Rabbetts pulls one out hat – but Bognor Regis Town are beaten at Carshalton

Rabbetts, on loan from Dorking Wanderers and who went on to collect the Rocks Radio man of the match award, struck on 48 minutes from easily 25 yards out with a rasping effort that gave home keeper Danny Bracken no chance whatsoever.

It gave Bognor the lead when they could have easily been behind at that point after a Tom Beere penalty miss just before the interval. Beere shot hopelessly wide after Craig Robson was penalised following a challenge on Femi Akinwande.

Referee Gerry Heron had no doubts about awarding the spot-kick, this after he denied the home side's claims for a penalty after three minutes when Sam Magri tussled with Akinwande in the box and the striker went down only for the official to wave play on. In fairness, it looked a penalty.

Blake's men couldn't build on Rabbetts' strike and although twin frontmen Dan Gifford and Nathan Odokonyero were tireless in their pursuit of more goals, it was Athletic who grabbed the spoils. Bognor went on to concede two which meant they couldn't stretch to six their winning run of matches.

Matty Vigor found the net on 70 minutes when he latched on to an inviting ball in from Crossley Lema -- and the goal seemed to inspire the hosts who piled on the pressure in search of a second.

The breakthrough they so desired came just eight minutes later when the lively Beere delivered a free-kick into the box that wasn't dealt with and Lema got a vital touch to poke past a despairing Cahill. Had the on-loan Brighton keeper Cahill been more dominant in his six-yard box perhaps the danger could have been cleared but it seemed that a moment's hesitation proved fatal. That said he made important saves at vital moments during the game and no doubt he will continue to develop and add strengths to his game.

The goal left the visitors frustrated but keen to haul themselves back in to the encounter. Yet despite no lack of effort, there was little evidence of the slick passing game that has proved so fruitful of late for Blake's men and a leveller could not be engineered.

Blake had shuffled his pack in terms of player selection for the game at Colston Avenue and Calvin Davies took the place of young schemer Joe Briffa in the middle of the park to add experience and steel, while wide man Alfie Bridgman made way for Isaac Olaniyan.

When the former came on after 54 minutes the visitors started to get some joy down the right-hand side but overall the cohesiveness witnessed of late in Bognor performances was largely absent.

With games coming thick and fast for the Rocks, Blake and assistant manager Jamie Howell will no doubt look to freshen things up and once again make tweaks to the line-up to try to launch another winning run of games.

Bognor Regis Town: 1 Killian Cahill, 2 Harvey Whyte, 3 Joe Rabbetts, 4 Calvin Davies, 5 Sam Magri, 6 Craig Robson, 7 Walter Figueira (Joseph Briffa 68'), 8 Sam De St Croix (Tom Chalaye 81'), 9 Nathan Odokonyero, 10 Dan Gifford, 11 Isaac Olaniyan (Alfie Bridgman 54'). Subs: 12 Alfie Bridgman, 17 Cameron Black, 15 Josh McCormick, 14 Tom Chalaye, 16 Joseph Briffa