Pagham may have won their third cup tie in as many matches, but the Lions were taken all the way by a Lingfield side that had only narrowly lost 2-1 in the league here at the start of the season. With Tom Broadbent taking a knock in the warm up, Ryan Cox slotted into the defence as the Lions started the game very well. So well that they scored only two minutes in, with Phil Turner easily beating the offside trap to slot home past Joe White. Lingfield came back into the game with Chris Head and Dean Roye both testing Wes Hallett, Roye being most hard done by as his clever run saw his shot saved at the last moment. Dan Simmonds scored the Lions second when latching onto a superb through ball from Scott Murfin. Just over half an hour gone, and Lingfield were gifted a great opportunity to pull a goal back. A penalty awarded in controversial circumstances that saw Lions skipper Daren Pearce booked was saved with aplomb by Wes Hallett. The game then ebbed and flowed as neither side took complete control. Lingfield for their part were looking every inch a side which had lost only once in seven games. The first half ended with the Lions ahead, just.

The Lions began the second half brightly, with the front two taking on Lingfield almost by themselves. Both James Temple and Scott Murfin created scoring chances, but even with an open goal, the ball just wasn’t going to go into the net. Lingfield’s goal arrived on the hour mark as Harry Sinton took advantage of some slack defending to strike the ball home. He then tried again a few minutes later, only for Daren Pearce to head the ball off the line. The game became scrappy as free-kicks and miscued shots became the norm, and it wasn’t until nine minutes before the end of normal time that Pagham got their third. Scott Murfin’s cross into the area was met by the diving header of Daren Pearce, 3-1 and game almost over. Wes Hallett still had to be on his toes as the visitors pressed forward in a quest to get at least a second goal, with Pagham being pegged back. In the dying minutes it should have been 4-1 to the Lions, but Temple’s screaming shot pinged off the post.

W.Hallett, B.Buckland,R.Cox, D.Pearce, A.Ward (S.Hinshelwood 33), J.Booker, P.Turner (G.Robinson 78), N.Murfin, J.Temple, S.Murfin, D.Simmonds; Subs not used K.Urquhart, J.Price
Lingfield; J.White, C.Head, T.Hughes, S.Holm-Lewis, A.Dean, A.Courtney, H.Sinton, D.Coleman, L.Flavin, D.Roye, J.Smith;B.Rutherford, N.Archital, Armitt