Bognor's second half collapse hands it to Horsham

It was a forgettable game of football for supporters who had travelled in good numbers.

The Rocks went behind with Lucas Rodrigues' 45th minute goal at the end of an enthralling first half at Horsham. But it all went wrong in the second half as Jack Mazzone netted twice and they let a fourth in during a very poor ending. Sam De St Croix was sent off on 63 minutes meaning it was always going to be difficult to get anything from the game.

The Rocks were coming off the back of a 2-1 defeat at home to Potters Bar Town hoping to return to the good form they showed in pre season and in their opening three games of their league season.

Nick Dembele and Isaac Olaniyan were moved to the bench and Sam De St Croix and Tom Chalaye started again making the side similar to the team that played away to Cray Wanderers.

Chalaye was already getting forward and won a freekick off a Harvey Whyte forward pass. The freekick broke down though from the short pass.

Then a Joe Rabbetts cross from the left was swung in and missed everyone in the box as Bognor started the brighter of the two sides early on.

Lee Harding was the first to advance for the Hornets but he was blocked and then the danger was cleared by Craig Robson. Tom Day was also blocked in the aftermath as Horsham responded, with Bognor winning a freekick to end the attack.

Whyte did well to cut it out in midfield but his ball forward ricocheted off De St Croix's back. But the midfielder regained the ball before rounding his marker thanks to Rabbetts' pass but after doing the hard work he slid his shot along the deck rather feebly to Mitchell Beeney who saved it.

Steward cut out a swift move by the hosts. Harding swung in a cross but Steward did well to stop it as it swung low.

An instant ball set up Chalaye on the run and he made good headway into the box and created an effort but it was a good stop at his near post by Beeney.

Then Calvin Davies provided two good corners, one after another. His first was nodded on by Alfie Bridgman of which Beeney fumbled and then his second flashed across the box with the goalkeeper completely missing it.

Bridgman cut inside with a good run on the right. He had De St Croix in support on the back post but he went for goal with a low strike and this forced a decent save from Beeney.

Shamir Fenelon was moving it forward for Horsham and he held it up enough for Harding who stepped up to slam it low and hard at goal but again Steward was equal to it.

Davies was fouled by Lucas Rodrigues. The cross in by Davies was good and towards Robson who appeared to have his shirt pulled but the referee waved away the claims.

A high-hanging cross was good from Bridgman but Beeney denied him by catching it in the air as the game was played at a fierce pace early on.

Tom Richards did well to cut inside from the left but he was cut out by Tom Bragg.

Rodrigues found himself in space just inside the box. He let fly with a high curling shot and it was acrobatically pushed over the goal by Steward on 23 minutes.

Whyte picked out De St Croix who flicked it onto Chalaye but he was blocked. Chris Sessegnon was the saviour again when the ball was played back into the box but with Whyte, Chalaye and Nathan Odokonyero all around the ball they were blocked again.

Following another Davies corner it fell to Whyte with his back to goal. He turned and hit it wide of the left post in a crowded penalty area.

Fenelon held up the ball from a long pass before unloading a pass for Jack Mezzone, but whilst unbalanced, he could only shoot over the bar with his left foot on 30 minutes.

Davies caught Rodrigues near the left corner flag and a freekick was awarded. Davies went into the book. The freekick swerved directly at goal but Steward was again solid to save it.

Bragg was the saviour, denying Fenelon a tap in with Robson beaten by a long ball. Bragg blocked it allowing Steward to gather.

It was end to end stuff as De St Croix flicked it onto Odokonyero but he diverted his strike instantly high over the bar on 35 minutes.

A swift move saw Bridgman cut off in the box and he went to ground and this allowed Horsham to regain possession. Rodrigues was set through and he only had to beat Steward but knocked it wide with his strike along the deck.

Josh McCormick replaced the injured-looking Jake Flannigan on 42 minutes.

Harding was causing more problems for the hosts and his cross fell to Rodrigues who knocked it well wide of the right post moments later.

