Pompey loanee scores two - but it's in a losing cause for Bognor Regis Town

Chris Dickson’s double won it for Cray a day after Jack Pearce had stepped down as Rocks first-team manager.

Jake Flannigan returned to the bench after long-term injury and Calvin Davies was fit again, while 17-year-old defender Danny Howick kept his place.

Cray took the lead inside the first minute. A sliced wide shot-come-cross from the left couldn’t be dealt with by the Bognor defence and Sam Wood pounced at the back post to head it high into the net beyond Amadou Tangara.

Bognor responded with a Craig Robson header forcing a good save from Joseph Wright. On the follow-up Nathan Odokonyero went to ground in the area, but penalty appeals were ignored.

Charlie Bell and Harvey Whyte combined to try to set up Gifford but Wright got there first.

17-year-old lined up for Rocks home debut.

Cray extended their lead on 20 minutes. A loose Rocks pass allowed Dickson to run beyond the defence and stroke it beyond Tangara.

Davies swung in a cross for Odokonyero who found Gifford and he forced Wright into a save on 25 minutes.

Bell went into the book for tripping a Cray player.

Odokonyero let fly with a left-footed strike which was well saved by Wright.

Odokenyero and Sam Dowridge combined to tee up Bell but Wright denied him.

Rocks must not let season end in a whimper.

Flannigan replaced Bell after half-time for the Rocks.

Flannigan won a corner on 59 minutes. The ball bounced out to Joe Dandy and eventually was put back in by Whyte and was knocked down into the box by Howick – and with a quick turn it was Gifford who fired low and beyond the keeper to give Bognor some hope at 2-1.

Kasim Aidoo went into the book for a late challenge on Gifford. The free-kick was poor from Davies.

Cook blasted a free-kick narrowly over the bar on 66 minutes.

It was 2-2 minutes later as Gifford ran through and neatly fired low into the bottom corner on 68 minutes – his sixth Rocks goal in his short ime at the club.

But barely a minute later a bouncing ball was not dealt with by the home defence and Dickson ran through to hook it straight over the goalkeeper and into the net.

The Rocks put the pressure on looking for another equaliser but it wouldn’t come.

One attack was halted when Whyte was deemed guilty of a foul off the ball.

Flannigan sent a ball into the danger zone but neither Odokonyero nor Whyte could poke it in.