Bognor Regis Town scupper Lewes play-off bid - Chichester City nab point at Burgess Hill

It was a decent Easter Monday for Bognor Regis Town FC and Chichester City FC. Liam Goodley reports on a Rocks win and Ian Worden recounts a City draw in Mid Sussex.
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Rocks 1 Lewes 0 - Isthmian premier

Bognor got their own back as they defeated Lewes at Nyewood Lane in their last home game of the 2021/22 season. Dan Gifford, who had played in midfield for most of the game, was moved up front and paid back his management team with a fine goal in the 79th minute.

Craig Robson remained on the bench following a failed fitness test. Nathan Odokonyero regained his place up front for the hosts while Harrison Brook was moved to the bench alongside young Tom Holland and Flynn Barnes.

Dan Gifford - centre - is congratulated on the goal that proved the winner / Picture: Trevor StaffDan Gifford - centre - is congratulated on the goal that proved the winner / Picture: Trevor Staff
Dan Gifford - centre - is congratulated on the goal that proved the winner / Picture: Trevor Staff
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Tom Phipp had a speculative early shot from distance of which Amadou Tangara tipped on to the crossbar within the first minute for the hosts, who were hoping to regain a play-off spot. Bognor were slow getting it out of the back. Ethan Robb had to knock out a back pass. Michael Klass swung the ball into the near post but it was diverted away and it was Gifford back to help defend.

A poor throw by Lewes saw Alfie Bridgman run in from his own half to make it to the edge of the box and he struck it wide of the right post. Deshane Dalling sped down the right and put the ball along the deck for Klass who scuffed his effort wide with his first touch.

Odokonyero did well to turn his man from Shola Ayoola’s pass. But Odokonyero stubbed his shot into the turf and it rolled harmlessly to Lewis Carey. Harvey Whyte played the ball forward allowing Odokonyero to pass onto Bridgman who struck it from outside the box but Carey saved it.

The Rocks take on the Rooks / Picture: Trevor StaffThe Rocks take on the Rooks / Picture: Trevor Staff
The Rocks take on the Rooks / Picture: Trevor Staff

Lewes were playing deep in Bognor’s half and another chance came and went as Phipp drove it wide of the left post along the deck. Tangara failed to come out of his goal as a defensive header fell straight to Joe Taylor who spotted the goalkeeper off his line, but his curling effort flew narrowly over the bar.

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Then Taylor Maloney dragged another effort wide of the goal from over 20 yards out. Gifford capitalised on a rare Bognor attack but following his shot he hit it off a defender and it bounced once before going straight into Carey’s hands.

Bognor were camped in their own half for large periods of the first half. Joe Cook read a through ball and passed it onto Charlie Bell who struck it low and wide. But the half ended with Lewes feeling like they had controlled the majority but both sides were wasteful in front of goal. HT 0-0

Chichester City in action in their 2-2 draw at Burgess Hill / Picture: Chris NealChichester City in action in their 2-2 draw at Burgess Hill / Picture: Chris Neal
Chichester City in action in their 2-2 draw at Burgess Hill / Picture: Chris Neal

Robson replaced Danny Howick at the break as things needed to improve at the restart. Gifford made a late run but decided to pass it back to Bridgman before Bell struck it off a defender and wide for a corner. Gifford was defending and made a good sliding challenge to win the ball but then was the player who gave away a foul soon after on Ollie Tanner.

Ayoola, who was struggling with his knee, had to be replaced by Harrison Brook on 56 minutes. Taylor was clearly offside but it was Maloney who was running towards it though but Tangara came out quickly to hack it away. Gifford misplaced his pass in attack allowing Lewes in. Maloney ran through following a knock on by Taylor. But despite being unmarked he fired his low effort wide of the right post.

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Bell won possession on the halfway line. He passed it forward to Odokonyero who turned inside and fired it along the deck and straight at Carey on 68 minutes. Solomon Addy, who had only just come on, was already trying to make runs and use his pace to hurt Bognor but with an early chance he ran the ball out of play.

Bell put a pass in onto the run of Odokonyero who composed himself after running beyond his defender but his low chance was blocked by the legs of Carey then inadvertently rebounded out onto the face of Odokonyero and wide of the left post. A ball through the middle fell to Taylor who was offside when he dinked an effort into the net over the stranded Tangara on 77 minutes. The linesman had his flag up before the ball went in.

Amazingly Bognor went a goal up on 79 minutes. A wonderful ball forward by Bell saw Gifford turn inside and beat his man and he fired it past Carey straight into the net. Gifford went down in the box but instead won a corner from a swift cross. Bell's cross was too much for Cook and then Robson’s hooked ball back inside was cleared as the game was much livelier after the goal.

Odokonyero then cut inside, passed it to Gifford who unleashed another low shot saved partially out to Odokonyero who was denied by a block on the goal line by Raz Coleman De-Graft. Bell had to receive treatment following a challenge. He had to go off and was replaced by Tom Holland on 88 minutes.

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Davies went into the book for a late challenge right at the end. But Bognor dealt with the danger from the freekick as Lewes had clearly run out of steam.

Rocks had won their last home game of the season and scuppered Lewes’ chances of making the play-offs. They received a standing ovation for a battling season from the Bognor fans in attendance at the end. Bognor’s last game of the season sees them travel to Enfield Town on Saturday, another team in the play off mix, with kick off at 3pm.

Rocks: Tangara, Robb, Bridgman, Davies, Cook, Howick (Robson 45), Whyte (c), Bell (Holland 88), Ayoola (Brook 56), Gifford, Odokonyero. Subs not Used: Barnes, Wyatt

Burgess Hill Town 2-2 Chichester City - Isthmian south east

A late Ben Mendoza goal earned Chichester a well-deserved point away at Burgess Hill on Easter Monday in this penultimate league match of the 2021-22 season.

