Match 4. Hailsham Town v Pagham

Saturday 23^rd August 2014 @3pm

Sussex County League Division 1

HAILSHAM TOWN 1-4 PAGHAM

The Beaconfield, Weston Road, Hailsham

Admission:£6

Programme: 50p + Sussex Football Monthly £2

Attendance: 66

Refreshments: Magners Bottle, £3.20. Sausage and bacon roll, £2.60.

The journey took 2 hours to complete the 50 miles to Hailsham, mainly due to the half hour to get through Tunbridge Wells traffic. I still arrived in plenty of time and was able to watch a few overs of the local cricket match at Hailsham CC next door to the football ground. The 1^st XI were playing Willingdon CC and batting when I was watching. I understand they won the match.

After paying my entrance fee and buying reading content, I had a pre-match drink in the clubhouse to peruse the Sussex magazine that features all non-league clubs in the county and a feature on Brighton Chairman Dick Knight picking his best ever Brighton XI. The bar was empty apart from one injured player and a few committee members, although they were welcoming and happy to chat.

The ground is accessed around the back of the cricket club pavilion and parking is limited to the surrounding streets.  After entering through the turnstiles, emerging halfway alongside the near touchline, there is a small Atcost style stand seating 50 to the immediate right.  There is an area of covered standing to the left of the entrance which has 2 hatches where one hatch sells hot drinks and the other sells hot food. There is a boarded up building next to the covered standing which I imagine must be the old changing rooms.  Behind the left hand goal is the fairly new looking brick built club building which has the bar, changing rooms and toilets inside.  The opposite touchline has the dugouts and a couple of trees located right on the perimeter rail.  Not sure where that would affect any move up the ladder, but is no problem with Step 5 attendances.  The other goal line is open standing with the tennis club courts immediately behind the goal.

I had watched Pagham last weekend progress in the FA Cup and today got a good idea of their good form this season. After 3 minutes the visitors took the lead when a corner was headed in by the no5, J. Corker from the six yard box.  The home defence was in disarray when after 11 minutes a through ball by no9, R.Wimble found no7, J. Clack through the centre and he controlled the ball, took it around the keeper and slotted into the empty net. The match was interrupted on 20 minutes when the visiting no11, Carmen-Cola fell on his shoulder and had to be subbed for what looked like a dislocation.  It didn’t stop the Pagham dominance as after half hour the no10, S.Martin was fouled inside the penalty area.  He picked himself up to fire the penalty into the corner.  Hailsham scored a 1^st half consolation on 39 minute when on a counter attack, a quick ball found no11, J. Adlam on the left and he cut into the area, drew the keeper towards him and squared it to no9, D. Greenall for a simple tap in.

Hailsham came out in the second half with more purpose and made the game a more equal contest but couldn’t find a second goal.  Pagham killed the game off with a 4^th goal 10 minutes from time when no12, M. Asewre used a nice 1-2 on the left hand side of the box then chipped keeper Levitt with the ball dropping into the far corner of the goal.

I stopped off for 20 minutes at Maresfield Village where I visited The Chequers Inn, a pub formerly owned by Marco Pierre White with a historic 400+ year old building and a nice large beer garden showing off the late afternoon sun.