Tonbridge Angels salvaged a draw against in form Bognor but the game was soured when Laurence Ball had to go off due to a facial injury which stopped the game for ten minutes & later he went to hospital.

The game started really quickly for Tonbridge as after 15 seconds they nearly took the lead when a long ball forward forced Dan Sackman to make a back pass which went over Chris Winterton’s head but hit the post & went out for a corner.

In the first minute Mitchell Pinnock on the left cut in & saw his shot parried away by Winterton in which a scramble occurred before the referee gave a free kick to Bognor.

In the 4^th minute it was Bognor’s turn as a free kick into the area was half cleared but only to James Crane who saw his shot from 20 yards curl just past the post.

Another half chance went Tonbridge’s way in the 13^th minute when again Pinnock on the left go into the area & his cross to the back post evaded Winterton but Crane as cool as a cucumber headed back to Winterton.

In the 24^th minute a Pinnock long throw into the area was cleared but only to Dan Parkinson 20 yards out but his shot went over the bar, then in the 30^th minute came the incident which caused the game to stop for ten minutes, Ball leaped up to head clear but was challenged by a Bognor forward & he ended up laying on the pitch motionless, the paramedics came onto the pitch & treated him there & then stretched him off to the dressing rooms.

The rest of the half saw no real action as it seemed the accident affected both sides.

The second half took a while to get going but in the 56^th minute Bognor took a deserved lead when a Ollie Pearce corner into the area found Ex League & on loan from Margate ( how they need him ) Jason Prior head in from 15 yards beating Tom Hadler.

Tonbridge seemed shocked by this & you did not know how they could get back but in true Tonbridge fashion they did in the 62^nd minute when Pinnock chased down a long ball in the area & under pressure from three defenders wriggled his way through but was tripped by Harvey Whyte & a penalty was given, he picked himself up & stroked the ball straight down the middle for the equaliser.

Three minutes later a Jake Thomson corner found Craig Robson but this time it went over the bar. In the 76^th minute Bognor could not believe that they hadn’t scored when the ball in the Tonbridge area saw an almighty scramble with shots galore & defenders blocking them before a shot went wide of the post.

In time added on Tonbridge thought they had nicked the points when a corner to the back post was cleared but only to Tommy Whitnell who from 10 yards volleyed goal wards only to see it headed off the line & in the last minute Bognor nearly snatched the victory when a free kick into the area was headed goal wards by Prior but it went just wide of the post.

The final whistle went & Tonbridge had another point towards safety but everyone was more concerned how Laurence Ball was.

 

TONBRIDGE ANGELS:

1. HADLER 2. J.FOLKES  3. J.PARTER  4. D.PARKINSON (86)  5. S.COX  6. L.BALL (41)  7. M.PINNOCK  8. T.PARKINSON 9. J.TAYLOR 10. T.WHITNELL 11. M.WILLIAMS

SUBS USED:  12. C.SLOCOMBE (41)  14. D.OKOJIE (86)

SUBS NOT USED:  15. R.GREENIDGE  16. F.TAVARES

BOOKINGS: 4. D.PARKINSON (80)

 

BOGNOR REGIS TOWN:

1. WINTERTON 2. H.WHYTE  3. J.CRANE  4. C.OATWAY  5. D.SACKMAN  6. C.ROBSON  7. O.LAWSON (84) 8. J.THOMSON 9. J.PRIOR 10. O.PEARCE (57)  11. C.OVERTON (73)

SUBS USED:  12. T.DODD (57)  14. G.CODY (73)  15. H.WEDLAKE (84)

SUBS NOT USED: 16. A.PARSONS

BOOKINGS: 2. H.WHYTE (62)  15. H.WEDLAKE (88)

 

REFEREE:  Mr. H.LENNARD

ASSISTANTS:  Mr. C.HAMILTON &  Mr. D.EATON

ATTENDANCE: 522