst, is about a 20 minute walk. It is fair to say that the Phoenix Sports have made great strides on and off the pitch since my last visit in April 2011. At that time, they plyed their trade in the Kent County League Premier Division, and facilities were restricted to a wooden pavilion type building housing the changing rooms in one corner, and a clubhouse behind the goal. Those two buildings are still there and in full operation, but have been added to considerably since then. A fixture board on the passing road welcomes visitors to the ground, and then there are two separate turnstile blocks to choose from to enter the ground. Next to the clubhouse, on the front wall of which team line-ups are posted, there is a covered area next to a small portakabin which serves as a tea bar for hot and cold drinks and food. Between this assortment of buildings and the pitch side railing, there is quite large grassy area with a few picnic tables on. Slightly elevated hard standing is available along about a third of the length, with a modern metallic all-seater stand straddling the half way line, and another almost identical stand is situated towards the far corner. There is just hard standing along the remaining end and length, but these are now closely enclosed with wooden fencing. The 24 page programme was good value for a pound, printed in colour, and contained plenty of stats, a welcome message and introductions to both clubs.
Phoenix Sports are having another reasonable season in the Step 4 Isthmian League South East Division, this being the fifth season at that level, and were in tenth place coming into this game, following six wins and a draw from their opening 14 league games. The Charlton Athletic Under 23 team is having a good season in the Professional Development League, winning five and drawing five of their 12 league games so far, and are unbeaten in their last eight league games. This evening's fixture would be an interesting test, with a particularly young team to be fielded, given that quite a few youngsters are being blooded into the first team squad due to the chronic injury problems suffered at the club. Of this evening's starters, Josh Davison came on as a sub at home to Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday, and goalkeeper Nathan Harness was on the bench, and amongst the other players this evening, there were just a handful of appearances in the minor first team cups between them. 18 year old Eddie Allsopp, who was signed from Phoenix Sports last year, was named as a sub, but did not make it onto the pitch.
On a very cold evening, with frost forming ahead of kick off, the first twenty minutes was quite even without many attacks being mounted, but on 24 minutes, a Charlton players seemed to be clearly brought down in the box, but only a corner was awarded. Perhaps the referee realised he had made an error, because when the corner was floated in, he did award a penalty, to the bewilderment of everyone present, presumably it was awarded for pushing. Junior Quitirnia drove the ball into the net despite taking a firm deflection off the keeper's gloves. Four minutes later and after it took an age for a Phoenix Sports corner to be delivered, with the referee trying to stop pulling and pushing in the box, it was no great surprise that he awarded a penalty as the ball was delivered. However Ben Allen saw his penalty saved low to the keeper's right, the follow up shot was deflected into the side netting, and from the resultant corner, a close range bullet header was caught by the keeper. Phoenix Sports went to create a couple of good chances before half time, with headers from corners sent just wide and high.
So, all to play for still in the second half, and it was Charlton who came close to doubling their lead on 51 minutes following a lovely slide rule pass through the defence to find the run of Charles Clausen, who sidestepped around the keeper and from an angle, struck the ball goalwards, only for Lewis Clark to hack the ball clear for a corner. That was to prove a pivotal moment in the game, as within a minute, Phoenix Sports got back on level terms. A ball forward was headed on, finding the run of Lauris Chin, who eventually just managed to poke the ball past the onrushing keeper into the net. And the turnaround was complete a minute later when the home side scored their second, Allen whipping the ball in from the right for Jeff Duah-Kessie to volley it home at the far post. The game remained very much in the balance, with both teams coming close to scoring, Phoenix Sports looking the more likely, but four minutes into added on time, Charlton came oh so close to forcing a penalty shootout to decide the match when a free kick was dinked in from close to the byline and Josh Davison headed the ball against the underside of the bar. And with that, the game was up for the young Charlton team and it was Phoenix Sports who would claim the scalp of beating a professional outfit and progress to the quarter finals. Indeed, it was a memorable evening for them, with a crowd far larger than they normally attract, with league attendances struggling to break into three figures, which is a shame as it is a nice set up there.
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