United Tame Lions

The home side went in to the game in good form, lying fifth in the Premier Division and having scored 52 goals in only 16 league matches. However, they did not reckon on a resolute and clinical United side who, in the end, were comfortable winners.

Despite United playing with the wind in the first half, it was the home team who started the better of the two sides, enjoying the majority of the possession. However, they were unable to trouble Farrow in the Thame goal and, instead, United grew in to the game, and were able to press the Pagham defence through the pace, in particular, of Ben Gray and Luke Ricketts. Indeed, both Gray and Ricketts had chances to give United the lead, the former missing the target when well placed on 35 minutes. Farrow then did well to save a mis-cue from captain Ellis Hercules before the opening goal arrived on 44 minutes. An in-swinging corner from Gray to the back post was met by the head of Hercules who finished confidently to give United the advantage at the break.

Pagham opened the second half in determined fashion but again were unable create any meaningful goal scoring opportunities. United, on the other hand were content to play on the break, exploiting the gaps that were being left in the home defence. That approach paid off on 57 minutes when, with United squeezing the home defenders, Ben Gray managed to ‘nick’ the ball off a home defender, sprinting clear and coolly slotting the ball wide of the home keeper and in to the far corner. Despite a Calvin Evans effort then going just wide, the two goal lead turned to three on 66 minutes when Ricketts collected the bar on the wide left, raced in to the box and hit a powerful effort that gave the keeper no chance.

By this time the home side – knowing that the game was almost out of their grasp – resorted to an increasingly physical game, but it did not stop United from maintaining their composure and pattern, and comfortably seeing out the remainder of the match to set up a Third Round tie next month.

United:
Farrow, Attwell, Lynn, Dugmore, Hercules, Ashworth, Evans (Connelly), Connor (Kedzierski), Gray (Cordice), West, Ricketts.