Calvin Poku had a debut to remember when scoring four goals as Phoenix Sports beat Burgess Hill Town.

Phoenix manager Steve O’Boyle was delighted as his team claimed their first victory in the five weeks following his return to the club. For the Sports, it was their first victory since August Bank Holiday Monday.  

Poku was in action in the first minute when pulling back from the bye-line but just behind Steve Carvell and Burgess Hill were able to get it away. The visitors then had their first effort but Thomas Chalaye shot straight at Steve Phillips in the Phoenix goal. Once again, Poku caused problems when nicking it away from the Hillians custodian, Taylor Seymour, but he got crowded out when trying to find a team-mate. 

After that Burgess Hill had a good spell and Phillips was called into action when saving a free kick from Hayden Skerry and a deflected effort by Lewis Finney. Finney then volleyed over when Chalaye headed back Martyn Box’s cross before Poku made space for himself at the other end but his shot was saved.

Conrad Honore was well off target for the visitors but it was the hosts who opened the scoring in the twentieth minute. Poku chased a long ball over the top and got there just ahead of Seymour, headed it over him, and ran round behind him to roll it home.

Carvell had a shot saved by Seymour before the Hillians came desperately close to equalising. Chalaye was not marked from a corner but his firm header was tipped onto the bar by a stretching Phillips. A scramble followed but the Phoenix defenders threw themselves in the line of the shots and got it away.

One minute before the interval Phoenix scored the crucial second goal. Chaka Barnett burst through  but his shot flew out off the bar. Burgess Hill failed to clear and it fell for Poku to finish. 

Early in the second period, Patrick Harding delivered a corner that picked out Josh Spinks whose header was saved brilliantly by Phillips before Byron Walker shot wide of the near post after a good pull back by Mohammed Kafo created the opportunity.

Twenty minutes into the second half, Poku completed his hat-trick with a header from a corner and he added his fourth four minutes later when repeating from another corner.

Chalaye glanced a header wide of the far post before reducing the arrears with ten minutes remaining when finishing from close range.

Carvell restored the Sports’ four goal lead two minutes later after Seymour hurried a clearance and the Phoenix striker hit it first time into the empty net from forty yards but Lewis Taylor responded for Burgess Hill with a crisp shot from the edge of the area.

There was no further scoring and the Phoenix players didn’t have long to wait before they could start their victory celebrations against the team that they beat back in August.                       

Phoenix Sports: Phillips, Douglas, Cousins, Kafo, Adeyemi, Clark (Dorling 16), Barnett (Tabima-Alvira  81), Ahorlu, Poku, Carvell, Walker (Whitelock 72).

Sub not used: Andrews, Thompson-Fearon.

Goalscorers: Poku (20) (44) (65) (69), Carvell (82)

Yellow cards: None

Burgess Hill Town: Seymour, Ward, Box, Taylor, D’Arienzo, Spinks, Honore (Miller 61), Finney, Harding, Chalaye, Skerry (Kelly 81) .

Subs not used: Moore, Masikini, Cadman.

Goalscorers: Chalaye (80), Taylor (84)

Yellow cards: Skerry

Referee: Howard Collins

Assistants: Teddy Osborn and Andreas Anastasiou

Attendance: 123

Pictures supplied by Dave Budden.