Steve O’Boyle was able to name an unchanged Phoenix Sports team for their game against Romford on New Year’s Eve.
Having won a tough Boxing Day game at Thamesmead Town, the Sports were keen to translate their away form into a home win, having failed to record a victory in front of their own supporters since 8th October.
However, it was not to be as Chinedu McKenzie’s hat-trick condemned them to more home misery.
They came out flying and should have gone ahead in the first attack of the match. Alastair Gordon sent Christie Pattison away and his low cross found Michael Power unmarked in the six yard box. Somehow Power managed to side foot his first time effort wide.
Steve Carvell then got clear of the back four but could not slide it under Callum Chafer. It came out as far as Power and his drive looked destined for the top corner but Chafer got back and made a brilliant diving save to tip over.
Missing those chances proved to be costly and Romford went ahead on nine minutes. Jonathan Adebayo slipped it through and McKenzie finished with confidence.
Their lead only lasted for four minutes and it was third time lucky for Power as he met an Ashley Probets corner unmarked and headed home despite the efforts of a defender on the far post.
Having got back level, Phoenix failed to push on and Romford had the better of things. McKenzie’s low cross found Kia Bacard sliding in but Steve Phillips was out smartly to block.
McKenzie then cut in and shot but his effort was deflected over. However, from the corner, the visitors went ahead. It came out to Nick Reynolds and his shot went straight back to corner taker Bacard. His second cross found Danny Cossington and Phillips could only push his effort out to McKenzie who slotted into an empty net.
Reynolds had a shot saved as Romford looked for the third then Greg Akpele created space for himself with some clever tricks before his 25 yarder was held by a diving Phillips.
Just before the break it looked as though Theo Fairweather-Johnson was in but he lost his footing as he shot and it slid wide.
Starting the second period as they did the first, Phoenix missed a great chance to level. Pattisson again got in behind and pulled back for Gordon, but his shot crashed back off the bar and Power sliced the follow up wide.
Again the were made to pay and it was more trickery from Akpele that set up the chance. He twisted and turned inside the penalty area and was tripped by Gordon. McKenzie stepped up and sent Phillips the wrong way from the spot.
Yet another chance came and went for Phoenix and once more Pattisson was in the thick of it. His lob over Chafer was headed off the line by Ryan Boswell and the Romford full back repeated the feat from Carvell’s headed follow up.
Chafer came out of his area when Phoenix next broke forward and had to head out but Fairweather-Johnson was unable to hit the target as Chafer retreated.
Still chances came and went for Phoenix and Carvell missed another when clean through only for his shot to come back off the post.
Jack Hopkins was next to miss a golden opportunity when unmarked in the area, he failed to make a decent connection with his header and it drifted wide.
FOOTBALL
On the break McKenzie turned provider giving Reynolds a chance to shoot but his effort was cleared away by Andrews.
Probets returned a half cleared corner and Jack Barry rose only to see his header saved then Junior Baker sent Dajon Golding clear but he delayed pulling the trigger and Boswell got back to tackle for a corner.
When the two Phoenis substitutes combined again, Chafer made a brilliant save to keep out Baker’s header
Bicard should have added a fourth for Romford in the closing minutes but shot weakly at Phillips when clean through.
It mattered little and Phoenix must now turn their attention to Monday when they host VCD Athletic in a true local derby looking to finally end the winless home run.
O’Boyle was very disappointed and accepted that Romford wanted it more..
Phoenix Sports: Phillips, Andrews, Probets, Gordon (Baker 61), Barry, Bedford, Hopkins, Carvell (Golding 69), Power, Fairweather-Johnson (Ouani 82), Pattison.
Subs not used: Campbell, Jackson.
Romford: Chafer, Boswell, Dicks (Barry 17), Cossington, Ishmail, Adebayo, Bickard, Akpele, McKenzie, Reynolds (Olukoga 90), Marfo (Green 79).
Subs not used: Taylor, Mallett.
Referee: Simon Finnigan
Assistants: Joe McKay and Matthew Pollington
Attendance: 89
Phoenix Sports star player: Ashley Probets
Images courtesy of Dave Budden