Bognor Regis Town win at Merstham - Clack saves Chichester City

Easter weekend has brought wins for Bognor Regis Town and Selsey and a draw for Chichester City. Reports below...
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Merstham 1 Rocks 3

Isthmian premier

Fine goals from Charlie Bell, Nathan Odokonyero and Dan Gifford meant the Rocks roared back to win after being 1-0 behind at half time to relegation-threatend Merstham.

Bognor chase possession at Merstham / Picture: Lyn PhillipsBognor chase possession at Merstham / Picture: Lyn Phillips
Bognor chase possession at Merstham / Picture: Lyn Phillips

Shola Ayoola, Harrison Brook and Danny Howick all got starts.

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Early on Korrey Henry teed up ex-Rocks Finlay Lovatt with a square pass before he let fly with a dipping strike of which was dealt with by Amadou Tangara.

Brook was caught in possession near the halfway line allowing Henry a run down the left but Ethan Robb hacked it clear.

Selsey celebrate a goal against Godalming / Picture: Chris HattonSelsey celebrate a goal against Godalming / Picture: Chris Hatton
Selsey celebrate a goal against Godalming / Picture: Chris Hatton

Tangara’s ball down the field led to Alfie Bridgman neatly nodding it back into the path of Bell, who knocked it wide.

Huseyin Biler got a neat cross in from the right and Henry rose highest but his header was over.

Erald Desa was offside in another Merstham attack.

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Ayoola won a free-kick on the left but Bell’s delivery hit the wall. Bridgman and Calvin Davies set up Brook but a defender got there first.

Bell’s corner kick found Joe Cook but his header was gathered by Sami Tlemcani. Lovatt had two corners hacked clear at Bognor’s near post.

Desa shot with his right foot but Tangara dived to push it out and Robb cleared for a corner.

Brook and Bridgman set up Gifford, who nodded it wide.

Bell hit a corner to Harvey Whyte but his low strike was blocked by Michael Olarewaju.

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Tangara pulled out two great saves, first from Desa and then tipping over Biler’s effort on the follow up.

Merstham went ahead on 42 minutes. Desa beat Cook with a turn of pace and fired it high into the net.

From a Rocks free-kick Ayoola’s header looked as though it crosse the line. However, the referee and linesman were adamant it hadn’t.

Josh Hallard’s long throws were proving a problem for Bognor after the break but Merstham couldn’t make one count.

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Bognor were level in the 53rd minute as Bell smashed home after good work down the left by Bridgman.

Olarewaju and Gifford clashed heads and had to receive lengthy treatment.

Odokonyero replaced Brook in Bognor’s first change on 61 minutes. Davies got a cross in for Ayoola. With his back to goal he tried an overhead scissor kick but it went wide.

Howick went into the book as he clipped Desa on the run back from losing possession. Ayoola was replaced by Tom Holland for Bognor on 76 minutes.

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Another ball in saw Odokonyero miscue his first chance but on the follow-up he hit it powerfully into the net on the turn to give Bognor the lead 80 minutes.

Bognor got a third in time added on as Merstham failed to clear their lines. Howick was up for a free-kick and played it square across the six-yard box.

LIAM GOODLEY

Chichester City 1 East Grinstead Town 1

Isthmian south east

A Josh Clack equaliser in time added on rescued a point for Chichester in a Good Friday encounter at Oaklands Park as the hosts ended a run of three league losses on the spin.

Chichester, who suffered a 1-0 defeat in the reverse fixture at the turn of the year, had keeper Kieran Magee to thank for a string of outstanding second half saves, including one from the penalty spot in the 85th minute.

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Jamie Horncastle returned to partner Ben Pashley at the heart of the defence.

EG right back Fintan Walsh’s long throw into the box with barely 60 seconds on the clock was cleared by Emmett Dunn before Magee got to the ball ahead of Ben Aubrey when it was recycled.

Pashley’s set-piece was just too strong for Ethan Prichard, as was Kaleem Haitham’s pass to the Chi No7.

Ryan Davidson broke two tackles driving into the penalty areas.

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Nice feet from Tyrone Madhani teed up a rare Chi opportunity but his effort didn’t test keeper Luke Glover.

Rob Hutchings fed an inviting pass down the left flank towards Madhani but it rolled out for a goal kick.

Tariq Straker picked Davidson’s pocket and raced forward to find Aubrey whose cross nicked off a defender and into Magee’s arms.

Max Walsh headed one over the bar for EG.

Prichard’s pace drew a foul off Miles Cornwell who escaped a caution from referee James Robinson.

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Tom Summerfield was the first player into the notepad for a foul on Dunn five minutes before the break.

On the stroke of half time Dan Uchechi’s free kick was headed into Magee’s gloves by Glenn Wilson.

Clack found Hutchings with a lovely ball the No3 couldn’t quite get under control.

Cornwell had another go on 57 minutes only for his fierce attempt to cannon off a teammate.

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Aubrey got a talking to from the ref and the visitors brought Drew Cooney on for Summerfield.

Charlie Oakwell-Boulton replaced Horncastle.

There was euphoria for the travelling fans behind the Archery End when a fantastic volley from Cornwell outside the box found the back of the net on 69 minutes.

Cooney picked up a booking with 15 to go and Omar Folkes replaced Douglas.

Pashley brought Folkes down in the penalty area in the 85th minute but Magee kept Chi in the game with a brilliant save to deny Cornwell from the spot.

Aubrey made way for Adetokunbo Zambara.

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Walsh lifted an effort onto the roof of the net before on 92 minutes, with seemingly a fourth consecutive league loss without scoring on the cards, Chi countered, Hutchings squared the ball and Clack drilled it home for a share of the spoils.

Chichester host Ramsgate at Oaklands Park on Saturday for their final game.

IAN WORDEN

Selsey 2 Godalming 0

SCFL division one

Selsey returned home for the first time in sixgames and the crowd was swelled by the club’s morning coaching for five to 14-year-olds.

Youngsters were welcomed with their families and in good weather it was a day to savour.

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Asolid performance and a 2-0 win from the Blues capped a great day.

The game was a great spectacle between two sides in good form.

Jack North went close after good work from brother Dillon and James Henton and then Dillon North almost broke the deadlock.

Godalming did force a few corners but Lee Newell in the home goal dealt with most with good clean handling.

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The second half saw Newell ihaving to be on his toes when a cross from the right got a deflection and almost fell to a forward in the box only for Newell to save with his feet.

Wth the visiting keeper off his line Bradley Higgins-Pearce, 40yards out, struck a free kick that cannoned back off the bar.

Great build up play by Joe Alman, Corey Burns and Higgins-Pearce released James Henton who turned his man and fired a left-foot strike around the keeper and into the net for 1-0.

Then Dillon North who got in on the act with a great strike. North collected the ball, travelled towards the Godalming goal and from 25 yards out struck an unstoppable curling strike into the far corner.

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The home defence were in no mood to let anything past and this was a great result in front of a big Easter crowd.

This Saturday Selsey end their season at home to Oakwood.

Thanks went to all the coaches and volunteers who helped make Saturday’s open football day a great success.