Mavericks make Lions suffer '“ but Seaford are sunk

It's been another hectic week of action for Pagham FC. Richie Hellen and Tom Simmonds' team slipped to a 2-1 defeat away to Worthing United but quickly put it behind them with a 5-1 RUR Cup victory at home to Seaford.
Pagham were too strong for Seaford / Picture by Roger SmithPagham were too strong for Seaford / Picture by Roger Smith
Pagham were too strong for Seaford / Picture by Roger Smith

Meanwhile the reserves hit Wick for six.

Worthing United 2 Pagham 1

SCFL premier

The Lions were robbed by the Mavericks and missed out on three points at Lyons Way.

This was the league’s joint leading scorers versus the league’s leakiest defence – what could possibly go wrong?

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In the end, the denial of two stonewall penalties and a last-gasp winner upset the formbook.

Following on from the midweek mauling of the Marigolds, Pagham bosses Richie Hellen and Tom Simmonds were looking to continue the winning run.

Pagham roared into the game, shooting at will. With Scott Murfin playing a more withdrawn role than normal, it was left to George Cody and Callum Overton to keep keeper Kieran Sills busy.

Only a single speculative shot from United’s Jahobi Maher in the first quarter-hour showed the Lions what was to come. The ex-Broadbridge Heath striker was a nuisance all afternoon.

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Pagham pressed on and their efforts were rewarded on 34 minutes, Cody cutting in and smashing the ball past Sills.

Desparate defending from United skipper Josh Fuller kept Overton from scoring while a couple of corners for the Lions could have doubled their lead.

On the stroke of half-time Lions’ skipper Jamie Horncastle headed a free-kick narrowly over.

Cody almost struck again three minutes into the second again. A superb shot at goal forced an athletic fingertip save from Sills.

Terrell Lewis came on for the Lions as Cody went off.

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Scott Murfin tested Sills with a shot on the turn, then Joe Kilhams was bundled over in the area and Pagham shouted for a spot-kick. The referee was having none of it.

A minute later, Maher hit the equaliser. Collecting a ball in from Lindon Miller, Maher gave James Binfield little chance as the ball flew in.

Another spot-kick furore on 68 minutes saw Overton the wronged party. He seemed to be pushed over in the area, but the officials deemed it a fair challenge.

A few minutes later, Scott Murfin fed Joe Kilhams but he put his chance just over his intended target.

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A booking for United’s Mohammed Shuga’a on 81 minutes was the only one of the game.

Killhams and Scott Murfin both went close to winning it for the Lions before a second for United and Maher in the last minute ended the visitors’ hopes of a fifth away win of the season.

Worthing U: Sills, Shuga’a, Patching, Nagle, Fuller, Stideford, McKernan, Ubah, Blundell, Maher, Miller. Subs: Rose, Alabi, Horne, Evans.

Pagham: Binfield, N Murfin, Wollers, Bingham (Parkinson 82), Van Driel, Horncastle, Kilhams, Chick, Overton, S Murfin, Cody (Lewis 57). Subs: Ansa, Hawker, Davidson.

JON ROSE

Pagham 5 Seaford Town 1

RUR Charity Cup R2

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In the end, it was all too easy for Pagham as they dismantled the Seaford defence and, despite not playing at their absolute best, dumped the Badgers out of the RUR Cup comfortably.

After the defeat at Worthing, the game started badly when, in just the second minute, the Lions went behind. Seaford striker Jamie Morgan burst through the middle and gave goalkeeper Luke Terry, playing for the unavailable James Binfield, no chance.

It could have been worse when Terry had to be on his toes to save from Joey Pout.

On 11 minutes Callum Overton almost equalised when he headed Joe Kilhams’ cross wide. But the home side did not have to wait long as Alex Ansa-McIntyre scored his first goal for the club three minutes later, thumping home another cross from Kilhams.

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Scott Murfin put the Lions in front in the 26th minute, shooting home from inside the six-yard box from a superb ball across the area by Overton.

On 30 minutes Scott Murfin broke away, but Seaford goalie Jack Webb was smartly out to hack clear.

Lloyd Rowlatt hit the bar from a free-kick at least 30 yards and Overton had another shot scrambled away by the keeper.

Overton thought he’d added a third when he rifled home from 25 yards only to find the linesman’s flag up for offside.

HT 2-1

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Seven minutes into the second half Overton raced from the halfway line, evaded a last-gasp tackle and slid the ball into the bottom corner to give the Lions a 3-1 advantage.

Scott Murfin surged down the right but his cross just evaded the onrushing Overton after 61 minutes. It was then Murfin’s chance to go close when he blazed over after a cross from Overton.

Overton had two more chances to notch his second, one that flew across the goal and another when his shot went high over the bar after he and sub David Crouch had broken.

There was still time for two more Pagham goals. In the 83rd minute Terrell Lewis, on for George Cody, flicked a header over keeper Webb from a cross from the left by Rowlatt to make it 4-1, then Kilhams smashed home after winning a great tackle on the edge of the area.

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Pagham: Terry, Kilhams, van Driel, N Murfin, Davidson, Bingham, Rowlatt, Ansa-McIntyre, Overton (Hawker), S Murfin (Crouch), Cody (Lewis). Subs not used: Horncastle, Chick.

PAUL DAVIDSON

Pagham U21 6 Wick U21 0

SCFL Under 21 West

Pagham’s young Lions gave their visitors from Wick a good mauling and should have probably had ten.

Their account was opened when Jack Parkinson ran on to a long ball over the defence in the 20th minute, rounded the keeper and scored from a very acute angle.

It wasn’t long before Parkinson doubled the tally when a ball through a static defence allowed Parkinson to run on and give the keeper no chance.

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On 27 minutes, one of the linesman collapsed on the sidelines and had to be replaced.

Just before half-time Parkinson completed his hat-trick with a goal identical to his second.

In first-half stoppage time, Wick’s only shot on goal of the evening was easy for Lions keeper Jordan Matthews in his first game of the season.

Ceri Marsh added another before the interval when he smashed the ball into the roof of the net from a corner.

HT 4-0

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A rousing round of applause marked the return of club favourite Ryan Cox after a long injury break.

Parkinson slid in his fourth of the night and his side’s fifth ten minutes into the period.

Michael Rogerson, Scott Rafferty and Joey Jones had chances to extend the lead before Tom Gannon watched his shot bounce off the top of the bar and out of play.

Rogerson, having had a great chance blocked, tapped home a superb cross from Mitchell Cane to round things off.

Pagham: Matthews, Rafferty, Cane, Hambleton, Keane, Selby, Ashmore, Marsh, Stanley, Parkinson, Gannon. Subs: Cox, Simmonds, Jones, Rogerson.

PAUL DAVIDSON