Badshot Lea won an eight-goal thriller 5-3 at home to Eversley & California in the Combined Counties Premier Division South.

Goals from Louis Pask, Luis Hamblin (2), Fareed Hakeem-Habeeb and Freddie Jamieson fired the Baggies to victory in an entertaining encounter at Westfield Lane.

The Baggies were quick out of the traps and took the lead in the fifth minute when Stan Jones’ inviting cross from the left found Pask in the box, who neatly guided his header into the bottom right-hand corner of the net.

The visitors responded positively to falling behind and nearly equalised on 11 minutes when Ollie Noyes’ left-foot shot was well blocked by Morgan Elliott.

Eversley did get back on level terms two minutes later when Noyes clinically dispatched a superb left-foot shot from just outside the box into the top left-hand corner of the net.

The visitors nearly went ahead in the 17th minute when they won a free kick just outside the box and Joseph Pantony’s low effort was well parried away to safety by Baggies keeper Harry White.

Eversley went close again on 22 minutes when Henry Paxford got the ball with his back to goal in the box and turned sharply before hitting his left-foot shot just wide of the left-hand post.

The Baggies nearly regained the lead three minutes later when Jones got the ball just outside the box and hit a low shot which was well held by Eversley keeper Sam Swyreer.

The visitors took the lead in the 32nd minute when Noyes’ excellent cross in from the left picked out Paxford, whose close-range header was superbly saved by White, but Paxford managed to force his second effort over the line.

The Baggies got back on level terms on 40 minutes when Jones drove forward and glided past three players before slipping a neat ball through to Hamblin, who went round Swyreer and smashed the ball home.

Eversley regained the lead two minutes later when Paxford’s deflected left-foot effort found the top corner of the net.

Badshot Lea almost got back on level terms in the 45th minute when Oliver St Vincent cut inside from the left onto his right foot and hit a curling effort towards the top right-hand corner which was superbly tipped behind for a corner by Swyreer.

The Baggies started the second half brightly and went close on 47 minutes when Hakeem-Habeeb drove forward into the box and hit a low shot which was well blocked by Swyreer.

The hosts went close again three minutes later when Jones cut inside from the right and fired his left-foot shot wide of the far post.

Jones had another chance at the far post in the 54th minute, but the angle was too tight and his effort hit the side netting.

Pask was next to try his luck for the Baggies on 57 minutes, but his effort went well over the bar.

Jones cut inside from the left four minutes later, but he hit his effort straight at Swyreer.

The Baggies got the equaliser their second-half pressure deserved in spectacular style in the 70th minute, when Hakeem-Habeeb fired a superb right-foot shot from distance into the top right-hand corner of the net.

Eversley had a golden chance to regain the lead on 83 minutes when the ball dropped to Kenny Anthony at the far post, but he sliced his effort into the side netting.

The Baggies went 4-3 up in the 87th minute when Alfie Edmonds’ cross found Hamblin in the box, who showed good composure to drill his finish into the bottom left-hand corner of the net.

The hosts made it 5-3 two minutes later when Jamieson fired a superb shot from the edge of the box into the top left-hand corner of the net.

Next up for the Baggies is an away game against Sutton Common Rovers in the Combined Counties Premier Division South on Saturday, September 6 (3pm kick-off).