Ten-man Petersfield Town kept their Southern Combination Football League Premier Division play-off push on track with a dramatic 2-1 win at home to Pagham.
Goals from Callum Kimber and Harrison Cable gave the Rams a vital three points in front of a crowd of 190 at Love Lane.
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The hosts created their first chance of the afternoon in the fifth minute when Asad Ssemwogerere broke clear down the left and cut the ball back to Kian Towse on the edge of the box, but Towse’s shot was well saved by Pagham keeper Connor Kelly.
Pagham nearly took the lead on 16 minutes when Ronald Kardos drove forward to the edge of the box and hit a low left-foot shot which Rams keeper Kieran Connell spilled before the home defence cleared the loose ball.
The visitors went close again two minutes later when Evan Harris turned sharply in the box and fired a left-foot shot goalwards which was well parried away by Connell.
The Rams went back on the attack and Kimber let fly with an ambitious 30-yarder which went over the bar.
The hosts went close again in the 27th minute when Cable was played through one-on-one with Kelly, but the Pagham keeper was out quickly to close down the angle and block Cable’s effort.
The Rams’ pressure told a minute later when they awarded a penalty. Kimber slipped a pass to Cable in the box, and Pagham skipper Darryl Wollers was penalised for handball after making a desperate last-ditch challenge.
Kelly guessed the right way and got two hands to Kimber’s penalty, but the spot kick had enough power to find the back of the net and give the Rams the lead.
Pagham responded positively to falling behind and nearly equalised on 31 minutes when Ben Hauxwell’s overhead kick called Connell into action.
The visitors went even closer a minute later when Harris spun sharply in the box and hit a left-foot shot towards the bottom corner which was superbly parried away by Connell before Brandon Miller cleared the loose ball.
Pagham were awarded a penalty in the 35th minute when Kimber was penalised for handball, and Harris’ spot kick found the back of the net via the inside of the post to make it 1-1.
The Rams nearly regained the lead on 40 minutes when a cross from the left picked out the unmarked Will Webb in the box, but his header across goal went wide.
The complexion of the match changed in first-half stoppage time when Webb was sent off for an apparent stamp on Pagham’s Howard Neighbour and the Rams were reduced to ten men.
After an open first half, the second half was understandably a tighter affair with the Rams having a numerical disadvantage.
The ten-man Rams nearly regained the lead in the 51st minute when Ssemwogerere slipped a pass through to Miller, but he hit his left-foot shot into the side netting at the near post.
The hosts went close again on 65 minutes when Kimber slipped a pass through to Ssemwogerere, who hit his right-foot shot wide of the near post.
The game took another twist on 77 minutes when Pagham skipper Wollers was sent off for a poor challenge.
And the Rams sealed the three points in the 82nd minute when Cable spun on the edge of the box and despatched a clinical finish into the bottom corner.
Next up for the Rams is a home game against Hassocks in the Southern Combination Football League Premier Division on Saturday, February 1 (3pm kick-off).