Simmonds stars as Lions lick Lingfield

The absence of Scott Murfin allowed Simmonds to start and he repaid the faith shown.

The top-of-the-table tussle was end-to-end as a Lingfield side who’d scored 13 goals in three games were kept at bay by a battling Lions team.

Well-travelled Nicky Forster scored for the visitors after only three minutes. The ex-Reading and striker found a gap and his header left James Binfield stranded.

The Lions could have levelled when a James Temple header in the area bounced down and over the bar.

Pagham should have equalised but Temple’s strike was ruled offside.

The first booking for Pagham came as Paul Jones saw yellow for a late tackle.

Pagham were laying siege to the Lingfield goal, with Temple, Matt Wood and Ross Woolf all having chances.

Rob O’Hare was a towering presence in goal, but was powerless to stop Temple levelling on 35 minutes. A knock-back from Wood was controlled by Temple, who found the net.

Five minutes into the second half, Simmonds hit the goal of the game. He struck a superb solo effort from a Joe Booker long ball.

A hamstring injury ended defender Jones’ involvement.Ben Buckland replaced him.

Then Pagham were involved in penalty controversy. With a home striker bought down in the area, referee Mr Slaney waved away protests, with the shouts of derision from the crowd ringing in his ears.

Simmonds was booked for kicking the ball away after the whistle had gone.

Next in the book was Lingfield’s Daryl Coleman after he hacked down Scott Hinshelwood.

Sayce Holmes-Lewis and Josh Smith caused panic in Pagham’s defence and Lingfield picked up a couple of yellows before Pagham’s Wood was booked following a challenge.

Temple could have finished it with five minutes to go but his header from Wood’s cross went just wide of the upright.

A couple of minutes later Lingfield sub Matt Scutter mis-kicked and felled his own skipper, Holmes-Lewis falling in a crumpled heap in the area.

PAGHAM: Binfield, Booker, Broadbent, Pearce, Jones, Hinshelwood, Wood, Ward, Temple, Simmonds, Woolf. Subs: Buckland, R Cox, Tribe, Frangou.

JON ROSE

Things got even better for Pagham on Monday with a 4-2 triumph at Arundel. Scott Murfin and James Temple scored two each.