Everybody needs good Neighbours - and Pagham's one downs Chichester

The visitors arrived at Nyetimber Lane with a solitary point to their name and Howard Neighbour’s double strike for the Lions gave the home side a deserved three points.

The first goal came on 40 minutes and followed a rush of blood to the head by Chichester keeper Matt Evans. He raced out of his area but missed the ball, and Neighbour rounded him and scored his sixth of the season into an empty net.

Before this the Lions had been on top for most of the game, Ryan Cox having a superb game on the wing. Lambert and Hancock tried to get Chichester into the game, while Tom Smith hit a shot wide.

The second half was a minute old when the Lions scored their second. A quickly-taken free-kick found its way to Neighbour, who headed his seventh of the season past a stranded Evans.

Joe Briggs tested Chichester but ex-Lion Lee Bradshaw cleared.

A succession of substitutions midway through the half included Pagham skipper Neil Murfin going off with a twinge – a slight concern before Saturday’s FA Cup trip to Lordswood.

As the minutes ticked down towards the end of the game, a succession of shots peppered Chichester’s goal.

PAGHAM: Smallpiece, Killner, Ford, Pearce, Booker, Buckland, Briggs (Cutler 68), N Murfin (Williams 69), Neighbour, S Murfin (Jones 80), Cox. Subs: Hawker, Binfield.

CITY: Evans, Heath, Cotton, Smith, Boniface, Bradshaw, Northeast, Dormer, Hancock, Lambert, Smith. Subs: Potter, Watts, Prior, Gilbert, Stevens.

JON ROSE