Pagham power past Fleetlands

In a gusty first half the Coptermen (named after the fact that they have the only ground in the UK with its own helipad) gave as good as they got.

Pagham could have been in front at the break but for some pretty wayward shooting caused by the wind. Sam Connolly hit the bar from a Jamie Carroll cross in the 12th minute and David Crouch had a decent shot saved by the Fleetlands keeper three minutes later.

It was Crouch once again on the half-hour, twisting and turning on the edge of the area only to see his shot well saved. Then it was Fleetlands' turn and Connolly had to be at his best at the other end to clear off his own line before Jake Heryet shot wide at the Fleetlands end of the pitch.

Carroll had a 20 yard shot saved before setting up Callum Chalmers, whose shot ballooned up and over the bar.

Pagham started the second half with the same team on the pitch but with the wind at their backs they started to look much more promising.

Carroll had a 25-yard effort well saved straight after the break before Chambers was hacked down in the box a minute later and Crouch stroked the penalty home to open the score.

Once again it took a clearance off their own line to keep Fleetlands out, this time Tom Atkinson to the rescue. After 53 minutes Chambers burst through on the right, cut in and beat the keeper at his far post to make it 2-0.

A Crouch header across the box four minutes later was nodded in majestically by Atkinson for 3-0. Sub Grant Radmore made his mark on 74 minutes but his 25-yard effort was just wide before Scott Rafferty scored a ‘worldy’, smashing home from fully 35 yards for 4-0 in the final minute. Radmore tried to copy him in added time, but his dipping swerving free-kick from even further out flew just wide.