Tonbridge’s run of good form came to an end against opponents with grander things on the horizon, as Bognor forget about Saturday & their ¼ final against Torquay & kept on course for the play offs or winning the league.

The game started well for Tonbridge who had to make changes from their great win at Kingstonian as Nicky Wheeler & Tom Parkinson were sick, Wheeler played for 45 minutes, this defeat dents their promotion bid but as Steve McKimm said after the game there are still 12 games to go.

In the 2^nd minute Luke Allen saw his shot from 20 yards saved by Grant Smith & in the 14^th minute Bradley Woods-Garness was put in & as Smith advanced to close him down his dinked shot went narrowly past the post.

Two minutes later Charlie Webster on the right saw his cross to the back post arrive for Wheeler whose volley from 15 yards was saved by Smith. Bognor suddenly woke up & in the 20^th minute Connor Tighe wriggled his way past Jack Parter got to the by-line & passed to Stuart Green whose side foot effort was deflected for a corner.

In the 23^rd minute Tonbridge had their last chance of the half when Jerome Sobers saw his header from a corner go just wide then till half time it was Bognor in control.

In the very next minute they nearly took the lead when firstly Green in on goal saw his shot saved by Di Bernardo’s legs going out to Alfie Rutherford whose shot was cleared but only to Doug Tuck whose shot was cleared off the line by Sobers.

In the 26^th minute Bognor took the lead & what a soft goal to concede when Jason Prior saw his header from 15 yards bounce in front of Di Bernardo & go into the net.

Three minutes later & it was two when Rutherford on the right crossed into the area for Prior on his own & his powerful header went into the net. In the 35^th minute it could have been worse when Dan Beck on the right crossed to the back post where Rutherford was & from 8 yards on his own his shot went just past the post.

The second half was only 8 minutes old when Bognor scored their third & what a goal, Rutherford received the ball out on the left wing cut in & his shot from 25 yards looped over Di Bernado into the net.

Tonbridge now had a mountain to climb but in the 60^th minute they had a lifeline when Allen’s free kick to the back post found Laurence Ball who side footed it across the area for Luke Blewden who shot home from 6 yards.

The game became scrappy as both sides had half chances but in the end Bognor deserved this victory & gained a little bit of revenge from earlier in the season when Tonbridge won 5-0 at Bognor.

 

TONBRIDGE ANGELS:

1. DE BERNADO 2. J.FOWKES  3. J.PARTER  4. A.RIVIERE  5. J.SOBERS  6. S.MILES (52)  7. C.WEBSTER (58) 8. L.ALLEN 9. N.ELDER  10. B.WOODS-GARNESS  11. N.WHEELER (45)

SUBS USED:   17. L.BLEWDEN (45)  12. L.BALL (52)  14. T.WHITNELL (58)

SUBS NOT USED:  15. T.PARKINSON  16. B.HARRISON

BOOKINGS:  NONE

 

BOGNOR REGIS TOWN:

1. SMITH 2. C.DAVIES  3. J.CRANE   4. D.TUCK  5. S.EL-ABD  6. C.ROBSON  7. S.GREEN (74)  8. D.BECK 9. J.PRIOR 10. A.RUTHERFORD (84)  11. C.TIGHE (66)

SUBS USED:  12. A.PARSONS (66)  14. G.CHAPMAN (74)  17. D.WOLLERS (84)

SUBS NOT USED:  15. C.FIELD  16. S.NILSEN

BOOKINGS:  NONE

 

REFEREE: Mr N.DUNN

ASSISTANTS:  Mr J.HOBBS & Mr R.JOSS

ATTENDANCE: 377