Up and down week for Bognor - Pagham back on track - City and Blues can't fell Oaks or Forest

Truro 1 Rocks 1

(Truro won 4-2 on pens)

FA Trophy first round

Jordy Mongoy’s thunderbolt proved fruitless for a gutsy Rocks side as they suffered the agony of a penalties shootout defeat in the first round of the FA Trophy against Truro City on Sunday.

Mongoy brought Bognor level at 1-1 with an unstoppable shot from the edge of the box on 66 minutes in a second half they dominated — and the wonder strike ultimately took the tie to spot-kicks after 90 minutes.

But both Nathan Odonkonyero and Kayne Deidrick-Roberts saw their tame efforts saved by the excellent James Hamon and the Southern Premier League outfit went through to the second round with a 4-2 penalties victory.

It was cruel on the visitors at Bolitho Park, the Devon ground City share with Plymouth Parkway — the Rocks definitely deserved a bit more luck after an impressive second-half display. It came following a flat performance before the break that left them trailing 1-0 at the interval thanks to Tyler Harvey’s 37th minute opener. The live-wire hitman curled a sumptuous shot beyond despairing Rocks keeper Amadou Tangara and Paul Wotton’s side, buoyed by their advantage, piled on the pressure though failed to add to their tally in this period of authority.

Bognor showed remarkable resilience and took the game to the White Tigers through long spells of possession. A forced shuffle of the pack was needed when influential central defender Joe Cook limped off on 58 minutes and with only two players on the bench — Craig Robson’s withdrawal a late blow — Charlie Bell came on.

Thrust into the heart of midfield, he oiled the creative fulcrum and pulled strings for both Mongoy and Odokonyero with perceptive passes but to no avail.

His arrival boosted what was already a a commanding second-half display, inspired by Ashton Leigh’s man-of-the-match makeshift role in the heart of defence, but a deserved second goal eluded them.

Harrison Brook, the former Pompey winger, illuminated the left hand side of the attack and showed poise and purpose and, perhaps even more tellingly in the long term, potential to continue to flourish.

Skipper Harvey Whyte rolled up his sleeves to lead by example and was matched in his endeavours by the ever-willing Calvin Davies. Jake Flannigan and James Crane were also industrious, while Ethan Robb, in central defence, exuded a calm confidence in and out of possession. In turn, though, the lottery of penalties followed and the Rocks met their arguably ill-deserved fate.

Coach Robbie Blake said he and boss Jack Pearce were proud of their players. He added: “To go out on penalties is always difficult to take and this was the case but we’re immensely proud of the way we fought our way back into the game with a very impressive second half.

“Our first half wasn’t great and at the break we asked the lads to try to get us a foothold and the way they responded was magnificent. I thought we played a lot of football, controlled possession for large parts of the game and I honestly think had we got a winner it would have been entirely deserved. But it wasn’t to be and we must dust ourselves down and go again. I should also mention our supporters who once again travelled in good numbers and their backing is so appreciated.”

CARL ELDRIDGE

East Grinstead 2 Rocks 5

Sussex Senior Cup R2

The Rocks are into the third round of the Sussex Senior Cup after overcoming East Grinstead Town 5-2.

Bognor scored four of their goals in the first half and one more in the second with Jordy Mongoy, Nathan Odokoynero (2), Charlie Bell and Kayne Diedrick-Roberts all netted as they marched onto the next round.

Bognor got off to a great start as Mongoy hit one in after 58 seconds to give Bognor the lead, scoring with his right foot as the shot went in off the post.

Good build up play saw Ashton Leigh win the ball before passing it to Diedrick-Roberts and he squared it to Charlie Bell, who cut inside on to his left foot and superbly diverted it low and hard into the bottom corner on 30 minutes to extend Bognor’s lead.

Bognor got their third goal on 33 minutes. Mongoy ran on before shooting low towards the near post and the goalkeeper pushed it onto the right post but the rebound fell to Odokonyero who slotted into an empty net.

Bognor played well to get the ball forward down the left. Leigh picked out James Crane, who cut it inside to Diedrick-Roberts and he found Odokonyero who turned to blast it high into the net on 42 minutes beating Pierson, who got a hand on it.

Harrison Brook replaced Crane at half time for the Rocks. Yasseir Nazor later replaced Jake Flannigan in Bognor’s second change of the evening.

Nazor was playing well and did the simple things right. He played it square to Odokonyero before he threaded it inside to Diedrick-Roberts but he smashed high and wide from outside the box.

Diedrick-Roberts netted a low strike after a swift move from Leigh and Nazor but he was flagged offside, so it didn’t count.

East Grinstead got a goal back on 83 minutes. Amadou Tangara stopped an initial low strike but Burgsss followed it up on the rebound, sliding it under the goalkeeper. The Wasps got another goal as Kie Douglas swung in a cross and a slight deflection saw the ball fall to Wilson who volleyed it into the net on 87 minutes.

But Bognor relieved the sudden pressure when Bell was fouled on the halfway line. He played the free-kick quickly with a through ball to Diedrick-Roberts who ran in onto his right foot before smacking it into the net to notch Bognor’s fifth of the evening in stoppage time.

LIAM GOODLEY

Sevenoaks 1 Chi City 1

Isthmian south east

Chichester City rued missed chances against 10-man Sevenoaks as a late goal for the hosts saw the game end all square.

Chichester started the game brightly with energy and pressed high up the pitch with intensity which led to good spells of possession and a string of half chances.

The first real chance fell to the home side when Danny Divine lofted a cross on to the head of but Louis Collins guided a header over Kieran Magee’s goal.

For Chi Jamie Horncastle’s low drive on 24 minutes fizzed wide. Lloyd Rowlatt and Callum Overton linked up for a chance and from the corner, Overton rose high above the Sevenoaks defence and powerfully headed home.

Ben Bridle-Card kept out Rowlatt’s effort and Kaleem Haitham hit one high and wide.

On the stroke of half-time, Sevenoaks’ Steve Smith was dismissed for violent conduct after raising his hands to the face of Overton.

After the break Chi pressed for a second before Sevenoaks began to hit back.

As their confidence rose, they created more chances and Chi’s valiant defence of their lead ended on 89 minutes when they failed to fully clear a corner and Collins’ venomous shot went in.

HARRY ELGAR

Pagham 0 Newhaven 4

SCFL premier