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Striker Max Miller gave the hosts the lead in the 41st minute before Ethan Prichard levelled on the hour mark. Hill went in front once more through Lewis Finney only for Mendoza to grab a share of the spoils with a superb equaliser on 90 minutes.

There was only one change to the starting XI that drew 1-1 with East Grinstead last time out at Oaklands Park on Good Friday, when Josh Clack scored in stoppage time, as Lewis Hyde returned to the line-up in place of Kaleem Haitham.

Chichester won the reverse fixture at the start of February snapping a sequence of five straight Isthmian south east wins for the Hillians, then the division’s in-form side, courtesy of first half goals from Callum Overton and Lloyd Rowlatt.

The home team, seventh in the league, began brightly but Jamie Horncastle got in a nice early tackle on Elliot Cross. Hyde then did well to concede a throw ahead of Miller who was involved moments later getting the ball down skilfully and whipping over a dangerous cross.

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Chi keeper Kieran Magee spilled Charlie Kelly’s delivery to Pat Harding, making his 463rd and final appearance in eleven seasons at Burgess Hill, only for Ben Pashley to hook the ball away.

A neat piece of play by Mendoza won the visitors a throw which came to Pashley who crossed into Will Huffer’s gloves four minutes in. Next Ryan Davidson held off Tom Chalaye after the Hill No10 and Kelly probed.

Tyrone Madhani’s delivery was then headed clear as Chi countered before the first clear cut chance came and went when the ball bobbled for Prichard after a sharp twist and turn. Rob Hutchings headed back safely to Magee and at the other end a slip by Magee’s counterpart led to Huffer scrambling the loose ball out for another throw.

Chalaye got past Pashley easily enough but Hyde was there to cover and a slick move involving Miller, Chalaye and Kelly similarly fizzled out. Referee Jamaal Horne didn’t think Hyde had handled in the box on 14 minutes and then Clack had a go only for a defender to get a boot to his effort.

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Hyde shielded the ball effectively to deny Chalaye just before Chi won the first corner which Madhani whipped in deep to Horncastle. Pashley was burned again, by Kelly on this occasion, who couldn’t get a shot off at the mid-point. Hyde then cleared a cross and Emmett Dunn made a well-timed challenge.

Lovely skill from Finney earned the hosts a corner that Chalaye took short to Finney who picked out Josh Spinks for a free-header straight at Magee. Chi then survived a heart-in-your-mouth moment when Mendoza’s touch might have gone past Magee.

Both teams exchanged corners either side of the half hour which came to nothing before Kelly’s downward attempt went wide. Kelly and Cross both skewed attempts wide, and Horncastle’s hit deflected off an opponent for another corner kick.

Miller, Chalaye and Kelly gave the Chi back-line something to think about before Miller broke the deadlock with a fine header – guiding Spinks’ cross into the bottom corner. And then Pashley, in what would prove to be his last action of the encounter, broke up the danger posed by Harding and Leon Moore.

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Baffins Milton Rovers dual-signee Stan Bridgman, who featured for Chi against Folkestone Invicta in the Velocity Trophy, replaced Pashley at the interval and Horncastle dropped back to partner Hyde in the heart of the Chi defence. Madhani set up Prichard for the opening opportunity of the second half and the No11 pulled a decent save out of Huffer.

The subsequent corner by Madhani brushed the woodwork before a surging run from Davidson gave the hosts further trouble. Hyde was well-in on Miller turning the ball out for a throw and Harding fizzed a cross over onto the roof of the net. Davidson then struck a shot narrowly off target following a slick exchange of passes.

Horncastle was in the right place at the right time to deny Miller before Finney hit one high over the bar on the hour. And it was all square sixty seconds later when a great first touch by Prichard allowed him to cut inside and unleash a drive which beat Huffer all ends up.

Parity didn’t last long though as Hutchings conceded a free-kick when he might have just hacked the ball away. Kelly found Finney with the set-piece and he glanced a header beyond Magee to make it 2-1. Clack fired an effort wide as Chi sought to respond and Mendoza let the ball run between his legs to Clack who teed his teammate up for a shot which Huffer saved comfortably.

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Hyde received a yellow card for pulling Chalaye down on 69 minutes. Kelly took this once again but Hyde got something on it and Magee claimed. Madhani and Kelly sent a long-ranger and a header over respectively before Dunn had an effort cleared by a centre back. Chalaye might then have got in when Horncastle lost the ball but the Chi player recovered and snuffed out the danger.

With 10 minutes to go a Davidson snap-shot drifted wide of the mark before Martyn Box came on for Chalaye. Harding, scorer of the consolation in Hill’s 2-1 loss at Oaklands, was then denied a fairy tale ending when his effort was blocked and the follow-up blazed over.

Alex Weinberger replaced Madhani in the 82nd minute ahead of a fierce Dunn shot which cracked the left-hand stick and rolled agonisingly along the goal line. The game, played in the right spirit, got a little scrappy with Burgess Hill looking to protect their advantage but Weinberger and Clack linked up in the last minute of normal time and Mendoza’s cute finish handed Chi a point. Harding left the field to a guard of honour on the final whistle.

So, after two Covid-curtailed seasons, Chi will complete a first ever campaign at Step 4 on Saturday 23rd April (Kick Off 3pm) when they welcome Ramsgate to Oaklands Park.

Chichester – Magee, Davidson, Hutchings, Horncastle, Hyde, Pashley, Mendoza, Dunn, Clack, Madhani, Prichard. Subs: (Coote, Weinberger, Bridgman, Carroll)