Sweeney and Dove show Bognor the Wey to thwart Vandals

In a lively, entertaining encounter between two sides in the lower half of the table, Bognor capitalised on their control of set-pieces to emerge as worthy winners '“ ample revenge for the loss suffered in the corresponding fixture last year.

In a lively, entertaining encounter between two sides in the lower half of the table, Bognor capitalised on their control of set-pieces to emerge as worthy 22-8 winners over Weybridge Vandals – ample revenge for the loss suffered in the corresponding fixture last year.

In a match that was never dirty, each team had three players yellow-carded, although the frequent changes of personnel seemed to add to the enjoyment of the sizeable crowd.

Bognor found themselves at one point down to 12 men.

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Bognor started with the youthful if a little lightweight pairing of Steve Dove and Lee Williams while Josh Burgess appeared on the wing.

Bognor began with Dove catching confidently and driving powerfully into the Vandals pack. The home forwards, impressive in their desire to dominate their opposite numbers.

Vandals were awarded an early penalty when Goodwin spotted a Bognor forward going in at the side of a ruck and an attacking lineout on Bognor’s 22 was the result. The first test for the home defence was passed as Lee Balchin came away with it.

Stuart Pearce and scrum-half Rob Parry combined and the forwards were halted illegally. The penalty was converted by Dave Sweeney.

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Vandals fly-half Dai Hammond was off-target with a 35m penalty andSweeney rubbed salt in the wound by putting over his second kick.

Hammond made no mistake with his second attempt after Bognor were caught offside – the first of many acts of indiscipline. Twenty minutes in, a beautiful cross-kick by Parry almost put Burgess over in the corner but the flight was unkind. There was no sign of danger when Sweeney caught the ball on his own ten-metre line 15m infield. But the full-back sent a superb drop-goal soaring between the uprights.

A penalty to Vandals awarded for offside against Nigel Mitchell was reversed when the visitors’ No8 Buster White’s backchat gave Bognor ten yards. Sweeney was off-target.

Bognor looked certain to score as they pummelled away at Vandals’ line but not even after White was yellow-carded could they score the elusive first try.

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They began the second half where they had left off. Man-of-the-match Dove had his best game for Bognor for years, dominating the front of the line and controlling the driving mauls. Bognor took advantage of their numerical superiority when a clinical catch-and-drive from a lineout ended with skipper Lee Balchin getting the touchdown.

Sweeney saved a certain Vandals try before a spell of five yellow cards in 20 minutes, three to Bognor and two to Vandals. With Bognor missing two props and a No8 the game continued with uncontested scrums.

Parry kicked a penalty to stretch the lead to nine points.

Jonny Lang had to go off with a broken nose but Joey Toone steadied the ship. The replacement scrum-half secured a 50-50 ball which found its way to Parry. The Welshman kicked into space and Armandus Morgan gathered the ball in full flight then executed a brilliant off-load to Shergold, who touched down.

On Saturday Bognor travel to Trojans for one of the toughest tests of the season.

BOGNOR: Sweeney, Burgess, Pearce, Castleton, Archer, Shergold, Parry, Greenslade, P Mitchell, Morgan, Dove, Williams, N Mitchell, Lang, Balchin. Reps: Broome, O’Connor, Toone.

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