Pagham chairman Graham Peach has defended the club's decision to sack manager Richie Reynolds.

Peach axed Reynolds on Wednesday despite Pagham lying third in Rich City County League Division One.

In his two years at the club Reynolds had turned Pagham from relegation fodder into serious contenders for the title, and in doing so, he had assembled a team packed with exciting youngsters.

Reynolds claims the reasons given to him were poor results, a lack of people through the turnstiles and a drop in bar takings at the club.

He said: "It seems a pity to work so hard for two years to get where we are.

"They say it is poor results. When I took over we were second from bottom, now we are third from top. If that is poor results, then I don't know anything."

Peach, who stepped up from manager to chairman when Reynolds took over, refused to expand on the reasons behind Reynolds' sacking but he said: "As a club we felt it was the right time to look for new blood.

"We felt the direction of the club needed to progress a bit further and the atmosphere within the club needed to pick up.

"It is a difficult one because we are sitting third in the league but we are out of most of the competitions. I think we are only left in one cup.

"The situation is we felt it would be a wise thing at this stage of the season. We were not 100 per cent sure whether Richie would stay with us next season and we felt it was right to bring a new man in now.

"Richie has done a good job here for two years. We have enjoyed his company and his teams but we have to look to the future of Pagham Football Club."

Kevin Hotston, Reynolds' No. 2, has decided to step down and it is understood a number of players could decide to follow their former manager out of the club.

Pagham are hoping to make a quick announcement on who will take over, either permanently or for an interim period.

They had no game this afternoon but return to action at Ringmer in the Sussex Floodlight Cup on Tuesday when reserve boss Mark Vickers could be handed the reins.

Round-up.

Nigel Nash and Mick Maskell will be running team affairs at Peacehaven, at least until Christmas, following Peter Edwards' decision to step down as manager at Piddinghoe Avenue.

Edwards went abroad for a week's holiday to consider his future but confirmed on his return that he doesn't want to continue in charge.

Shoreham midfielder Stuart Townsend is confident Roger Brace's side can hold their own in County League Division One if they get promoted.

Brace's team are eight points clear at the top of Division Two and have only lost once in the league all season.

Townsend, 23, has played a key role in the club's success this term since he joined the club in the summer with a number of other new players.

On Tuesday Shoreham were knocked out of the Sussex Senior Cup following a 4-1 defeat at Division One leaders Burgess Hill.

But Townsend caught the eye as he scored the visitors' goal with a brilliant run from inside his own half, beating five players before poking a low left foot shot past Richard Waters.

Afterwards the student insisted he and his team-mates had nothing to fear from the likes of their more illustrious opponents.

Townsend said: "We are doing really well this season and scoring goals from all over the pitch. It is not as though we are relying on one person.

"It was a good test against Burgess Hill because if we go up we will be playing teams like this week in, week out.

"They didn't outclass us. At 2-1 I thought we could have pulled one back but they scored again quickly and I think our heads dropped. I don't think a neutral will have realised that was first division against second division."