Pagham return to winning ways at Hassocks

With Jack Barnes back in the side at left back, on a mild night in Hassocks under the lights, Pagham started the brightest with an energetic opening five minutes with a few chances falling to Ryan Morey and Jack Langford within the first three minutes but just couldn’t find the target.

In the fifth minute the ball was beautifully brought down by Ross Edwards in the centre of the pitch and moved forward into the feet of striker Morey. He was given enough time to turn and run at the centre back as he slipped Joe Clarke through on goal with a one on one that was tapped nicely into the corner of the net.

Jake Heryet won himself a free-kick on the edge of the box, getting up to line up a shooting opportunity. Heryet gently curled the ball around the wall sending the Hassocks goalkeeper scrambling across his goal to make a last-ditch save and out for a corner.

After 15 minutes the game became pretty even with Hassocks getting a foothold into the game and creating a few chances by dropping the ball in behind Pagham’s defence, only for Pagham goalkeeper Lewis Boughton to keep the score at 1-0.

On 38 minutes the game was pretty even until a Jack Langford run from the halfway line and cut back and blistering shot was tipped around the post by the Hassocks goalkeeper resulting in a Pagham corner. That was taken by Morey who put the ball into the six-yard box and the towering centre half Dylan Jelley met the ball sweetly at the front post to make the score 2-0 on 38 minutes.

The second half started pretty evenly and with a couple of chances at each end one, notably a run by first half goalscorer Clarke as he danced around the Hassocks midfield to see his shot dragged wide of the post.

Pagham made two changes bringing on Matt Hambleton and Jamie Carroll on for Connor Geoghegan and Heryet. When Carroll at the back post played a ball back across the box a Hassocks defender on the floor seemed to handle but the referee waved play on.

Hassocks broke but Pagham veteran and skipper Nathan Da Costa swept up. Midway through the second half Barnes played a ball into centre midfield to Olly Hambleton with a sweet turn around the corner to Jamie Carroll who burnt his full-back and to get a hard driven ball into Langford’s feet and his shot fired off of the crossbar.

Pagham had chances to put the game out of sight, with one on ones from Langford, Clarke and Morey all narrowly missing the target. With 15 minutes to play Grant Radmore came on in a return from injury, and it didn’t take long for Redmore to make an impact, opening space for a shot which was matched by Hassocks goalkeeper.

In stoppage time Hassocks started to put pressure on the Pagham back four with a ball dropping to the edge of the box and a shot found its way into the bottom corner. Pagham held on for their first win in five games.

Pagham: Boughton, Da Costa, Jelley,,Geoghegan (M.Hambleton), Barnes, Edwards, O.Hambleton, Clarke, Langford (Radmore), Morey, Heryet (Carroll). Star Man Ryan Morey.