Match Preview

The first league game in two weeks and the first home league game for 38 days sees the visit of Phoenix Sports.
Phoenix Sports Football Club was formed in 1935 as St. Johns Welling, which later changed its name to Lakeside. They were members of the North Kent League until 1939. After the Second World War the club was renamed Phoenix, as it was seen as rising from the ashes of the previous clubs amid the destruction of the Blitz. They entered the South East London Amateur League in 1948 and in 1951 the club joined the Western Section of the Kent Amateur League, now Kent County Football League, Division Two. They moved up to Division One, finishing runners up twice in the 1950s, and once in the 1970s. The club entered the Spartan League in 1981/82 and competed there until 1991/92. They then returned to the Kent County League Division One West, winning the challenge cup in 1993/94. They won the league in 1999/2000, gaining promotion to the Premier Division, however after two relegations they ended up in Division Two West. They won Division Two West in 2004/05 and Division One West in 2007/08, regaining their Premier Division status. For the 2011/12 season the club was accepted into the Kent Invicta Football League for the league's inaugural season. In 2012, they became the inaugural runners-up of the Kent Invicta League. In the 2012/13 season, they went one better, winning the Kent Invicta League championship, gaining promotion to the Southern Counties East League.

Phoenix settled in well to the new league and eventually finished up in 6th place in the first season and followed that up by winning the championship in 2014/15 winning promotion to the Isthmian League Division One North. Finishes of 14th in 2015/16 and 8th in 2016/17 were followed by the club transferring over to the Isthmian League Division One South for 2017/18 and ended in 11th place.

Last campaign saw two defeats, 1-5 at home (attendance 154) and 1-3 away (attendance 94). This season we met in the Kent Senior Cup First Round at Phoenix and came away with a 6-1 victory thanks to a brace apiece from Tom Carlton and Jake Embery and one each for Ben Gorham and James White.

This time around they sit in third place with five wins, one draw and three defeats from their nine matches. Sports last two games have seen defeat to Horsham and a draw with Whyteleafe. Bay have three matches in hand.

The return at Phoenix Sports Ground is on the last day of the season 27/04/2019.