But Horsham took the lead on 45 minutes. Rodrigues found space in the box and he was set through one on one with Steward and he powered it low and beyond the outstretched goalkeeper, into the bottom right corner.

Bridgman went into the book as well just before half time as he caught Harvey Sparks late deep in Horsham's half.

To end the half, Mezzone had a long distance strike which was stopped by Steward who was having a very busy afternoon.

HT 1-0

Harding was instantly in the action as Fenelon went to ground in the build up complaining of a head injury. He won a corner. Richards drove it in but Robson headed it away.

Sparks got a cross in from the left which fell to Harding and on the bouncing ball he fired it high and over the bar directly as the Hornets were the better starters in the second half.

A forward pass by Bragg found Chalaye who was played advantage after some shirt pulling. But after turning his man he was unable to get a shot away.

Then Day spotted Steward off his line but smacked it wide from 30 yards out near to the left flank.

The ball was played square to Bridgman who struck his first attempt off the defender with his right foot and then hit it wide with his right on the rebound. Odokonyero also struck high over the bar soon after, following a long ball forward down the right.

Rabbetts clearly had his shirt pulled. Davies swung in the freekick on the far left and the ball in was good but Whyte had strayed offside.

Robson headed out another cross. Richards swung in the corner and Steward punched at it and the ball almost spun back to his own goal but the Rocks defence cleared the loose ball.

Bognor went further behind on 57 minutes. Rocks were overrun in midfield and smart work from the hosts saw Richards play the ball across into the area on the deck for Mazzone to shoot and then tap in from close range despite Steward's efforts to deny him.

Whyte, sliding in, clearly won the ball on 61 minutes when he tackled Rodrigues but was wrongly given a yellow card.

On 63 minutes De De St Croix was given a straight red card after kicking out at a player following a challenge as Bognor players were losing their temper on the pitch. This happened right on the touchline but the freekick broke down with a foul in the box.

With Bognor down to ten men, Bobby Price struck over the bar when had time following a tame clearance.

It was toomlate really when Dembele replaced Chalaye on 66 minutes for Bognor's second change.

Frustrations grew as Jamie Howell was given stern words by the referee during a substitution for the hosts as Fenelon was replaced by Daniel Ajakaiye.

Horsham made it three on 71 minutes. Rodrigues did well to keep the ball from going out of play on the right. He ran on and played it square to Mezzone who beat his man before shooting it beyond Steward off a slight deflection off Bragg and into the net.

Rabbetts scooped a chance from long range over the bar and then Bridgman did the same moments later as everything Bognor tried failed to work.

Davies was replaced by Charlie Bell on 74 minutes in a much-needed change.

A corner by Richards found the head of Day and it spun up and had to be tipped over by Steward. Then the second corner was well caught by Steward.

Richards was replaced by Mo Juwara on 77 minutes.

Bridgman knocked the ball out on the right to McCormick who ran inside but swerved his attempt well wide in a rare Bognor attack.

Bell was blocked and this then led to a left-footed strike from distance curled wide of the left post from McCormick as the crowd was confirmed as 1,058.

Rodrigues, who was a thorn in Bognor's side all game, came off to a big applause as he was replaced for Eddie D'Sane on 85 minutes.

McCormick was caught out by D'Sane but luckily Whyte was back to shepherd the ball to Steward.

But it all got worse for Bognor. Harding dug out a cross for Ajakaiye who stubbed it in from close range in stoppage time with both McCormick and Bell unable to regain possession at the back.

In stoppage time, Dembele knocked a chance from a left cross over the bar from just in front of goal to sum up Bognor’s forgettable afternoon.

Bognor take on Cray Wanderers next at Nyewood Lane on Saturday in the FA Cup (3pm).

Rocks: Steward, Flannigan (McCormick 42), Rabbetts, Davies (Bell 74), Bragg, Whyte (c), De St Croix, Odokonyero, Chalaye (Dembele 66), Bridgman. Subs not used: Olaniyan, Howick.