Powerful Pagham beat East Preston to go top of SCFL Shield group

Pagham put East Preston under pressure / Picture: Roger Smith

It was the Lions and only the Lions right from the start as they tore at a young and inexperienced looking EP team and could have scored as early as the 6th minute when the keeper pulled off a good save from Joe Clarke.

Pagham did take the lead in the 13th, Jared Rance tapping in at the far post from a good Joe Bennett cross. EP equalised against the run of play with a bizarre own goal 10 minutes later, Jack Barnes managing to pass the ball back behind keeper Troy Sexton and into the net, despite the frantic attempts of the goalie.

Pagham v East Preston picture special by Roger Smith.

Ben Clark-Eden heads goalwards / Picture: Roger Smith

On 23 minutes Dave Crouch put the home side back in front with a rasping shot from the edge of the box, and despite many chances for the Lions, that’s the way it stayed until half-time.

The second half started much as the first, with Pagham creating chances and failing to take them. Crouch, Ben Clark-Eden (twice), Ash Hawkes and Connor Geoghegan were all guilty of missing reasonable chances before Hawkes grabbed a third after 78 minutes. George Bingham put him clean through the middle and he made no mistake.

The game looked all over, but EP pulled one back with five minutes left when Ted Hartley smacked the ball under Sexton with their first and only shot on target of the game. Jake Heryet made the game safe in the last minute, tapping home a Hawkes cross for the win the Lions needed to go top.

Pagham: Troy Sexton, Nathan Da Costa (Dylan Jelley), Jack Barnes, Joe Clarke, Connor Geoghegan, Ben Clark-Eden, Ollie Hambleton, Sam Connolly (George Bingham), Dave Crouch (Callum Chalmers), Jared Rance (Jake Heryet) & Joe Bennett (Ash Hawkes).