Beaney and Barnes on target - but new-look Pagham suffer injury setback

Pagham claimed a well-deserved draw against Guildford City - a team that were already playing their fifth game of pre-season, claiming wins against two sides from the SCFL Premier Division as well as a couple of others from their area.
Pagham take on Guildford / Picture by Roger SmithPagham take on Guildford / Picture by Roger Smith
Pagham take on Guildford / Picture by Roger Smith

The game started with both sides pushing forward, but it was the Lions that took the lead just eight minutes in from a superb strike from left-back Dave Beaney. Careering up the left wing, cutting inside his marker and letting fly from a full 30 yards, his shot curlied just inside the post and into the net.

The lead lasted only four minutes however, as a Pagham defender was caught in possession by a Guildford midfielder, who pushed forward into the box and gave goalie Lewis Boughton no chance from ten yards. Boughton was back in action three minutes later, making a flying save to keep the sides level.

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Lions v Guildford picture specialBoth sides continued to push forward as much as they could, the Lions playing some sweet up-tempo football with maximum effort. And it was Pagham that took the lead back on 34 minutes, taking advantage of a mistake in the City defence to allow captain Jack Barnes to slot home from an acute angle, for his second goal for the club.

The Lions held on under some extreme pressure until the 68th minute, when flying winger Eli Ogunseye, who had given Pagham’s defence problems all afternoon, crossed for his brother Benga to bundle the ball in at the near post.

Scott Rafferty almost gave Pagham a winner in the 82nd minute, but his 25-yard drive flew just wide of the post. The last action of the game came in injury time, when Boughton made yet another wonderful save, tipping over a shot that seemed destined for the top corner.

All in all, a wonderfully spirited performance by the young Lions side, the only downside being a possibly serious injury to midfielder Harrison Mott, who after a long spell on the ground, was carried off by his team-mates.

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Pagham; Lewis Boughton, Scott Rafferty (Seamus Griffith-Tilley), David Beaney, Scott Slaughter (James Henton), Conor Geoghegan (Charlie Selby), Matt Searle, Archie Thorpe, Jack Barnes, Harrison Mott (Mozzie?), Cian Griffith-Tilley (Harry Prisk), George Britton (Sam N’Dlovu).

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