Pagham 5 Billingshurst 4 in 24 pictures - and the verdict from both camps

On this page and those linked (or all on the single page if you’re on the Observer app) see pictures by Tommy McMillan and Roger Smith.

And below are two match reports for the price of one – the first from the Pagham camp, the second from Billingshurst.

The result left Pagham ninth in the early table, Billingshurst 17th.

View from the Pagham camp…

The opening ten minutes belonged largely to the visitors. Billingshurst, the league new boys, certainly did not look overawed by the occasion. They moved the ball nicely, showed plenty of confidence in possession and created two opportunities of their own, although neither was converted.

Pagham, however, would prove far more ruthless in front of goal. Against the run of play, the Lions found themselves two goals to the good after just 11 minutes.

First came Hewitt, who produced a low strike that found the back of the net. Moments later, Lewis Rustell doubled the advantage with a header, giving Pagham a 2–0 lead. It was a scoreline that arguably flattered the hosts given Billingshurst’s bright opening, but Pagham had shown the ruthlessness needed to punish their opponents.

For Rustell, there was an added reason to celebrate. The goal was his first for the club, and it would certainly not be his last contribution of the evening. The visitors responded exactly as you would want from a side making its mark in a new league.

Within ten minutes, Billingshurst had pulled a goal back, reducing the deficit to 2–1 and ensuring Pagham could not settle. The remainder of the first half became a scrappy affair, with neither side able to establish complete control. Billingshurst continued to compete and Pagham went into the interval holding a slender advantage.

At 2–1, the game was very much alive. Whatever was said in the Pagham dressing room at half-time clearly had an impact. The Lions came flying out of the traps in the second half — or perhaps Billingshurst were still in the changing room.

Either way, Pagham wasted little time restoring their authority. Rustell struck again, producing a wonderful turn before finishing superbly to put Pagham 3–1 ahead. After scoring his first goal for the club in the opening half, Rustell had now doubled his personal tally and was becoming the key figure in Pagham’s attacking play.

The momentum was firmly with the Lions.

Pagham continued to push forward and were rewarded again when Siph Mdlalose found the net. Mdlalose produced a composed finish from around 20 yards, curling a fine effort home to put Pagham firmly in control. At 4–1, Billingshurst were facing a mountain. But the visitors were not about to surrender.

Pagham then appeared to put the contest beyond doubt. With the game entering its latter stages, substitute Jack Newhouse came off the bench and made an immediate impact. Newhouse arrived fresh from scoring four goals for the development squad on Saturday, and he continued his fine run of form by finding the net again.

The substitute’s finish made it 5–1. At that point, it looked as though Pagham were heading for a comfortable victory. But nobody had told Billingshurst.

What followed was a remarkable fightback from the visitors. A 5–1 scoreline would have been harsh on Billingshurst given the way they had competed throughout the evening, but their response to going four goals behind was hugely impressive.

They refused to let their heads drop and began clawing their way back into the contest. First came 5–2. Then 5–3. Suddenly, what had looked like a comfortable Pagham victory had become a full-blown survival mission.

The visitors had belief, momentum and nothing to lose. Pagham, meanwhile, were being forced deeper and deeper as Billingshurst searched for another way back into the game.

The tension increased further when Billingshurst were reduced to ten men. The visitors were left feeling particularly hard done by after a player was shown a red card for a high boot. Whatever the interpretation, the dismissal only added to the drama of an already frantic contest.

Despite being a man down, Billingshurst continued to fight. And they managed to find the net again. Suddenly it was 5–4.

Pagham had gone from being four goals clear to clinging onto a one-goal advantage, with the visitors threatening to complete one of the most remarkable comebacks imaginable.

View from the Billingshurst camp

Having scored seven goals in the last two away games, Billingshurst might have expected to have gleaned at least one point from those matches. But once again defensive frailties were to the fore and Billingshurst went down 5-4 at Pagham.

‘Hurst started brightly and on 3 minutes Tom Edwards should have scored from 8 yards out but a Pagham defender blocked on the line; they continued to dominate the opening phase.

But once again Billingshurst went to sleep defensively, Pagham broke to find Hewitt free who had plenty of time to finish. Two minutes later more indecision and an easy chance for Rustell. 2-0 but heads didn’t go down and on 16 minutes a surging run from Luke Brodie found Brandon Engstrom who turned his man inside out to half the deficit.

The half continued with both teams creating chances but half time they went in 2-1.

The half-time tea was still being finished when Billingshurst conceded in 30 seconds of the restart. The ball played through the centre of the back four and a first time strike from Rustell gave keeper Ollie Courtney no chance.

This was quickly followed by a 4th on 50 minutes when once again Pagham scored from a free man (Molalose) on the edge of the box. The home team then made it 5-1: Courtney saved but Newhouse was first to the rebound.

To their credit, Billingshurst continued to take the game on. On 75 minutes, a cross from Tom King found Tosin Dada to finish at the far post; 10 minutes later, Edwards broke free and a strike across the keeper made it 5-3.

Two minutes later Kieran Britland was deemed to have deliberately brought down a Pagham forward 35 yards from goal and received a red card. The 10 men from ‘hurst still kept pressing and Edwards got his second with a tap in. But too little too late and Pagham breathed easily only on the referee’s whistle and their 5-4 victory.

Manger Eddie French said: “It’s crazy to be sitting here trying to explain why we have no points after scoring 7 goals in the last 2 away games over the last 4 days. We've forgotten how to defend, simple as that!

"Bad decision making, lack of desire, poor organisation are all obvious areas where we have let ourselves down as a team. I can't fault our attitude bringing the game back to 5-4 in the dying moments while down to 10 men, but for the 2nd game in a row we've been really poor in protecting our own goal, and gifting Pagham some of their goals.

"Basic errors are costing us, and we cant keep trying to fight back from going behind. We'll assess and make changes where needed, to find a way to tighten up.”