6/10 vs Olton Ravens (D 4-4): Our luck has not been in this year! We can look back and say we ran a good team close, and were it not for a very dodgy 'handball' penalty, we'd have won. But, we'll kick ourselves that we weren't very switched on in our set plays, and didn't pass and work well enough as a team when we had moments on top. It was a draw - but if we played as a team and were 100% alert, it could have been more. 

13/10 vs Woodbourne Squirrels (W 5-2): A bit like last week - Phoenix were not at their best. BUT - there were some good little periods of team play, and there was a lot of rotation around positions so most of the team ended up playing somewhere new. Nataniel bagged 4 goals! Those rotations underlined just how key our defensive duo of Billy and Alex are for us, so huge applause to them. MOTM was Joe after a culmination of a number of weeks of really concerted effort to create and build for his team. A huge player for us - well done Joe!

Villa Academy: The Phoenix boys took their Academy tour to Bodymoor Heath and played 3 Villa Academy sides. Reggie scored a beautiful free kick.

vs Earlswood Town (L 5-3): Our Spring Cup campaign got off a little slow to be honest, and Earlswood were 3 up at half time - and things got worse when it became 4-0 soon after the restart. The boys turned it on then though and a bravery and a resilience came through that I don't think was there earlier in the season. Roman begun the comeback with a well taken goal, and then Jack caused havoc from the bench - netting twice from range. It wasn't to be though; with Phoenix pushing for an equaliser an odd moment (was it out? Was it in?) led to a late clincher for Earlswood. So close though...

vs Harbourne White (W 6-0): After the disappointment of the first game, it would have been easy for heads to drop - but instead Harbourne were put to the sword. After a slender 1 goal half-time lead, the Phoenix boys completely blitzed Harbourne in 10 minutes. Reggie scored 4 and Billy + Jack also got on the score sheet.

That doesn't really tell the whole story though. Second half Phoenix were genuinely unbelievable. The passing, the movement, the crosses, the looking up and picking out players in space.  We were fantastic. The assists from Jack, Roman, Billy + Dan were as satisfying as any goal. Goal 3 was a complete thing of beauty: pass, pass, pass, goal.

vs Knowle Lynx (L4-2): The boys were really switched on from the off against a good opposition - a solid foundation built from the back by a MOTM display from Billy. Phoenix went ahead with a nice through ball from Jack that Reggie finished nicely. A dodgy bounce helped Lynx come back and go in at half time 2-1 up. Phoenix went toe-to-toe second half, with Joe's audacious lob coming off the post the nearest we came before Dezakai fed Dan who tucked it into the corner. 

vs Arden Forest (L 10-0): Our first 7-a-side game since December. It was rough, tough and very difficult against a really decent team. Dezakai never gave up closing them down and secured MOTM.

vs South Redditch Eagles (W 6-2): A beautiful Saturday morning in the Spring Cup. This was our best performance of the season to date: every one of the boys were outstanding. The positioning, the finding space, the closing down, the passing - it was class. Reggie (x2), Joe (x2), Jack, Roman all got goals, with Dan (x2), Joe and Jack getting assists.

vs Hampton (W 3-1): The boys followed up their best performance of the season with an even better one - beating the team that had beaten twice already this season. Phoenix went behind in the first half and went in 1-0 down - but the composure and the refusal to give up was wonderful to see. Joe got the equaliser after some great solo tenacity, Jack got us ahead in the dying seconds and then Joe scored again from basically the half-way line straight from the restart.

Dan got Man of the Match for being a beast transformed - the boy was everywhere and caused all sorts of problems.

vs Sportsco (D 4-4): A great friendly to start the year. Phoenix went behind early on, but came back to be just ahead at half time with goals from Dezakai and Reggie. We started brightly in the second half with quick goals from Joe - but Sportsco came back to level the scores. There were great chances at both ends - with great saves from both keepers. A really fair result in the end.

vs Bournville (D 2-2): Bournville scroed with the first few touches of the game with an audacious smash from almost half-way. After that, Phoenix absolutely dominated - championed by a simply unbelievable performance for MOTM Joe. Moment of the match was probably Henry reflex save with his feet! Joe equalized with literally the last kick of the game - a fully deserved equaliser. 

