Pagham lift trophy after thrilling encounter
Match Report by Jamie Spoor
Pagham Youth 3-3 Horsham (5-3 penalties)
Pagham Youth came out victorious in the Sussex Stan Beattie Memorial Trophy Final (Under-15s) on penalties after a thrilling end-to-end 80-minute battle couldn’t separate them from Horsham at the GoCardless Stadium on Sunday.
Horsham will consider themselves very unlucky not to come away with the silver, having had most of the play in search of a second-half winner after an chaotic first-half ended 3-3.
But the young Lions of Pagham were spot on in the shootout, as Alfie B, James, Thomas, Jack and Finley all hit the jackpot to take the cup back down the A27 to West Sussex.
In a superbly see-sawing contest, all six goals came in a breathless first-half.
The Hornets had already gone close twice before Pagham went ahead against the run of play in the 17th minute.
First, Horsham’s Zach had a sighter deflected behind for a corner before the impressive Alfie A cut the ball back for Jacob but Pagham managed to clear.
Ashley Pugh’s side struck with their very first attack. A long punt from the Pagham defence dropped to Alfie B, who drove through the middle and surged clear. Spotting the keeper off his line, he lifted a delicate dink off the crossbar and in to break the deadlock.
That kick-started the goal rush as the contest developed into an end-to-end thriller more akin to a basketball match. Extraordinarily, there would now be five goals in a little over fifteen minutes.
The Hornets hit back in the 23rd minute with a well worked move down the left. AJ and Jacob combined neatly before Jacob cut inside and clipped a perfectly weighted ball through to Alfie A. He took a superb first touch and calmly slid his finish past the keeper to level the score.
Yet the celebrations had barely died down when the Lions roared back in front. This time it came from a set-piece from wide on the left to find the head of James, who made no mistake, powering a header into the bottom left corner from six yards out.
Two minutes later the game was level again as the fourth goal flew in. Zach threaded an incisive pass into AJ, who received it with his back to goal. The Horsham striker wriggled away from his marker, created half a yard of space, and swept a left footed finish into the bottom right corner.
There was no pause for breath in a pulsating encounter which yielded yet more drama with Pagham hitting straight back on the attack.
Alfie B linked with Jakub whom in turn picked out captain Marley to let fly with a 30 yarder. His shot was true and had Lucas clawing at thin air, but the ball struck the stanchion and bounced to safety.
But beware the Hornets sting: on the cusp of half-time, the Mid Sussex side took the lead for the first time. Alfie A struck his second of the game with a well-taken finish, having been teed up by a superb outside-of-the-boot through ball from Cole.
Yet still there was time for more as this madcap game was thrown wide open once more.
The next goal was not in keeping with some of its more spectacular counterparts, but no one of a Pagham persuasion will care. Their first corner of the game reaped dividends as the ball curled through a posse of players for Jack M to bundle home in stoppage time.
After such a crazy and chaotic first-half, it was perhaps inevitable there would be a lull after the interval. But it was testament to both sets of players this was still a spectacle that held the small but vociferous GoCardless Stadium crowd completely in thrall.
Josh went close on the volley for Horsham whilst the hat-trick hunting Alfie A was the second player to rattle the upright, with AJ’s follow up effort well saved by Jack.
Alfie A was at the heart of everything his side did and he almost put his side ahead once more. Finding himself clean through with only Jack barring his route to goal, Alfie A lobbed the advancing keeper. Half the ground had started to celebrate when the net rippled, but cheers were stifled in collective throats when the ball could only find the top of the net.
Namesake Alfie B fired narrowly wide at the other end but there was to be no further twists in this topsy turvy tale, and the stage was set for penalties.
The Hornets converted three of their four penalties through Cole, Alfie A and Tommy, but one miss proved costly and allowed Finley to step up and seal the shootout for Pagham after five perfect penalties.
Pagham Youth vs. Horsham HIGHLIGHTS
Pagham Youth Vs. Horsham – 12-04-2026
Highlights of the Sussex Stan Beattie Memorial Trophy Final (Under-15s) 2025-2026 between Pagham Youth and Horsham.
(A selection of photographs can be found on Facebook – courtesy of Simon Roe Photography)
(Video highlights are available above and on YouTube – courtesy of Your Instant Replay)
Stats (Pagham-Horsham): Goals (3-3); Shots (6-14); On target (5-7); Corners (1-7); Fouls (8-7); Offsides (2-4); Yellow (2-1); Red (0-0).
Pagham: Jack S (GK), Finley, Archie R, Marley (C), Dylan, Shay, Alfie B, Jakub, James J, Jack M, Leo.
Substitutes: Thomas, Morgan, Tomasz.
Horsham: Lucas (GK), Josh (C), Charlie, Zach, Alfie A, Ben, Cole, Jacob, Maddox, Tommy, AJ.
Substitutes: Archie B, Mason, Will, Fahren.
Match Officials: Anthony Brand (R), Harvey Lamble (AR), Paul Amoo (AR), Tom Hayward (4th).
