RESULT | WHITEHAWK 3 BOGNOR REGIS TOWN 0
Hawks recorded back to back home wins after a much improved second half performance all but relegated Sussex neighbours Bognor Regis Town.
Hawks’ line-up included a start for Josh Nandhra, after his impact as an early sub last week, as well as a place on the bench for deadline day signing Melford Simpson. Addison Garnett was also back in the squad after two months out with a shoulder injury.
With just four minutes on the clock Jordan Maguire-Drew curled a left foot free kick narrowly wide from the edge of the box after Callum Barlow had been dragged down by Kingswell. A minute later at the other end Jasper Mather headed a Burgess free kick from the left narrowly over the bar – and that was as close as Bognor came to troubling the scorers all game.
Playing downhill in the first half and backed by a nosy contingent with a loud drum, the Rocks were generally neat and tidy playing the ball out from the back and even won a number of corners, without ever looking like they might actually score. As the Hawks were similarly ineffective on a bouncy surface, goalmouth action was few and far between in a poor first half.
Harry Bridle had the only moments of note. With nearly twenty minutes gone he chased a through ball from Maguire-Drew, which was misjudged by Ryan Hall in the Rocks’ goal. Both players went down with Bridle looking to score with a tap in, but referee David Spain gave a free kick to the visitors instead of a penalty. Five minutes later Bridle curled a shot wide after being found by Nandhra and three minutes before half time his shot on the turn on the edge of the box sailed harmlessly over the goal.
It was unlikely the Hawks would play as indifferently in the second half, attacking downhill against a distinctly shaky looking Rocks defence, and so it proved.
Within two minutes of the re-start Bridle found Maguire-Drew in a similar position to where he had scored last weekend on the edge of the six-yard box, but this time his left foot volley lacked any power and Hall gathered easily. Minutes later Maguire-Drew had plenty of time to work the ball across the edge of the box and find Nandhra, granted the freedom of the penalty area. His side footed shot beat the onrushing Hall to give Hawks the lead.
Three minutes later it was two, after Maguire-Drew earned a free kick out on the left. Andrew Briggs curled the ball into the box where the Rocks defence again obliged, as Geofrey Okonkwo lost his marker for a free header at the near post.
After 67 minutes, Bridle clipped a ball forward beyond Dion Jarvis, and as the Bognor defender dithered, Nandhra got to the bouncing ball and lobbed Hall from the edge of the box, for his second goal of the match.
After that, it was really just a question of how many more the Hawks might get against their disillusioned visitors, as Shaun Saunders rang the changes from the bench, with Garnett added in midfield and Charlie Walker, Charlie Lambert, Billie Clark and Simpson forming a new forward line.
Walker had a free header at the far post saved by Hall after Briggs had floated a free kick into the area. He then smashed the ball over the Din after Hall had made a headed clearance while outside his area.
With 90 minutes almost up, Charlie Lambert fizzed a low drive narrowly wide of Hall’s left hand post, but the Rocks’ defence was still in obliging mood, as a minute later their last defender Harvey Rew passed the ball straight to Clark, but he over ran the gift, for Hall to gather.
Seconds before the full time whistle the final chance fell to debutant Simpson, as Walker’s through ball to Clark fell to him on the edge of the box, but the striker mis-kicked with the goal at his mercy.
Hawks: Osaghae, Wright, Johnson, Briggs, Okonkwo, Odogwu-Atkinson, Nandhra (Lambert 77′), Mensah (Garnett 66′), Barlow (Simpson 77′) Maguire-Drew (Clark 72′), Bridle (Walker 72′)
Rocks: Hall, Kingswell, Jarvis, Woolston, Rew, Field, Smith, Burgess, Mather (Chester 73′), Higgs, Tuck