Wolves Academy: This was a lot of fun - great experience for the boys, and Dezakai got our first goal against Academy opposition. 

vs Harborne White (W 6-1): Our first win of 2024 and Dan's first goals for the Phoenix! Billy took a lovely goal as well with great composure alongisde a first-half brace from Joe. Roman also poached a goal after some great work from Dezakai.

vs Hampton FC (L 3-1): Our Jack was quickest to a loose ball in the box to put the Phoenix ahead. Unfortunately this was not one of our better performances and we missed the oppurtunity to take something here. 

vs Castle Vale Spitfires (L 6-4): Friday night under the lights on a brand new Astro. We were class for the first and last third of the game - and save a space in the middle where we gifted them 3 goals  - we were great. Probably Roman's best game for the Phoenix, and Billy brilliant at the back before pinching a goal himself. Leo got his first goal for the Phoenix: richly deserved and he took it lovely. Dan also got his second brace in three weeks!

vs Maypole (D 5-5):  A fabulous game of football - the boys fought for everything, never game them a moment and held their shape the best they've done all year. Was so proud they didn't let their heads drop, even at 2-0 down and missing a penalty. Boys powered back with a long-range strike from Leo and then an equaliser from Joe, who then got another. Dezakai was everywhere - including on the goal-line to make a last gasp clearance! Roman got us back level again, before Jack got what we hoped would be the winner. We had them pinned in their half and I was certain we would steal a winner - but the game was abandoned on account of crowd trouble from the home fans. 

The rain and the cold was not kind to us through the winter - we had a whole mass of postponements and we ended up playing only 3 league games in two months :-(

vs Hampton Reds (L 3-1): Not our greatest game this one - but I wont forget Joe single-handedly trying to win the game on his own for this one. He was everywhere, a truly great MOTM performance. 

vs FC Elite Panthers (L 7-4): A wee little friendly against the U7s squeezed in between cancellations. Billy, Joseph and Reggie got the goals for us.

vs Olton Ravens (W 5-2): See extended report below!

vs Harborne Blue (L 8-5): The game it rained. Horrible conditions, horrible pitch, horrible game. With a ref who must have left his watch in the car. Game could have been any score at all to either team. Jack (x2), Reggie (x2) and Joseph with goals for the Phoenix

vs FC Elite Ignite (L 7-1): Leave this one to Coach Adam who took the team for this one...

Really proud of the boys today… amazing effort from everyone…this was a really good marker for how far we have come in just a few months … this the same team that we played our first game against, the day after the boys first met! … but we were a different challenge completely today for them… for large parts of the game we were able to disrupt their rhythm and break down their play… they were just that little more aggressive, a little more physical but I didn’t think they were better players… they just had that bit more experience, a bit more awareness of where to be and when to make the pass… the hard work will pay off… the boys can hold their heads up high today and hopefullly will have learnt a thing or two that will help us bridge that difference through the rest of this season…. We looked every inch a team today…. Well done boys. Up the phoenix 🔥⚽️

Reggie got the goal for the Phoenix!

49 days after the first, Phoenix got their second win vs Olton Ravens. An unbelievable team performance - the boys played with their feet, heart and brains. 

Phoenix went in at half time three goals up - Joe crossing in to Reggie for the first, then Leo threading a lovely through ball to Jack, before Joe smashing one in from distance.

Second half was a completely different battle. Ravens came back with two early goals - and a whole different challenge beset the boys - that of hanging on to a lead. Phoenix defended brilliantly - Henry and Leo ensuring Ravens didn't get any more.  Billy marshaled the middle strongly and at the other end, Dan hit the post, Roman ran his socks off so much they had to foul him and Dezakai played through his sickness and gave their defense a torrid time. 

Finally, Jack calmed the storm by poaching one in from close range, before winning the foul that led to the free kick that Reggie curled in from miles out.

Dan got man of the match on the day of a complete performance from the boys. Well done one and all. 

I have to say I do feel October has been a very unlucky month for the Phoenix. If we ignore Marston Green, in every other league game we've been so close and so unlucky not to come away with more:

vs Maypole (Won 4-1): How can we forget we began October with our first win! Every player on the pitch played their part in our little moment of history - but Billy was a giant that day, securing both a goal and the MOTM trophy. Joe scored a cracking free kick, Roman pinged a penalty bottom corner and Dez rounded off the scoring after finishing off Reggie's good work in the box. 

vs Marston Green (Lost 13-0): Massive pitch, terrible ref. Moving on!! Jack got MOTM for never giving up - his efforts deserved a goal but it wasn't to be. 

