Elmer reach semi-finals - and Pagham Rangers hit cup trail too

Wittering 2 Elmer 4

Charity Cup quarter-final

ELMER travelled to Wittering for this quarter-final in good spirits after recent good results. Playing a team two divisions higher in status Elmer started the game well.

However, after 16 minutes Mike Grant sprung Elmer’s offside trap and slotted the ball into the net.

On 27 minutes Matt Hope saw his effort cleared off the Wittering line, but just five minutes later the scores were level when Nathan Sadler (pictured) found himself in space to slot home .

On 42 minutes the same pair combined, Hope produced a magnificent run down the wing, beat two defenders, and set Sadler up for his second.

Elmer then scored again when Sadler then completed his hat-trick by crashing the ball home after a fine effort from James Ford came back off the post.

Wittering enjoyed significant superiority during the second half. They halved the deficit midway through the half when Dan Bassill’s free kick from 20 yards squirmed through Steve Nanson’s hands.

The game could have gone either way at this stage, but was ultimately settled on 75th minutes when Sadler scored his and Elmer’s fourth goal. He charged down the keeper to see the rebound find its way into the net to restore the two-goal lead. Elmer will meet either Queens Park South or Nyetimber Pirates in the semi-final in three weeks time.

Longlocks FC 1 Pagham Rangers 2

Invitation Cup

Pagham Rangers managed to scrape a victory in their first group cup game against third division Longocks FC.

Locklands competed well and striker Luke Kiff had the first chance when he hit the side netting from an acute angle.

The visitors broke the deadlock on 20 minutes, as Pasterfield looped in a header from a free kick.

The second goal arrived on 40 minutes as Andrew Dean headed home at the far post.

Rangers began the second-half chasing the third goal and Callum Millar blazed over and substitute Squires shot wide.

Mclaren then had to pull off a superb save when Kiff was one on one, before the hosts got back into the game in bizarre circumstances.

A floated cross from the right was over hit and evaded everyone before it managed to beat Mclaren and drop in.

On the counter-attack a blistering effort from Rangers’ Todd was tipped over by the home keeper, while Longsocks were reduced to long range efforts in their pursuit of an equaliser.

PAGHAM: Mclaren, Rich, Tonks, MacIver, Wheeler, Pasterfield, Clarke, Dean, Stock, Millar, Todd. Subs: Gibson, Bircham, Squires, Doran.