Robins rout Rottingdean to close in on leaders

Callum Coker grabbed a hat-trick to further bolster his chances of taking the golden boot and the supporters went home very happy on a freezing afternoon as the mini beast from the east arrived.

The visitors made a reasonable start and Andy Le-Goubin let fly from long distance and rapped the gloves of Bosham keeper Nick Hall but the stopper made a comfortable save.

Bosham upped their game and Jake Lafferty went close, also from long range, but the effort just squeezed by the post to the relief of keeper Sean Martin.

Shortly after the quarter-hour the hosts deservedly took the lead through the reliable Coker. On this occasion Martin fumbled a cross from the left and the Bosham striker nipped in to poke into the empty net.

The hosts should have doubled their lead minutes later when Coker put a close-range effort just wide after good work from Graeme Dowden.

Approaching the interval, Bosham all but put the game out of sight with two more goals. First Coker smashed another point-blank effort into the roof of the net – then Matt Docherty made it three with a piledriver from the edge of the box.

Bosham continued to press and just after the hour mark they added to their tally. Coker was on hand to grab his third but the exquisite work from Dowden didn’t go unnoticed. Dowden’s beautiful chip came back off the bar and Coker nodded the rebound into the empty net.

The pacy Alex Barnes rounded off the scoring, using pace and guile to outfox Martin and slide the ball into the empty net.

With other games postponed Bosham moved up to fourth, only three points behind leaders Alfold. The team have a week off this weekend as excitement builds at Walton Lane.

Bosham: Hall, Edgington, Docherty, Bedford, Miles, Coker, Bell, Barnes, Dowden, Probeee, Lafferty. Subs: Brown, Smith, Magee.

ALAN PRICE

* Sidlesham had no game - for the third week in a row. They go to Clymping this weekend.