On a blustery chilly night at Oakley Road Phoenix Sports maintained their second place in the table with a comfortable win against Holmesdale who still have the spectre of relegation looming over their shoulder.

With the previous attempt to play this fixture having been abandoned at half time with Phoenix 3-0 up, the visitors started the game looking determined to continue the same vein with a spell of early pressure.

Holmesdale settled for a while and started to come into things but it was still Sports who created the clearer chances. Matthew Bourne had a header saved from a corner and they looked sharp on possession when going forward.

Dale’s Emmanuel Oduguwa had a shot saved by Andy Walker and James Shields headed wide from a corner, before Sports started to press again.

Tashi-Jay Kwaiye had a volley saved by James Boughtflower and the Dale keeper was also on hand to deny Henry Douglas and Tom O’Connor.

Ryan Sawyer headed a Ryan Hayes free kick over the bar and O’Connor headed over soon after.

The visitors breakthrough came just before half time when Kwaiye and Hayes combined to set up O’Connor who received the ball on the edge of the area and drilled the ball low into the far corner of the net.

Phoenix had a penalty shout turned away with their next attack, before Dale nearly levelled up in first half injury time when Walker spilled a cross and it deflected off Luke Adams on to the post and wide. 

The second half started with Phoenix on top, Tom Cousins made a strong run into the box and then had a shot that was saved by Boughtflower, but they did make it 2-0 on 49 minutes when Hayes let fly a low powerful effort from long range that curled and skipped into the net off the far post with Kwaiye on hand to make sure.

Hayes went close from range again soon after and Sawyer fired narrowly over. With the Phoenix fans cheering their team on behind the goal and doing a ‘Poznan’ they encouraged their side to keep pressing.

Alfie Evans hit the post from a corner as did Lee Bird, before on a rare attack Holmesdale’s Kameiko Pope-Campbell had a shot saved by Walker.

Late on with Phoenix still dominating sub Francis Babalola had a shot deflected wide and then was also denied by the feet of Boughtflower when one on one.

In the end two goals either side of the break were enough to see Steve O’Boyle’s maintain their second spot, while Lee Roots’ side will need to pick up three points from their remaining three games to secure their Premier Division place for next season.                        

Dale: Boughtflower, Dasho, Shields, Yilmaz, McCarthy, Sata, Asaam, Adams, Oduguwa.

Subs: Pope-Campbell, Alaka, Landy, Reid-Newth, Mbongue. 

Phoenix: Walker, Doughty, Cousins, O’Connor, Sawyer, Bourne, Evans, Dalton, Kwaiye, Bird, Hayes.

Subs: Clark, Babalola, Pont, Birch, King. 

Goals: O’Connor 42, Hayes 52mins. 

Referee: Mr Stuart Beadle 

HT 0-1 FT 0-2

Att: 88