Let's not be fooled by the current league position of Phoenix Sports. After an absolutely dreadful start to the season they have drastically improved in recent weeks and are currently 6th in the 'six match form table', including a recent win at Haywards Heath. I'm sure we will have met far poorer teams this season.
That said, we are on a pretty hot streak ourselves and I'm looking forward to another hard fought 'blood and guts' narrow victory in the aftermath of whatever Eunice can deliver us tomorrow !
I love football in proper winter weather...who wants to watch it on a billiard table ?
Assuming injured list includes Dawes ,Pope and Hull would go with Rodgers- Goldsmith, O'Mara, Stone, Black- Worrell, Dixon, Adams- Chalmers, Pogue, Hasler. Could be useful to have Freddie Legg on the bench - he was in great fotm for the U23's on Monday. Gnory Scott must be close to a start.
Hastings weren't at their best at Phoenix but hopefully we will continue to be workmanlike and get control of the match right from the kick off.
A friend of a friend plays for Phoenix and was in their team for our away match. Since then they have accquired some new players and he can't get in the side. No game for Hastings is easy as most teams raise their game for a trip to the Pilot Field. 1-0 would be good enough for me!
First of all congratulations to Frankie Francis winning £112.50 on the 50/50 with ticket 2002.
As for the game, Phoenix not the worst team at the Pilot Field this season .They game with a plan to keep us out and in the first half they looked like succeeding . Even though they scored first felt confident we would break through in the end and so it proved and quite comfortably too.New lad did well when he came on but agree with sponsors that Tom Chalmers was Man of the Match.
Clearly very tricky playing conditions today judging by the number of misplaced passes and shots ballooned way over the bar...both teams equally guilty.
Like Phil, I felt we were clearly the better side but had a horrible feeling it might be 'one of those days' when they took the lead. In fact that seemed to be the trigger for us to come to life and start making real goal scoring opportunities, something we lacked in the first half despite plenty of possession in dangerous areas.
Thought Tom or Jack probably deserved MotM today.
Sadly still not convinced by Tom Cooney. Any thoughts anyone on Tom ?
I may well be wrong, but I got the impression that Cooney was signed to specifically do a job at left wing back when we started playing three at the back, a formation that released Chalmers into a more attacking role on the opposite flank. Not sure if we had/have anyone else suited to that position?
When playing as a flat back four, Black and Goldsmith are perfectly good full backs, of course. I thought Cooney did well enough against Ashford and Hythe, but haven’t seen the last couple of games to comment further.
Thought both sides played better than they did at Phoenix, where we won 4-2. We dominated the first half without causing their 'keeper many problems. Kept hoping Jack Dixon would push further forward as he appeared to be taking over Ryan's deeper lying role. The Phoenix goal followed an uneasy start to the second half when we couldn't seem to pick up the pace of the match. But the goal sparked us into life and we played with more urgency and pace. Our ever reliables in midfield, Sam and Jack scored to ease the nerves as Hastings regained control of the match. Think Tom Cooney is a reliable consistent player and as Sean says, probably allows us more flexibility in formations to use. Must say Dave Martin is being very loyal to Hastings- thought he might have moved on by now.
First half I thought was almost like watching a small-sided game of attack vs defence and amazed by how we weren't in front at the break - especially with the Cooney chance. Second half after Phoenix scored, I think we looked more dominant and had more energy in us to keep going and push forward. Both Sam and Jack's goals I thought were taken very well and no second thoughts about the penalty. Did worry me at times when we looked somewhat very casual on the ball and lost the ball in dangerous areas off the pitch but felt very relieved at 3-1 to have come away with 3 points especially with Cray and Ashford winning yesterday too.
