Bognor hold on for vital victory over Ellingham and Ringwood

A moving minute’s applause was held for the young Evesham player who passed away last weekend, a beautiful sentiment matched across the country at many other matches.

For Bognor this victory followed on from the 41-0 beating of New Milton which we featured in this picture special.

The game started with Bognor’s big ball carriers Jamie Foote and Chris Webb making inroads into and through the E&R defence.

After concerted pressure the ball found its way to marauding back rower Mark Ubsdell on the 22 and he stormed through the home defence to score an excellent try.

Fly-half Jack Lysaght couldn’t convert.

Raiders down Dings.

But what followed was an immediate response from the hosts and a combination of poor discipline, unusually weak tackling and a referee who seemed intent on handing out more cards than a postman at Christmas, and E&R come back strongly and took advantage of Ubsdell and Darren Bidwell having ten minutes each in the sin bin each, scoring a penalty and unconverted try to lead 8-5.

Frustrated coach Karl Flinn’s words had a galvanising effect as a storming run from Josh Burgess gave Bognor back a lead they were never to relinquish. Conversion good, 8-12.

With Bidwell back, he began his attempts at redemption and made his presence known. Eagerness to pressure the hosts clearance kick resulted in a charge down, fly-half Lysaght gathering the loose ball and dotting down for Bognor’s third try before adding the extras. 8-19.

In charging it down Bidwell sustained what is now known to be a fractured ankle and his departure saw Adam Booker introduced.

The 10 minute dismissal of the E&R prop for stamping allowed for Charlie Weller an opening.He made light work of driving him backwards at scrum time and sabotaging any clean ball for the hosts.

Medway make Chichester pay.

From a scrum penalty, Bognor secured their bonus point try as debutant winger Woody Gilbert Jones slid in to the corner after Jack Hornibrook and Lysaght reacted quickly to space out wide. It was 24-8 at the break.

Superb spells of rugby from the visitors were tarnished by ill discipline and E&R clawed their way back to 18-24.

Ethan Teasdale began to assert himself in the defensive line and applied pressure on the E&R decision makers.

After a number of attacks were repelled, quick thinking from scrum half Hornibrook resulted in him sniping and going in under the sticks for a try converted by Lysaght.

A blatant punch from the frustrated hosts was well spotted by the official, but the retaliation and escalation from both teams resulted in a penalty reversal and the dismissal of one E&R player and two for the visitors. With absences, the pressure mounted and E&R made it 30-31 with five minutes to go.

Chris Hay halted the wide attacking threat of the hosts and the points were Bognor’s.

Bognor host Chichester twos this weekend.