Pagham press on – Midhurst hit by injuries – Bosham have slow start

Pagham had a winning week – winning on penalties at Staplehurst Monarchs in the FA Vase and winning in the Wessex League at Ash United.

It was a rather flat display at Staplehurst and boss Del Chester admitted: “We really didn’t get out of first gear for the majority of the game.

“We took the lead after the half-hour mark when good closing down from Junior Kamara forced the keeper into a mistake, leaving a simple tap-in for the striker.

But second gear never came with the goal.”

Monarchs levelled midway through the second half and took lead 10 minutes from time with a lovely free0kick.

The equaliser came in the 90th minute when Callum Chase set up Phil Turner.

Lions keeper Giannis Poda, who has dual signed from Worthing, was exceptional and helped Pagham win 4-2 on penalties.

On to Ash on Tuesday and Chester said: “The focus for us before the game was a clean sheet and we were strengthened in defence with the return of Conor Geoghegan.

After a slow start and fear of a repeat performance from the weekend we found the extra gears quite quickly.”

Callum Litterick teed up Harry Bridle for the opener, then Bridle got his second.

The third came when sub George Cody broke through and calmly finished.

Chester added: “We were robbed of our clean sheet with minutes to go as Ash got their consolation, but I couldn’t fault the players for a remarkable performance.

We are really moving forward with the things we are working on and the squad are committing to everything.”

Midhurst and Easebourne came through the first qualifying round of the FA Vase – but at a cost.

They beat Greenways 4-2 on penalties after a 1-1 draw with Greenways at the Rotherfield but suffered major injuries to Robbie Tambling, Kieran Carter and Billy Connor.

Stags boss Andy Ewen said: “Losing three key players in one game is something I’ve never had before.

“We’ve picked up the odd major injury over the years, but three in a game has left us really short with our attacking options, on top of the holiday period – you couldn’t make it up.

"I would rather have lost the game and had these lads fit - these injuries won’t be weeks, they’re months.

"People who normally help me out can’t as they’ve had two games themselves over the bank holiday. We’ve got an FA Cup tie Saturday so lads are either cup tied or clubs don’t want them to be, which I understand.”

Stags took the lead in the sixth minute when Robbie Tambling ran through and squared to Charlie Osbourne, who tapped home. Minutes later Tambling went down, having to be stretchered off.

This affected the Stags, who lost Carter to a knee injury at the end of the first half.

Greenways started the second half well and Josh Bird made one very good save. Then Connor had to go off with 15 minutes remaining leaving Stags with 10 men.

Greenways were pushing without testing Bird but they were given awarded a penalty in the 81st minute which was scored. The Stags won the shootout 4-2.

Bosham FC

The new SCFL division two season has got under way with Bosham rather stumbling out of their blocks, instead of getting the flying start that management duo Tony Hancock and James Wilson hoped for.

First up for the Reds was a testing trip to improving Southwater, where a positive performance left the players frustrated to come away with a solitary point.

Lewis Rustell netted the Reds’ goal with a firm header from an Ilya Donets cross but otherwise Southwater keeper Sam Smith was in exceptional form.

Next up were two away trips in three days over the holiday weekend.

The longest journey of the season to Jarvis Brook was followed by the much shorter hop to Ferring on Monday.

At Jarvis a much-changed Robins side took the game to Brook and caused the Blues defence many problems but a lack of quality in the final third proved costly as Brook snatched two goals against the run of play.

Charlie Batup first took full advantage of a huge gap in the Bosham defence before Jake Broomfield beat the offside trap to double the hosts’ lead.

Numerous first team players returned for the trip to Ferring, but it was a lacklustre performance – allowing Ferring to control all that Bosham could muster.

Donets suffered a serious wrist injury and had to go hospital where a double break was confirmed.

Josh Jones smashed the hosts in front and Sean Kennard and Lukas Remington-Byford made it 3-0 in the second half.