Pagham and Langney share spoils in entertaining clash

Pagham picked up another important point with a 2-2 draw at home to a Langney team that played far better than their league position suggested they would.
Jack Barnes scored a fine goal to put Pagham 2-1 up / Picture by Roger SmithJack Barnes scored a fine goal to put Pagham 2-1 up / Picture by Roger Smith
Jack Barnes scored a fine goal to put Pagham 2-1 up / Picture by Roger Smith

Both sides had chances to take all three but in the end a point apiece was probably the right result.

The Lions struck first, in the fifth minute, when Jared Rance latched on to the ball close in after the Wanderers failed to clear a corner, and smashed home for a 1-0 lead.

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They could have had another soon after, but the chance came and went. All this action seemed to spur the away side into action, and they enjoyed a period of pressure before Rance broke away down the left and was desperately unlucky to see his clever lob bounce off the top of the bar.

Disaster looked to have struck in the 28th minute when Hayden Hunter collided with a Langney forward in his own penalty area, for which the referee awarded a penalty. Lewis Boughton saved the day, however, diving to his right to smother Holobone’s low shot.

Holobone was not to be denied though and he shot home from close in make it 1-1 in the 37th minute. Hunter was replaced by Joe Clarke having sustained a couple of knocks previously.

Pagham started the better side after the interval and re-took the lead just four minutes in with a sizzling 30-yard low drive from skipper Jack Barnes which flew into the bottom corner, giving Dan Hutchinson in the Wanderers goal no chance.

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At the other end Langney had what looked a very good shout for another penalty turned down, much to their annoyance. Lewis Jenkins was the next Lion involved when his shot from the edge of the area screamed over the bar, before Boughton was forced into a marvellous save from Wanderers sub Marvelous Drumps.

Then came the most controversial moment of the game when in the 55th minute, Langney levelled the score with a second close-in goal from Holobone, despite protests from the Pagham players for handball.

Both sides had chances to take the three points and Rance was especially unlucky to see a fierce shot pushed wide and another one hit the side netting, before the final whistle blew on a very entertaining 2-2 draw.

Pagham: Boughton, da Costa, Beaney, Jenkins, Geoghegan, Jelley, Hunter (Clarke), Barnes (Slaughter), Chalaye ( Heryet), Rance, Mott. Subs not used: Hallett, Crook.

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