Higgs the hero as Rocks keep survival hopes alive with win over Bowers

This win – their second in a row – left them ten points from safety with ten games to go, with a tough-looking trip to play-off-chasing Carlshalton next to come.

After just two minutes Jasper Mather dug out a cross but a deflection saw Charlie Brown gather it. Then Bailey Smith used his pace down the right to get a low cross in from the right but again Brown was equal to it.

Calvin Davies tried a chipped pass over the visiting defence looking for the run of Smith but he strayed offside. On ten minutes a nice ball down the line by Higgs found Mather to run through and shoot. Brown pushed it away and Matt Burgess followed up with a shot high over the bar. Smith used his pace to drive in another cross which Brown spilled for a corner. Burgess had another strike blocked inside the area.

Davies again found Mather and after good control his strike was stopped by Brown. Higgs was blocked with yet another chance and again Burgess followed up by shooting over.

Smith was causing all sorts of problems for Bowers and cut in a cross that was knocked out for a corner. Burgess' kick was searching for Harvey Rew but didn't find him. Following another corner from Burgess, Smith’s shot was well saved. Bognor could have been awarded a penalty when Higgs went to ground after a challenge in the box, but the referee said ‘no foul’.

But Smith was tripped in the box by Ryan Richefond on 44 minutes. The referee pointed straight to the spot and up stepped Higgs to put the ball high into the net beyond a diving Brown to give Bognor the lead. After the break Higgs found the incisive run of Dion Jarvis into the box and he did well to beat the back line but his low shot was smothered by Brown. Alfie Evans capitalised on a risky back pass by Harvey Whyte but his deflected strike was pushed away by Ryan Hall.

Jarvis sent in a low strike that was deflected wide by the boot of Yannis Ambroisine. Then Whyte teed up Mather who ran through and hit it low at the near post and Brown pushed it on to the post and wide.

George Scales combined with Alex Teniola before curling a strike at goal but Hall was equal to it on 67 minutes. A neat ball by Doug Tuck split the Bowers defence and found Mather who had a shot save by Brown and was blocked by a defender on the rebound. Davies capitalised on a loose clearance from Brown and his long and dipping effort just flew wide. Teniola knocked a long range pass towards TQ Addy who went to ground in the area but the referee didn't give the penalty.

Burgess knocked a right-sided corner to the back post and Chad Field was there to shoot unmarked but his effort was blocked. Tuck sent Mather through but from a tight angle he chipped it wide, with Dan Gifford lurking.

Gifford pounced on the counter from a Bowers free-kick and he set Jarvis up on the overlap but he lost possession and claims for a penalty were ignored. Higgs struck one wide and then set up Gifford, who made a good run but hit his low effort wide on 88 minutes. Two minutes were added and the Rocks saw out the win, holding possession deep in the Bowers half.