16 photos as Pagham FC kick off pre-season versus Petersfield Town

It was a close encounter at Nyetimber Lane, with the home side starting brightly as various new signings tried to make a good first impression for fans and manager Jason Mines alike.

See Roger Smith’s photos from the match on this page and the ones linked.

The Lions controlled the first 30 minutes and looked full of confidence. But Petersfield began to gain possession and created various chances, one of which was converted to open the scoring. A ball across the box was tapped home by striker Marvin Orepo. As the half came to a close Petersfield crafted another attack, with the wingers drawing Pagham midfielders and defenders out of position.

This allowed for another almost-carbon-copy cross into the Pagham box, with Orepo in the perfect spot to make it 2-0. The second half mainly served as a reminder that pre-season training had only just begun. Pagham got one back when a cross from a corner played short found captain for the day Toby Pointing, who headed into the top corner.

It finished 2-1 but more than 100 watched the action and fans were happy to be back watching their team. Mines said: “I was really impressed with the team. We had a lot of young lads out there and we dealt well with a top side. We are hoping to get a few more in before we start the season.”

Pagham’s next home friendly is against Moneyfields next Tuesday (7.30pm).