Ryman Premier
Bognor Regis 0 v 1 East Thurrock United
SATURDAY’S Ryman Premier battle of the Rocks at Nyewood Lane deservedly went the way of the visitors.
Both sides can undoubtedly play better but on the day East Thurrock had the edge and, having grabbed the lead through Lewis Smith on 27 minutes, rarely looked like relinquishing it.
The home side had more opportunities in the opening stages and the game’s first chance fell to them on four minutes when Arron Hopkinson crossed but neither Ollie Pearce nor Alex Parsons could get on the end.
Hopkinson then had a great chance to put his side ahead on eight minutes, stooping to get first touch to an angled cross but his header drifted wide of the upright. Soon after he lashed a shot over the bar.
Having failed to make the most of seizing the early initiative Bognor began to back-pedal and East Thurroc came more and more into the game.
The first contentious moment of the match came when Bognor’s Harry Medway kicked the ball away in frustration after conceding a free kick. Referee Mark Lucie reached for his yellow card and appeared to hold it in his hand but in the end decided not to levy the penalty.
The game’s decisive moment came on 27 minutes when Bognor’s muddled midfield play saw the visitors take possession and Lewis Smith raced away, drawing keeper Grant Smith and clipping the ball past him to score.
The closest Bognor were to come to an equaliser came four minutes before half time when visiting keeper David Hughes came and flapped at a cross and the ball fell into a melee of players. First Craig Robson and then Harvey Whyte tried to force the ball home only to be denied by desperate defending by the visitors who survived and took a precious lead into the break.
In the second half it was the away side who always looked the most likely to add a second goal.
Early in the half Lewis Smith slipped the ball to Mitchell Gilbey, who was denided by a one-on-one save from Grant Smith.
At the other end an inadvertent interception by ref Mr Lucie created a chance for Bognor and the official would have been grateful when Hughes pulled off a save.
And the keeper did even better on the hour, keeping out Hopkinson’s fierce drive moments after Bognor had appeals for a penalty waved away.
From then on it was the visitors who dominated and a flowing move involving David Bryant and Sam Higgins resulted in Lewis Smith getting in a shot that his namesake did well to save.
An audacious long range lob from Nicky Symons was then comfortably fielded by the home keeper but showed the growing confidence of the visitors.
Medway then collected a booking for a foul on Lewis Smith that made Mr Lucie’s earlier decision to be lenient all the more relevant, but in the end, after more pressing Rocks play, the defender did see red, picking up his second caution for another foul.
In the closing stages East Thurrock saw Reece Harris produce a great volley after another flowing move that Grant Smith did well to save and in added time sub Manny Osei should have killed the game off when he was put through, but again the Bognor keeper saved his side.
However, time soon ran out and the visitors claimed all the points – with few in the crowd of 340 disputing that the points were taken by the most deserving side.
