Pirates power past Pagham ... George are jubilant

Pagham Rgrs 2 Nyetimber Pirates 4

Chichester & W Sussex Lge div one

Nyetimber Pirates came out on top in the Aldwick derby as they beat Pagham Rangers 4-2 at West Meads.

It proved to be a cracker despite both sides missing influential players.

Rangers were looking for their first win against the Pirates and hoping to erase the memory of February’s game in which the Pirates claimed the division-one title in Rangers’ back yard.

Rangers piled on the pressure from the off with waves of attacks and numerous efforts on goal, but with 22 minutes gone Pirates took the lead through Ross Ludlow after he turned in Kerry Hardwell’s cross from close range.

Rangers got a deserved equaliser when Callum Millar scored after dodgy defending gave him a clear route to goal.

Pirates were awarded a penalty late in the half after a push on Ludlow, but Hardwell’s spot-kick was superbly saved by Dom Negus in the Rangers goal, ending Hardwell’s 15-year 100 per cent record from the spot.

Rangers came out strong for the second period and when sub Tommy Dahl Hansen got away from the Pirates defence there was only going to be one outcome, to the delight of the Rangers fans on the sideline. Nyetimber drew level when Hardwell rose above the defence to nod home an equaliser.

Pirates’ superior fitness levels started to show as they started to stretch Rangers, particularly through Jack Stairs, who was involved in every Pirates attack.

He netted the Pirates’ third after his shot rebounded off the post, giving him a simple tap-in.

Pirates brought on Brian Vevers and Jack Knight and looked like scoring every time they got the ball.The fourth came when Sean Williamson’s corner bounced straight into the top corner, with Knight claiming he’d got a touch.

PIRATES: Walter, D Cox, Devine, Palmer, Williamson, Bishop, Peach, Griffin, J Stairs, Hardwell, Ludlow. Subs: Vevers, Thomas, Knight.

Elmer 1 Lamb Steyne 1

Div two

In a match punctuated by yellow cards and a sending-off, Lamb Steyne denied Elmer their first win of the season with a 79th-minute penalty.

James Ford put the home side ahead on 27 minutes when he crashed one home from eight yards following a corner from Tom Bann.

Lamb should have been on level terms after 39 minutes when a free-kick resulted in a shot against the bar and two scrambled goalline clearances.

The second half saw chances for both sides, including a screamer by Elmer’s Bann from 30 yards which Dean Bailey in Lamb’s goal managed to tip over.

Lamb were rewarded when Elmer’s keeper Steve Nanson was beaten to a through-ball and upended the striker, resulting in a penalty. A cool finish from Richard Brown meant the points were shared. In the final minute Elmer’s Shane Rapley was sent off for a second bookable offence.

Elmer visit Six Villages this week in the Shuker Memorial Trophy.

Wittering 1 The George 2

Charity Cup first round

The George opened their campaign with a cup game away to division-one outfit Wittering.

After a scoreless and flat first half, The George took the lead when Charlie Squires fired home from close range.

Wittering equalised late on and forced extra time and it took until the 115th minute for Squires to score the winner.

GEORGE: Munt, Tinson, Geall, Sells, Newman, Girling, Garnett, Pulley-Blank, Plummer, Lewry, Squires.

The George 4 Westbourne 2

Div three

The George made it two out of two by brushing aside a battling Westbourne side.

Ronnie Lewry and Joe Geall both opened up their accounts for the season by chipping in with two goals each.

Next up for the Whites is a home match vs LG United.

GEORGE: Eldred, M Nicholls, T Nicholls, Sells, Newman, Geall, Pulley-Blank, Morton, Tinson, Lewry, Squires.

Bersted 7 Elmer Res 3

Div three

THREE times Elmer netted – through Dan Bailey twice and Jamie Greenhill – but all were ruled out for offside.

And Bersted went in at half-time with a two-goal lead thanks to sloppy defending.

Three quick Bersted goals saw Elmer’s heads drop, but on 65 minutes Russ Moir dinked the ball over the defence and Jamie Greenhill beat the offside trap and scored.

With Elmer tiring Bersted made it 7-1 and some great saves from man of the match Carl Lawrence kept it to single figures.

Elmer found a second wind and another set-piece saw Jack Davis flick on for Bailey to score.

In the dying seconds Bailey got his second after good work from James Ross.

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