Pagham are humbled at Horsham

The home side emerged 4-0 winners with all the goals coming in a blustery second 45 minutes, leaving the Lions 11 points off the leaders in sixth place.

Jack Rowe-Hurst made a golden start to his Horsham career as he came off the bench to net with his first touch, while Terry Dodd then scored twice and substitute Luke Huggett also notched his first goal.

The Hornets, who hadn’t played for two weeks after last Saturday’s postponement at Hailsham, handed a first start to holding midfielder Graham Martin, while Charlie Farmer returned at the back.

Scott Murfin, who had a brief spell at Gorings Mead earlier in the season, lined up for the visitors, who also had Bognor’s Daryl Woolers in the middle of the park.

The first chance went the hosts way as James Binfield couldn’t hold a Joe Shelley header from a Kieron Pamment cross, but Evan Archibald could only flick the follow-up over the bar from close range.

On 16 minutes, a Pamment corner was headed over the bar by the arriving Farmer at the far post, while a Shelley header was then cleared off the line by Johan Van Driel.

The visitors had the best chance just past the half-hour mark as a poor kick from Gareth Williams couldn’t be saved by Farmer and Scott Murfin bore down on goal and he lashed against the near post from 12 yards.

At the other end, a short corner between Archibald and Pamment saw the latter’s low effort from outside the area ping off the outside of the post.

Binfield was then required to keep parity as he denied Dodd with a header, then Shelley’s nodded effort with his legs, while Farmer fired the rebound over the bar.

The hosts had penalty appeals waved away as Mark Knee went in on Temell Lewis on the edge of the box, but referee James Humphries was unmoved.

The chances continued to come after a somewhat slow start as Dodd profited from a 50-50 tackle and raced in on goal only to fire over the bar on the angle.

At the start of the second half, a mix-up between Wollers and Jordan Warren with the bouncing ball saw Archibald slide in Pamment on the right and his effort almost squirmed under Binfield.

Williams made an excellent stop on 54 minutes as Van Driel put in Dan Simmonds one on one and the Horsham stopper pushed his shot around the post.

Horsham made a double change a minute later as Alex Duncan was replaced by Rowe-Hurst and Archibald made way for Brad Lewis.

That meant Adam Hunt switched to right-back, Dodd switched to playing through the middle and Rowe-Hurst out wide.

The changes paid dividends seconds later as Dodd got to the byline, cut back for Pamment, whose effort was blocked by a defender and then poked home by Rowe-Hurst to break the deadlock.

They doubled the lead just past the hour mark as Shelley pinched the ball in midfield, showed great strength to drive forwards and slide in Dodd, whose effort dropped in despite a strong leg from Binfield.

Dodd added a second on 72 minutes as a ball over the top was watched all the way by the striker and he volleyed across goal into the bottom-right corner.

Ten minutes later, substitute Huggett also notched as Rowe-Hurst paced through one on one and drew a save from Binfield, but Huggett finished the follow-up.

Pagham: Binfield, Lewis, Bradshaw, Davidson, Warren, Van Driel, Wollers (Boniface 82), N Murfin, Rowlett (Gromett 70), S Murfin, Simmonds. Unused subs: A Brown, R Brown, Kew.

OLLIE BERRY

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