We went and got that drubbing out of our system at the worst organised laser tag there's ever been. Here we learnt about being aggressive, attacking - and that Leo's mum and Anthony are laser assassins!

vs Hampton (Lost 4-2): How we lost this game I will never know. We were miles better then them, had 1000 shots, hit the post 3 times and still didn't get the win. Roman scored a sublime goal across the keeper after a darting run into the box and then Joseph assisted Jack with a goal right at the end. Leo was a colossus at the back and did masses going forward (& hit the post himself!) so got himself the MOTM, but it was also Dan's finest performance in the gold shirt to date. Particular nod also to Henry with some fine keeping at the end. 

vs Walmley Colron (Friendly): After Hampton postponed the game, we had a bit of fun with a very experienced and high quality Walmley team. Penalties at the end were particularly fun, with some quality strikes (see the video!). Jack played bravely with the lurgy (he came off twice with sickness!) and Captain Billy was a boss in the middle. Roman got MOTM and banged in two penalties as well. 

vs Earlswood (Lost 4-1): And this one I'll leave to boss-for-the-day Anthony...

"Well done lads 4-1 was never the result,, competed all the way,, Reggie hitting the post,, Roman unlucky with the penalty,, jo great goal and finish,,,there keeper made 3 worldies,, everybody competed to the end really proud of all of you,,,dez man of the match was all over the pitch,,, keep that tempo lads and you'll get there 👍👍 up the phoenix 👍👍"

At long, long last - Pheonix got their first win. Super proud of every one of the boys - every one of them was excellent today. Roman got his first goal from the penalty spot, pinging it into the bottom corner and celebrated running the full length of the pitch in front of the parents! Maypole got one back before half time, but in the second half Pheonix took the game away from them. First Billy's MOTM performance earnt him his first goal after some tenacity around the keeper. Then Joseph scored a lovely free kick through a crowd and into the bottom corner. Reggie thought he'd scored in the dying moments, but it bounced off the post and into the path of Dez to round it off 4-1.

Unbelievable effort from all, and it was my honour to award Player of the Month for September to Leo at the full time whistle.

It's been a really special month, seeing the boys come together as a team. They've all grown so much in terms of their confidence, and it's great to see them become more familiar with each other's strengths and abilities, as well as feeling their way to their own strongest positions and roles in the side.

September began with our final pre-season game, a visit from Bilston Town. The game was split into quarters - which I thought worked really well for us in that we could make big changes with proper team talks to go with it. We also had a rotating keeper for this one, which was lots of fun! Reggie & Dezakai got on the score sheet, with Reggie also securing man of the match for his heart and constant support and encouragement.

We then began the season with a tough away assignment at Woodbourne. A difficult day and a harsh introduction to the league. Jack was again full of running and never let his head go down, and so earnt himself MOTM. 

Norton Lindsey were the next visitors to Twickenham. I felt this was really where we saw the green shoots come from the tough fixtures we'd had up to now. The boys were great and were really unlucky to let in so many goals - a lot of them came simply from coming against players with a bit more match experience who knew how to make the most of things like kick-offs and goal kicks. Jack scored our first league goal and Chaos Joe secured MOTM for a string of great saves, an assist and a kamkiaze cameo in centre midfield.

The month ended away to Hollyfields - a solid team with a whole year's more experience then ourselves. Against the wind and the hill, the boys were remarkable defensively (in part because of MOTM Henry's bravery in the blocks and tackles) and came in at half time only 2-1 down (Jack again getting on the scoresheet). Although the scoreline pulled away from us in the second half, we were never out of the game. 

Hollyfields allowed us to see just how much as a team we had grown... 

• Dez has added defensive play to his tricks, twists and turns.

• Billy has grown so much in terms of his strength and bravery.

• Dan the Man is now adding so much more direction and purpose to his attacking play.

• Joe is thriving in goal and relishing his chaotic cameos.

• Roman is getting more and more confident and I think is so close to his first goal.

• Leo is becoming calmer on the ball and can read and slow down the game with such maturity.

• Reggie wouldn't say his name to me Day 1!! He's now a huge part of the heart and soul of this team.

• Jack is adding real intelligence and precision to his direct play and his speed going forward. 

• Henry is getting so much better at doing the simple, safe things well.

September - it's been a pleasure. Up the Phoenix in October!!