Honours were even at Nyetimber Lane as the traditional Sussex League division-one Easter fixture between Pagham and Selsey was settled by two first-half goals.
The game began with a stinging shot from Selsey’s Max Thoms that James Binfield did well to hold on to. Not so lucky was Selsey keeper Sam Joyce who completely misjudged Joe Booker’s long-range shot for Pagham’s opener on five minutes. He redeemed himself shortly afterwards as a right-sided shot was well stopped.
Ryan Cox made his mark for Selsey on his return to the Lane with a robust tackle on Lewis Hyde that gained a yellow card.
Scott Murfin hit the side netting for Pagham while a free-kick from Selsey’s Callum Britton had to be scrambled away.
On 22 minutes Toby Pointing equalised for Selsey.
Pointing tried again a couple of minutes later, his shot drifting wide. A low shot from Scott Murfin was held by Joyce, while Britton also gained a booking.
Ben Buckland had to be on his toes when hacking the ball away from a Selsey onslaught.
The keepers were at their best, with Joyce’s tremendous finger-tip save denying Pagham’s Howard Neighbour.
Daren Pearce tried his luck, the Pagham skipper’s shot flying just over.
The first second-half chance came from another free-kick. Selsey couldn’t take advantage, though, and soon the Lions’ Lewis Hyde produced a strike that went just wide. For Selsey, Graham Bush’s run and shot saw Booker having to head the ball away from danger.
Two substitutions for the Lions either side of the hour mark saw Jake Hawker and James Temple replace Hyde and Jack Bingham.
Dan Sackman headed at Joyce while Binfield denied Selsey with a double save.
Britton got away down the right only to see the ball scrambled away by Pagham.
Pointing almost won it with a near-post effort that nearly beat James Binfield.
PAGHAM: Binfield, Buckland, Bingham (Hawker 55), Pearce, Booker, Sackman, Hyde (Temple 61), N Murfin, Neighbour, S Murfin, Briggs. Subs: Robinson, Devine, Hallett.
SELSEY: Joyce, Urquhart, Pointing, Kilner, Heggarty, Lee, Britton, Morey, Bush, Thoms, Cox. Subs: Haggar, French, Watts, Hinshelwood.
JON ROSE
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