Five-star YM rediscover their mojo by thrashing Pagham

YM showed no signs of complacency following their Sussex Senior Challenge Cup success over Whitehawk in midweek, as their blistering start put the game beyond all doubt before half time.

Loanee striker Romone McCrae bagged a brace either side of Lee Wood, Ashley Dugdale and Brad Curtis’ efforts, and whilst Pagham did net a second half consolation, the score line told the story of a very one sided affair.

YM coach Steve Barrow said: “The game was put to bed in half an hour, which was fantastic because we could relax.

“Considering in recent times we have always had a very tough game against Pagham, I thought they weren’t the side that they can be.

“We started like a train and we took our chances early doors. I think they were a little bit shell-shocked.

“I’ve got to give them credit for not completely caving though, which would have been understandable, so fair play to them for carrying on trying to play football until the end.”

The win was made all the more impressive as YM were without the unavailable Sam Smith in goal, and their three most attacking outlets in Craig Grantham, Dave Brown and Nick Sullivan.

That meant Simon Lockwood deputised between the sticks and Redhill front man McCrae was handed his first start up front, whilst Matt Crane and Kevin Burgess both returned in defence and Dan Evans was handed a more attacking role in midfield.

The noticeable difference in YM’s performance to that of their recent draw with Rye United and defeats to Littlehampton Town could perhaps be as a result of the improved weather and thus the recovery in the Gorings Mead playing surface, with the hosts able to revive their passing game for large parts of Saturday’s encounter.

Barrow said: “Barry (Wright) and the guys have worked absolute wonders on the pitch. It has been played on last Saturday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and today, and apart from a couple of problem areas, it’s now almost dusty in certain places.”

And Barrow added: “If we had finished off half of what we created in the second half, I think it could have been double the score line, and that’s no disrespect to Pagham whatsoever.

“The endeavour was there, the craft was there, but the finesse and the final touch was lacking when it really mattered. But at the end of the day, we’ve beaten our opposition convincingly and we’ve got the three points that we wanted.”

YM (4-2-3-1): Lockwood, D. Sullivan, Crane (Carden 54), Burgess, O’Carroll, Dugdale (J Brown 84), Hunter, Wood (Leslie 75), B Curtis, Evans, McCrae.

Unused subs: R. Curtis, Cox.