Clarke the hero as Pagham win at East Preston

Pagham finally found their goal touch, despite missing their usual quota of excellent chances, and thanks to a hat-trick from Joe Clarke, secured all three points with a 3-1 win at local rivals East Preston in an SCFL premier division clash.
Pagham hat-trick hero Joe Clarke / Picture: Roger SmithPagham hat-trick hero Joe Clarke / Picture: Roger Smith
Pagham hat-trick hero Joe Clarke / Picture: Roger Smith

The Lions pressed forward right from the start and missed three good chances before disaster struck at the other end of the pitch on 25 minutes. A dreadful back-pass left keeper Conor Kelly stranded and ex-Pagham forward Shane Brazil steered the ball home to put EP in front. It didn’t take Pagham long to get back on level terms and Clarke crashed the ball home from close in on 32 minutes. Clarke doubled his and the Lions total five minutes before the interval as he ran through a static EP defence to slot the ball passed the keeper.

The second half was a much closer affair, but the one decisive incident came early on when Pagham wide-man Jack Langford was brought down in the box and Joe Clarke stroked the ball home from the penalty spot for his hat-trick and a 3-1 lead. Chances then came and went at both ends but the Lions played out the time to claim their first away win of the season at the first attempt.

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Pagham: Conor Kelly, Nathan da Costa, Ryan Hallett, Ross Edwards, Jack Williamson, Conor Geoghegan, Ryan Morey, George Bingham (Sam Connolly), Grant Radmore (Jamie Carroll), Joe Clarke and Jack Langford (Jake Heryet). Subs not used were: Dylan Jelley and Callum Chalmers.