Pagham pick up point from Mullets trip

Pagham, try as they might, just couldn’t find a way past the Arundel defence at Mill Road on Tuesday evening despite having a large percentage of the play.
Pagham in action against Lingfield at the weekend / Picture by Roger SmithPagham in action against Lingfield at the weekend / Picture by Roger Smith
Pagham in action against Lingfield at the weekend / Picture by Roger Smith

The Lions started the game on the front foot and with Liam Brady, against his old club, making plenty of exciting runs down the left-hand side, it looked odds on they would score a few. But it was not to be.

Despite their dominance, the only chance of the first 20 minutes ended with Dan Simmonds having a shot slide just passed the far post. Pagham keeper Jordan Matthews was called into action soon after, having to make a smart save down by his post, one of the few times he was seriously needed in the game.

Pagham in action against Lingfield at the weekend / Picture by Roger SmithPagham in action against Lingfield at the weekend / Picture by Roger Smith
Pagham in action against Lingfield at the weekend / Picture by Roger Smith
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The ball spent the rest of the half in and around the Arundel penalty area, with Andy Chick and Harry Prisk both going close to scoring. The one really contentious point of the game came when Simmonds had what looked like a good shout for a penalty turned down by referee O’Brien, having been brought down in the box.

The second half started in much the same way as the first ended, with first Charlie Selby having a header fly over the Mullets bar, then substitute Scott Murfin having another header cleared off the line. Murfin and Howard Neighbour had come on for Jack Hands and Brady in an attempt to liven things up but still they could not force the ball over the line.

The final substitute was used when Jamie Horncastle replaced George Bingham, but apart from Simmonds picking up a booking for diving the only chance for Pagham fell to Neighbour, who forced Mullets keeper Dan Stevens into a fine save as he burst through the defence.

As the final whistle went both sides had to settle for a point which suited the home side far more than the Lions.

Pagham: Matthews, Williamson, R Davidson, Selby, Hands (Murfin), Chick, Bingham (Horncastle), van Driel, Brady (Neighbour), Simmonds, Prisk. Subs not used: Hambleton, A Davidson.