Report by Liam Goodley, pictures by Lyn and Trevor Phillips
Rocks boasted a full bench as they made the trip to Carshalton Athletic. Harvey Hughes returned after his suspension and Jake Flannigan had his first start in the side for some time. Danny Howick and Charlie Bell were moved to the bench after clocking up some match time after the past few fixtures.
A major absentee in Amadou Tangara for the Rocks after picking up a broken finger saw the goalkeeper having to miss this game. So Slavomir Huk came in to take his place in goal from Dorking Wanderers.
Dan Gifford had space in the middle of the park to run on and have an early strike which was easily saved by Lloyd Thomas.
Sam Dowridge did well to curl the ball into the box with his left footed freekick and it fell to Paris Hamilton-Downes who headed it at his own goal and this forced Thomas into a save, tipping the ball over the crossbar with his right hand.
Dowridge stole possession on 6 minutes and got Bognor on the attack allowing Jake Flannigan in. He found Odokonyero but his advance into the box was pulled back as the ball had already rolled out of play.
Danny Bassett did well to respond by finding Daniel Bennett inside with a square pass. He turned and smacked it over the crossbar from 25 yards.
Marc Gballou Lida did well to combine with Luke Read but Lida’s cross was cut out by Huk.
Bognor responded with their own chance down the other end. Flannigan ran inside from midfield, making it to the edge of the box before shooting off a defender’s heel, beating Thomas, ricocheted off the inside of the right post and out again on 14 minutes.
Lida picked out Tommy Bradford who in turn knocked it on to Bennett who hit it from distance but it was deflected wide of the right post.
Adeyinka Adeniyi won a freekick off Joe Cook on the right. Bennett’s cross from the ball in was punched out again by Huk.
Adeniyi played another ball into the box and it was Huk again who denied the hosts who were slowly coming into the game after a great start for Bognor.
Hughes found Odokonyero who tried to place the ball forward but it was too much and rolled out for a goal kick.
Abdul Sankoh was creating problems for Bognor as the first half went on but he was blocked on his strong run into the box as a through ball was played into him.
Then Dandy’s long range freekick picked out Odokonyero who brought it down well and turned wonderfully inside the area but his cross was cut out. The resulting corner was glanced in the air well wide by Robson.
Another left-footed Dowridge drifted cross from the right direct from the freekick was met in the air by Gifford but his headed flick on went wide.
Bognor deserved getting the first goal on 28 minutes. Great pressure from the Rocks saw a long ball over the top controlled by Odokonyero who passed it back to Hughes who struck it low and forcing Thomas into a parried save. However, he pushed it right onto the back leg of Hamilton-Downes and back into the net with Gifford in pursuit.
Bognor were passing the ball on this 3G surface with confidence. Hughes tried a lofted pass towards Gifford but Thomas was well placed to gather it though after one bounce.
Gifford missed a pass to him inside the area from Dandy’s mazey run and pass across the box and then Odokonyero’s run inside ended with a low shot that was easily saved by Thomas.
Cook won possession for Bognor on the half-way line. He played it out wide to Flannigan who got the ball across along the turf of which Cook missed but Odokonyero who dragged his shot disappointingly straight at Thomas.
Instead of attacking at the very end of the half, Bognor were confident in possession and showed some respect to the Robins as the first half ended by not letting them get back into the game.
Flannigan was battling hard again on the right flank winning possession in the Rocks half and then getting the ball down the line and always being positive in possession.
Robson had to shepherd the ball out of play. Then Davies fired a ball over the defence for Gifford who neatly chipped the ball over Thomas and towards the near post but it was cleared away by the Robins defence.
Bennett was unhappy with not gaining advantage from the referee as they sprung on the attack following a foul inside Carshalton’s half.
Davies did well to win the ball and play it forward and then another pass through the middle of the defence but it was just too much for Odokonyero on 55 minutes.
Bassett dug out a volley from Cook’s headed clearance soon after. The ball only just whizzed over the crossbar from outside the area.
Dowridge took a knock with Adeniyi who claimed he didn’t foul the player. The referee resumed play with a drop ball in Carshalton’s favour given they were in possession of the ball.
Davies was there to divert the ball away and out from Adeniyi’s advance on the left and eventual cross. Bradford’s resulting corner bounced through the crowded box and bizarrely out of play on the other side for a goal kick.
Flannigan was replaced by Ethan Robb on 62 minutes, ending a great performance from the returning player from injury. He made a real difference to this Bognor side.
Robb was winning possession in Carshalton’s half almost getting Odokonyero in but it bounced instead to Thomas after the hosts had started the first half well but were showing signs of frustration.
Davies put the ball over the top to Odokonyero who won a corner on the left side. Dowridge fired the ball into the box but Cook was facing the wrong way and headed the ball back out again.
Huk confidently caught a Adeniyi forward freekick down the middle as Bognor were starting to take control again.
The Robins made a change as well as Sankoh came off for Bello Oreofe as they needed to get back into this with Bognor piling the pressure on.
Dandy played the ball down the right and found Dowridge with Robb in support saw Dowridge win a freekick. He received treatment by the physio. Whyte took the freekick into the wall and then Gifford was also blocked on the follow up.
Robson made a great reaction block to deny Bassett’s swift low cross. But Odokonyero pounced on the break running through before shooting wide of the left post whilst slightly imbalanced.
Bognor were growing into the half. Bradford went into the book for handball after a Davies challenge. Bassett capitalised on multiple players going for the same ball for Bognor. He got the cross in which was headed away by Cook for a corner as they battled at the back.
Joao Martins Barradas replaced the injured Lida on 83 minutes.
A corner by Bassett saw it fall kindly to Adeniyi who headed it down and it was Huk who managed to claw the ball out again. This set Bognor on the break but Odokonyero did too much with his run inside, kicking the ball ahead of him and losing possession.
Dowridge came off for Harrison Brook on 86 minutes as tired legs were now showing.
Crucial blocking by Davies and others in the area including another stop and gather by Huk allowed them to scupper Vorukov’s strike.
Carshalton had the ball in the net with Oreofe after a slipped through ball being dispatched but a sigh of relief came for Bognor as he strayed into an offside position and so the goal didn’t stand.
A defensive late change saw Howick replace Gifford to try and hold the win.
Late pressure saw Bassett strike low and wide of the left post in the last chance of the game.
Bognor got all three points away from home in a very hardworking team effort where Rocks shut out Carshalton Athletic. They now move on with renewed confidence to Kingstonian away on Saturday 18 March, with a 3pm kick off.
Rocks: Huk, Dandy, Hughes, Davies, Cook, Robson, Whyte, Flannigan (Robb 62), Odokonyero, Gifford (Howick 90), Dowridge (Brook 86)
Subs not used: Bell, Wyatt (G/K)
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