FA Cup and league defeats make it tough week for Pagham

Pagham 1 Carshalton 2
Dan Kempson celebrates his halfway-line goal against Carshalton / Picture by Roger SmithDan Kempson celebrates his halfway-line goal against Carshalton / Picture by Roger Smith
Dan Kempson celebrates his halfway-line goal against Carshalton / Picture by Roger Smith

FA Cup first qualifying round

Pagham’s FA Cup run was ended by a 90th-minute Carshalton winner.

The visitors scored first on 55 minutes through Jordan Higgs, but the Lions equalised thanks to a Dan Kempson wonder-strike straight from the kick-off.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

However, a cruel winner for the Ryman League side by Greg Andrews in added time left Lions boss Jon Tucker frustrated.

“On the day we didn’t deserve to win but I know as a team we can play a lot better than that,” Tucker said. “That was the disappointing thing – in a big game, we didn’t really turn up.”

An attendance of 141 turned out at Nyetimber Lane, so to slip from their usual high standards in front of so many fans only compounds the Lions’ misery.

“It was frustrating because we had lot of support there and, no disrespect to Carshalton who are a very good side, we have played better sides this season and won, so to come away with a defeat was very disappointing.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“But we had a good cup run, the club generated some money, which we all know is important for non-league clubs, and it’s always nice to be a part of the FA Cup – it’s a good buzz. Maybe next year we can go a round further.”

Pagham’s attention now turns back to the Southern Combination Premier, in which they travel to St Francis Rangers this weekend.

Tucker added: “We were never going to win the FA Cup. As I said to the players, our target is to do well in the league and some of the other cups we have a chance of winning.

“A cup run was good at the time but now we move on and concentrate on where we want to be, which is up towards the top of the league.”

TOM STORER

Pagham 0 Loxwood 1

Southern Combinatiom Premier

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Pagham lost their second game on the spin as Loxwood continued their run as something of a bogey side for the Lions.

After the last-gasp defeat to Carshalton in the cup, Jon Tucker’s team were looking to bounce back with a league win.

Early signs were positive, with Lloyd Rowlatt and Dan Simmonds looking threatening and a Rob Wimble header also keeping Loxwood keeper Sam Smith busy.

Jake Hawker’s contribution ended on 23 minutes, injury forcing an early Pagham subsitution as Ryan Cox came on.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Loxwood looked to get an opener with Sam Beard just shaving a shot wide. Chances fell to Ollie Gill and Lewis Scally as the Magpies kept the pressure up.

Three minutes before the break keeper Smith came off worse in a collision with Wimble. The keeper was carried on after treatment, and looked shaken.

Within a minute of the restart, Pagham went behind. Gill’s shot from the right beat the previously-impervious James Binfield to give the visitors a deserved lead.

It was almost two on 52 minutes, but a double save from Binfield ended further embarrassment for the Lions.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Simmonds was trying to add to his tally for the season, but this wasn’t to be his night – whatever he did missed the mark.

With just over an hour gone, the Lions made a further change, Andy Brown coming on for Dan Martin. With the Lions just starting to shade things, Wimble’s searching cross ended with Cox punting the ball just wide.

Appeals from the Lions’ fans on 71 minutes for a penalty as Wimble went over in the box weren’t impressing referee Mr Collumbel, who waved play on.

Charlie Pitcher’s race into the Pagham area was curtailed by a superb Binfield stop.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Terrell Lewis entered the fray for the hosts on 76 minutes and both keepers had work to do as the game came to an end, but the visitors took all three points and left the Lions with their first league defeat of the season.

PAGHAM; Binfield, J Hawker (Cox 23), Warren (Lewis 76), Swain, Davidson, Boniface, Martin (A Brown 67), R Brown, Wimble, Simmonds, Rowlatt. Sub not used: Kew.

LOXWOOD: Smith, Holvey, Courtney, French, Scally, Simpson, Wood, Gill, Pitcher, Beard, Summerfield. Subs: Swain, Bachelor, Colbran.

JON ROSE

Don’t miss out on all the latest breaking sports news where you live.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Here are four ways you can be sure you’ll be amongst the first to know what’s going on.

1 Make this website your homepage

2 Like our Facebook page at facebook.com/pages/Sport-Sussex

3 Follow us on Twitter @SportSussex

4 Register with us by clicking on ‘sign in’ (top right corner). You can then receive our daily newsletter AND add your point of view to stories that you read here.

Do share with your family and friends - so they don’t miss out