Five star Phoenix Sports beat Beckenham Town convincingly in their Southern Counties East Football League Premier Division encounter.
In their last match, the Sports were trounced by Fisher and Jake Goodman demanded a reaction. He got that, and more, as the visitors had no answer to the early onslaught. By the seventeenth minute, Phoenix were three up and there was no way back for Adam Griffin’s side, who were also looking to rebound after their FA Cup elimination.
Under three minutes were on the clock when the hosts went ahead. Steven Townsend slipped Tom Borders through and he slotted it past goalkeeper Fletcher Hegarty.
After Lee Bird headed a Richie Hamill corner over at the near post, Phoenix doubled their lead. Jamarie Brissett was sent clear down the inside left channel and went round Hegarty. He stopped to steady himself before sliding it home just as a challenge came in that flattened him.
At the other end, the visitors were awarded a free kick in a dangerous area and Blu Hustwaite’s effort came back to him off the defensive wall only for him to hack the rebound high over. Moments later, the Sports went three up. Steven Townsend, playing against his former club, produced his trade mark move when cutting in from the left wing and firing inside the far post.
Searching for a way back into the game, Town’s Kalani Barton struck a shot cleanly from twenty yards that Ryan McCourt held well then Folarin Awoleke went on a strong run but couldn’t muster any power on his shot and the Phoenix goalkeeper saved easily. Ade Ajagbe tried to ‘do a Townsend’ for Beckenham only for his shot to fly over the far upright.
Khayrie Harris drew a good right boot save out of Hegarty, Townsend delivered a corner that was knocked out to Ben Morrison and he fired over. Then Townsend took a short corner and received it back and looked to repeat his earlier success. However, this time his shot flew beyond the far post.
Just before half time Harris drilled a shot from wide past the other upright.
Although Beckenham had a lot of territorial advantage when the second period commenced, they couldn’t make the most of it due to a combination of a lack of end product and solid Phoenix defending. Midway through the half, Phoenix added a fourth. Harris delivered a cross that wasn’t cleared and it fell for the outstanding Tom Borders to finish from close range.
Henry Griffin blasted a free kick well over for the Becks then Barton had a shot blocked bravely by a determined Joe Denny in the penalty area.
Eight minutes remained when Phoenix added a fifth. Jamarie Brissett put it on a plate for substitute Isaac Hadlow, and he accepted gleefully.
Matters went from bad to worse for Beckenham three minutes later when a foul by Dan Vaughan earned him a second yellow card and he was dismissed.
Chances to make it six were missed when Brissett went round Hegarty only for his goal-bound flick to be cleared by Harry Gamble then Richie Hamill’s free kick hit the post so hard that it rebounded back to him twenty-five yards out. Kadmiel Animpong had the final goal effort with a shot that was saved by Hegarty.
On Bank Holiday Monday, Phoenix will be intent on building on the win when the host Sutton Athletic while Beckenham will look to bounce back with a home game against Chislehurst Glebe.
Phoenix Sports: McCourt; Thompson (Procopi 73), Denny, Morrison, Olusesi; Hamill, Bird; Harris (Hadlow 73), Brissett. Townsend (Animpong 78); Borders (Barnes 73). Subs not used: Docherty.
Goal scorers: Borders (3) (68), Brissett (11), Townsend (17), Hadlow (82)
Yellow card: Bird (56 foul)
Beckenham Town: Hegarty; Morrison (John 47), Gamble, Vaughan, Awoleke (Roberts 47); Griffin; Barton, Diaby, Hustwaite (Marshall 69), Ajagbe; Mills. Subs not used: Lee, Porter.
Goal scorers: None
Yellow cards: Vaughan (62 delay of restart), Barton (90+2 foul)
Red card: Vaughan (85 second yellow, foul).
Referee: Oliver Storey
Assistants: Max Cowles and Aaron Saunders
Attendance: 286