League

Grays Stadium
Spectators: 5000 (Terracing: 4000, Seating: 1000, VIP seats: 0) Dark clouds were building up when the players entered the field. None of the them looked very eager to play. Kurt Symons started the match with the kick off. Lance Rayner made a wonderful reflex save on a shot from Keiran Ashton in the 2nd minute of play. The supporters of Phoenix FC booed when Conway Gardens was adjudged a doubtful freekick after 3 match minutes in a wonderful position. Marc Moon didn't get a good kick on the ball. When Dean Elvins came up free with the goalie in the 9th minute, the Conway Gardens fans jumped to their feet. But the shot missed the goal by a fraction of an inch, and the fans sat back down disappointed that Dean Elvins couldn't finish the play. Lance Rayner showed brilliant goalkeeper skills when he caught the ball after a hard shot from Keiran Ashton in the 16th minute of the match. After 17 minutes, Marc Moon mouthed his way into the referee's book. The tension between the Conway Gardens and the Phoenix FC players grew even worse after the yellow card. Marc Moon hit a great freekick 17 minutes into the match. Keiran Ashton sent away a hard shot on goal in the 28th minute, but the ball went just over the crossbar and out. A very good chance. With a couple of smart ball manuevers Dean Elvins in the 30th managed to get into a good position. With a left leg Matthew Buckley saved Phoenix FC from getting behind. Phoenix FC's Matthew Buckley played magnificently when he managed to stop the ball from hitting the goal, after a sharp shot by Kurt Symons in the 33rd minute of play. If Dean Elvins had kept his shot down it would have been a goal in the 37th minute. The ball went over the crossbar and out instead. A collision led to Phoenix FC getting a freekick after 46 minutes play. Syd Hehir hit a great ball. Conway Gardens's Jerry Bridge shoveled away a really nice long shot in the 47th minute of play. The shot was stopped by Matthew Buckley but with some difficulty. After a very even first half the match was still tied. The players went to their respective dressing rooms to discuss the tactics for the second half.

The wind increased when Keiran Ashton made the kick off in the second half. The audience was convinced that Kurt Symons's extremely hard shot when he got free in front of the goal was going in, but Matthew Buckley was relentless in the 52nd minute of the game. Conway Gardens's Lance Rayner played magnificently when he managed to stop the ball from hitting the goal, after a sharp shot by Keiran Ashton in the 65th minute of play. The audience was convinced that Dean Elvins's extremely hard shot when he got free in front of the goal was going in, but Matthew Buckley was relentless in the 67th minute of the game. Lance Rayner showed brilliant goalkeeper skills when he caught the ball after a hard shot from Keiran Ashton in the 69th minute of the match. In the 70th minute the ball was on its way in behind Conway Gardens's goalkeeper Lance Rayner, but with the help of a sacrificing defense, he could catch the ball at the crossbar. In the 74th minute Zackary Hellen shot on, it seemed, an open goal, but Matthew Buckley saw the ball coming and threw himself on it before it passed the goal line. Jamal Crouch sent away a hard shot on goal in the 78th minute, but the ball went just over the crossbar and out. A very good chance. Matthew Buckley stood for a superb save when he managed to get hold of Kurt Symons's shot from short distance in the 82nd minute. Lance Rayner stood for a superb save when he managed to get hold of Keiran Ashton's shot from short distance in the 83rd minute. When the match had gone on for 83 minutes, Keiran Ashton put it in 0-1 from a short distance just to the right of Lance Rayner. An unexpectedly hard shot by Dean Elvins in the 88th minute of play forced Phoenix FC's goalkeeper Matthew Buckley to throw himself to the left, to be able to save the ball. Lance Rayner made a fantastic save in the 91st minute, when Jamal Crouch sent off a good shot on target. The long shot by Crispin Jordoan in the 94th minute really tested Lance Rayner's skills. The ball was on its way into the goal to the left of him when he managed to stretch himself and save the shot and avoid a goal. Jamal Crouch received a nice pass in the box and took a hard shot in the 95th minute. Lance Rayner tensed up and prepared to dive, but the shot went over the goal with him having to interfere. The Phoenix FC supporters could be heard counting down the last seconds of the match. They errupted in celebration when the whistle blew, knowing Phoenix FC would go home with victory in their luggage after a match that easily could have ended differently.