Apart from my own club Barnet I rarely get to see another side as many as three time a season. However, there was a good reason to head to Culver Road and take in Lancing for that third time.
Now I usually add my mentions into the bottom of my blog behind the paywall, not for any particular reason and not as almost an afterthought but just recognition that wherever you go there is someone you know or planned to meet up with.
Saturday was one of those days for me, Peter who follows Phoenix Sports and who we share a mutual friend in Lee Wellings. Peter like me is a blogger following his club but he casts his net wide to clubs around the Hampshire area he resides in.
Every blogger I follow or I’ve met, we’ve all got a different style. It’s why I read so many and do my little bit to promote their work, but one common love and goal, it’s non-league football, pure and simple. Just before you find the rest behind the wall, here is the link to Peter’s take on the same game and while you’re there give it a little share around:
Lancing vs Phoenix Sports from a Sports perspective
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A dry afternoon in store for a change for two sides needing the points for different reasons, the Lancers to continue their play off charge and Sports to move away from the bottom two.
The early exchanges all came from the visitors, no end product but Lancing very much unable to get forward much for the opening 20 minutes. Then in one full 60 seconds the game changed.
A long punt forward from Lancers keeper Louis Rogers saw Sports defender Sergio Uyi miss his header, in stole Lucas Franzen-Jones and lobbed the outcoming Andy Walker to give the home side the lead against the run of play.
The goal certainly settled down the hosts who then began to play their expansive passing game, Andrew Briggs then rattling Walker’s crossbar as Sports struggled to get to grips with the game.
Neither side created much more through the remainder of the half and the home side were in front going into the break, the second half breaking out very early.
Just a goal down at the break Sports no doubt were asked at half time to keep it tight, but only seven minutes after the restart, Franzen-Jones was in on goal and slotted past Walker for his and Lancing’s second of the game, beautifully slid in, the striker with a lovely finish.
The next goal was to be crucial and it went the way of the home side just four minutes later, Franzen-Jones firing home from the penalty spot and a seemingly unassailable lead.
But, football doesn’t work that way as well all know and just after the hour mark Sports reduced the deficit, Daniel Duncanson with a neat little lob over Rogers after a great flick on by Joe Thomas to give the visitors some hope.
There are scorelines which prompt one of two responses, to sit back on a lead or go in search of another to put the game to bed. Lancing tried a little of both and actually did get a fourth with 15 minutes to play, Ben Pope finding the ball arriving at his feet inside the box and deftly flicked it past Walker and seemingly three more points.
However, Sports came back again and two minutes later Denzelle Olapade brought the visitors back within two goals of the hosts. Time though ticked away and the Phoenix weren’t able to put pressure on long enough to make any more inroads to the final score, the Lancers securing another three play-off points.
Another superbly entertaining game to watch, had Sports kept the Lancers out for a little longer first half could well have been a different story but something out of nothing sometimes can be the catalyst.
The Lancers game is easy on the eye, all comfortable in possession and interchange positions so well, they’re nicely ensconced in the play-off positions and will fancy their chances at the end of April if they remain there.
Harder work still for Phoenix, like a lot of clubs lacking a real goalscorer, those of which seem even harder to come by these days. Dropped points last midweek against Beckenham certainly hasn’t helped and most results around them did go their way, as little as three more wins might be enough for them to avoid the drop with a few added draws, if not it could be an instant return to the Southern Counties East League for them.
Good to see Dean Cox as always before the game, no doubt waiting until the summer to see if he can get back into the management side having had a taste at Culver Road and Burgess Hill, his 4-0 prediction not too far off the money.
