Lions roaring: Pagham fell Forest Row and wallop Wick in perfect weekend
It was a perfect holiday weekend for Pagham as they beat Forest Row and Wick – scoring seven goals without reply.
Saturday saw Lemmy Ewen’s Lions make the trip to Three Bridges to take on Forest Row, a side that had been talked about early in the season as one to watch and potentially challenge near the top.
But the Lions wasted absolutely no time in showing their intentions. It took just three minutes for loanee Lewis Rustell to make his mark, rising highest to head Pagham into an early lead. And just ten minutes later, the man of the moment struck again.
Rustell nodded home his second of the afternoon as the Lions took firm control of proceedings. Pagham continued to dominate and, before the break, Kaleem Haitham added a third with a superb finish from the edge of the box to send the Lions into half-time 3–0 up.
There was still time for Rustell to complete his hat-trick, calmly tucking home from an angle to cap off a brilliant individual display. Four goals, three points and complete control.
Pagham controlled the game from start to finish and breezed past Forest Row, laying down a serious marker in the process.
On Monday, Wick visited the Covers Arena.
It’s a fixture that has traditionally been tense, tight and decided by the finest of margins. but Pagham had not lost this derby for 13 years, with many of those encounters going right down to the wire.
This season, however, there was a different feel. Wick had splashed the cash and seriously bolstered their squad, while the arrival of new coach Racine had added further expectation that perhaps this could finally be the year Wick ended Pagham’s remarkable unbeaten run in the fixture.
How wrong they were. From the first whistle, Pagham were in complete control. And, yes… that man again – Rustell.
It took 20 minutes, but following a defensive mix-up on the edge of the box, Rustell found himself with an empty net in front of him. He wasn’t going to miss.
That goal took Rustell to five goals in just three games. And then, Rustell again. The loanee struck for his second of the afternoon, taking his incredible tally to six goals in three games and putting the Lions firmly in command.
Wick simply couldn’t get going. Pagham continued to control the game, with the Lions looking comfortable and composed throughout.
The second half saw substitute and new signing Jack Newhouse put the icing on the cake, rounding off a fantastic Bank Holiday weekend for Pagham with the third goal.
Wick hadn’t laid a glove on the Lions. Pagham had once again dominated a derby that many expected to be a tight affair and, in doing so, extended their winning run to an impressive seven consecutive victories. Even more impressively, the Lions have kept five clean sheets during that run.
And now there is more FA Cup excitement to come – Ewen and his troops go to Ascot United on Saturday in the first qualifying round with their tails up.