Guard of honour, trophy and 5-0 win make a day to savour
Chichester City Pagham SCFL premier
A first-half Josh Clack hattrick and a Scott Jones double after the break swept neighbours Pagham aside on a day of celebration at Oaklands Park as Chichester City were presented with the SCFL Premier Division trophy.
With Oaklands basking in the Easter mini-heatwave a big crowd came to show their support for the champions and were not disappointed by the home side’s display.
Rob Hutchings, Ben Pashley, Gicu Iordache and Jones all returned to the starting line-up as Chi bosses Miles Rutherford and Graeme Gee rejigged things after the 5-2 victory at Arundel two days earlier.
Pagham made four changes to the side that lost 4-0 to East Preston.
The visitors, who gave City a red-carpet guard of honour before kick-off, might have spoiled the party with the first opportunity of the match but Johan van Driel’s shot was gathered by Chi keeper Ryan Young. Iordache went close at the other end and moments later the Romanian set up Jones with a delicious ball, but again the shot was inches off target.
Clack and Ryan Peake both had efforts blocked before Clack opened the scoring on 20 minutes with a goal befitting the occasion - a wellplaced free kick which curled into the corner. Five minutes later Clack doubled his and City’s tally when he twisted and turned and drilled a low shot past Ryan Maskell.
The Chi number seven, impressive throughout, scored his third ten minutes before the interval after he shrugged off a challenge and finished clinically.
City were on the scoresheet again just after the restart. Iordache, who has become a fans’ favourite over the season, lifted a ball into the box, Maskell totally misjudged it and Jones was in the right place at the right time to chest the ball in for his 22nd league goal of the campaign.
Matt Axell blazed a longdistance shot over the bar and Chi captain Conor Cody had an effort cleared off the line after a mazy, determined run from right back.
Ellis Martin, Harry Williams and Terrell Lewis came on for Hutchings, Rory Biggs and Kaleem Haitham and it was Lewis who got the assist for Jones’ second goal with a super pass the City striker tucked away with some aplomb.
Young was called into action midway through the second half, coming out to stop Howard Neighbour and Pagham’s number nine wasn’t far off moments later.
Charlie Williamson turned smartly but put the ball wide - the visitors’ best spell in an otherwise one-sided match.
Ryan Peake and Lewis both had headed chances, but neither could convert, before Cody went close again late on with the last opportunity.
After the match the trophy was presented to Cody and club captain Dan Hegarty, and players and staff collected their league winners medals.
City have one more game, away at second placed Eastbourne Town, on Saturday. Pagham finish at home to Eastbourne United. Chichester City: Young, Peake, Hutchings, Axell, Cody, Pashley, Clack, Biggs, Jones, Iordache, Haitham. Subs: Lewis, Martin, Herbert, Williams, Ndlovu.