Blues beaten by Bexhill ... lights go out on Pagham

Selsey's dismal run of form continued with a 3-1 home defeat to a very robust Bexhill side in division one of the SCFL.
Selsey's Ryan Morey / Picture by Kate ShemiltSelsey's Ryan Morey / Picture by Kate Shemilt
Selsey's Ryan Morey / Picture by Kate Shemilt

The match had a familiar feel to recent games with the Blues starting well and creating chances which they couldn’t finish.

Within the first five minutes a through-ball released Ryan Morey, who when clean through was brought down. The referee gave the foul but to everyone’s surprise no further action was taken when a red card seemed certain – not even a yellow.

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The visitors were rattled and moments later Selsey MoM Tom Bayley turned well in the box only to see his shot strike the post.

The home side kept pushing and Bayley again found the frame of the goal as he hooked the ball goalwards.

Selsey were their own worst enemies midway through the first half – when guilty of overplaying they contrived to give away a corner which Lewis McGuigan converted.

The Blues did not give up and pressed forward still looking dangerous, and went close when Bayley forced a good save from the keeper.

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In the second half Selsey again saw chances come and go, Matt Boulton going close with headers from set-pieces, but the Blues hit the self-destruct button when a carbon copy of the visitors’ first goal effectively finished the game. A misplaced pass led to a needless corner which was headed home by Zackiry McEniry.

The referee started handing out cardsand the unlucky Boulton received two for an early bath.

Bexhill scored a third goal as Liam Foster caught the Blues on the break.

The referee sent off the Bexhill keeper for mysterious reasons and with both sides playing with ten men, the Blues were again the dominant side and grabbed a late consolation through Joe Clarke.

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The Blues, who lost 3-0 at Haywards Heath on Tuesday in the Sussex Senior Cup, host Billingshurst on Saturday.

* Midhurst lost 2-0 at home to St Francis. The Stags visit Storrington on Saturday.

Newhaven v Pagham

Callum Overton tucked the ball away early in the second half to give Pagham the lead on a cold, wet and windy afternoon at Newhaven – but before the SCFL premier division game could re-start, the floodlights went out, causing the game to be abandoned.

The Lions started the brighter of the two teams with several chances coming their way.

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None was converted and Newhaven gradually came into things. League top scorer Lee Robinson had a goal controversially disallowed for offside on 24 minutes but back came Pagham and George Bingham was unlucky to see his header from a corner float wide on 34 minutes.

James Rhodes headed wide when it looked easier to score, while at the other end Dan Simmonds put a point-blank header straight at the Dockers keeper, who went on to make a great save from the same player right on half-time. The ensuing corner was deflected wide from Bingham.

The second half started with a mistake caused by the bobbly pitch put Lee Robinson clean through, but his shot from a difficult angle hit the post and went wide.

Lions keeper James Binfield hit a huge wind-assisted kick up the field, which appeared to be flicked on over the Newhaven defence to allow Overton to run on to it and bury the ball under the keeper for a Pagham lead.

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Then the lights went out, leaving everybody in the gloom for around 40 minutes as various people tried to fix them. Te game was eventually abandoned leaving both sides looking for a date to try again.

Pagham: Binfield, Wiggans, Cox, Bingham, Wollers, Horncastle, Rowlatt, Chick, Simmonds, Overton, Kilhams. Subs: S Murfin, Thurgar, Ashmore, Gilchrist, N Murfin.