Lawrence and Laycock rescue Rocks at Ascot

Strikes from Jake Lawrence and Cal Laycock salvaged a precious point for Jamie Howell’s side, who now sit in 10th spot in the league standings.

United, below Howell’s men in the table, took the lead through Sean Fraser on 27 minutes. And Baback Dehghani gave the home side a 2-0 advantage five minutes later.

But forward Lawrence, brought in on loan from Dorking Wanderers last week, found the net on 43 minutes to give the visitors a boost just before the break. Brandon Chebby battled his way down the left wing and his deflected cross was expertly converted by Lawrence.

Bognor pulled level on 75 minutes as Laycock headed home from a corner – and the goal gave Howell’s men hope they could snatch a win.

Ten minutes earlier, the visitors had almost reached parity when man-of-the-match Preston Woolston won possession in the middle and launched a Bognor counter attack. Chebby’s subsequent shot was parried before the ball fell back to Woolston but his shot went wide.

As the game neared completion, the Rocks could have nicked a third goal but Lawrence saw his 88th-minute shot hit the post after superb approach play.

Rocks No2 Paul Hinshelwood, speaking to Rocks Radio after the game, asked the players to replicate their second half performance from the off.

He said: “We have to play the whole game like we did the second half. First 15 it was all us we had a good foothold in the game and then they score and our heads hit the ground -- but we have to change that.

"We need to be on the front foot for the whole game, like we did in the second half, for the full 90 minutes, and not just the first 45 minutes.”

Teen attacker Lennie Smith started the game and was a constant threat but Hinshelwood revealed that the approach would be a cautious one when exposing the youngster to first team action.

He added: “Every time we have asked Lennie to come on in any game he has been brilliant but we have to remember he is still only 17 and we don't want to put that pressure on his shoulders. Jamie has tried to manage him and done well to be fair -- and he was excellent again in this game and his thing now is continue that and I am sure he can.”

Loan striker Lawrence hit a debut goal in the draw and Hinshelwood was appreciative of his efforts. He said: “He did really well, he slotted in perfectly given that he had only one training session with us on the Thursday. He gives us something different especially round the box. We want to use that pace up front, we have Lennie (Smith), (Lee) Seok-Jae and (Brandon) Chebby and it is about the midfield being on the front foot to pick up the second balls after that.”

Rocks: 1 Dan Lincoln, 2 Danny Jordan, 3 Ibra Busari, 4 Ethan Robb, 5 Chad Field (C), 6 Lennie Smith, 7 Billy Allcock, 8 Preston Woolston, 9 Brandon Chebby, 10 Jake Lawrence, 11 Lee Seok-Jae. Substitutes: Alfie Barnes, Callum Laycock — Billy Allcock (60′), Finlay Chadwick — Lee Seok-Jae (57′), Elliot Chaffey — Ibra Busari (56′), Callum Beck.