Parish, Mdlalose, Lis and Robb: New names in frame as Bognor beat Selsey in their first friendly

After just over five months of football, Bognor were finally starting their first warm up game but without fans in attendance.

Harvey Whyte missed the first half and Amadou Tangara was also out. Potential signings Joe Cook and Jake Flannigan - who both has successful loan spells at Bognor last season - started.

Other less familiar names in the starting line-up were goalkeeper Taylor Seymour, midfielders Ethan Robb and Alfie Lis and striker Jason Parish. It appears they are at this stage on trial with a view to possible deals with the Rocks. A couple of them have been on the books of Gosport, a club the Rocks have had plenty of dealings with in recent times.

It didn’t take long for Bognor to get the opener when Crane netted Bognor's first goal of the season on 12 minutes. A low ball along the deck by Tommy Leigh fell to him from the left and he hit it low and well beyond the goalkeeper.

On 19 minutes Keaton Wood fed Brad Lethbridge on the left before his cross picked out Tommy Leigh. He headed it off the goalkeeper and it came off the post before the shotstopper managed to gather it.

Another in-swinging cross from Lethbridge was only just deflected away as Sid Davies was being kept very busy in the opening 25 minutes in the Selsey goal.

The impressive Robb, perhaps seen as a replacement for Doug Tuck, who has gone to Horsham, hit one which was saved after Parish had netted a disallowed goal from a through ball on 38 minutes.

It was 2-0 when Crane passed it back to Flannigan inside the area and he slid it low into the bottom corner on 43 minutes to extend Bognor's lead.

HT 0-2

Calvin Davies came on for the second half in his first game for over a year following a serious knee injury.

Kieran Rowe, a youngster who has been on the Rocks radar previously, hit the post on 47 minutes after also coming on for the restart. Ashton Leigh pinged in a cross for Davies on the back post but he headed over the bar on 56 minutes.

Lis and Robb combined before Parish beat the goalkeeper, chipping it neatly over him on 58 minutes to score his first goal for the club.

The returning Ben Mendoza hit the wall with a free-kick but Bognor netted their fourth goal when Mdlalose, a midfielder who has had a spell on Southampton's books, brought down a driven right-sided cross by Whyte with his chest before slamming home on 78 minutes.

Will Stone, another Rocks sub, glanced a header over the goalkeeper and into the net but had strayed offside. Mdlalose hit another chance which was palmed out to Michael Baker who hit it at goal but it was blocked on the line.

Substitutions came throughout as all players, new and returning, got a chance to show their talents.

Horndean are Bognor's next pre-season hosts, on Friday evening. Games against East Preston, Chichester City and Gosport follow after that.

Rocks: Taylor Seymour, James Crane, Ashton.Leigh, Ethan Robb, Joe Cook, Keaton Wood, Jake Flannigan, Tommy. Leigh, Jason Parish, Alfie Lis, Brad Lethbridge. Subs: Calvin Davies, Harvey Whyte, Ben Mendoza, Max Barros, Michael Baker, Siph Mdlalose, Kieran Rowe, Will Stone.