Rocks boss Jack Pearce was highly critical of his side's defending following defeat to their Sussex neighbours.

Second-placed Eastbourne were on the rack for long periods at Nyewood Lane but Bognor were undone by two soft goals at the end of either half.

Left-back Mark Knee was at fault for allowing Pat Harding time at the far post to poke Borough in front on 44 minutes.

And Knee again made it too easy for Stuart Ramsey to cross for
substitute Scott Chamberlain to roll in the visitors' second in stoppage time.

It means Bognor have now lost all four of their home matches in Blue Square South.

Pearce said: "People will pick up the papers and think the team near the bottom got stuffed by the team at the top.

"But we were the better team for long periods and should have taken something from the game.

"Once again we conceded a very poor goal at a very bad time and were chasing the game. Mark Knee should have been marking their No7, but instead he decided to go and help out the centre-half, the ball fell to the No7 and it's in the back of the net.

"We made changes in the second half which improved things and had three very good chances, didn't take any of them and lost. That's football I'm afraid.

"Then the defending for the second goal was abysmal, and unfortunately it was Mark Knee again.

"All he had to do was stop the ball coming into the box, but he went to ground and their striker had all the time in the world to look up and pick his man out."

Bognor came closest to scoring on 62 minutes when David Ray's shot struck the right-hand post.

Luke Nightingale's control then let him down when he was clean through on goal, before Ray squandered the home side's best chance of the night when he headed Ollie Rowland's brilliant first-time cross over the bar from six yards out.

BOGNOR: Stoner, Richards, Knee, Budd, Breach, Pearson (Town 77), Ray, Harris (Birmingham 55), Beck, Nightingale, Greatwich (Rowland 55). Subs not used: Wallis-Tayler, Marshall.

EASTBOURNE: Hook, Baker, Lovett, Smart, Austin, Pullan, Harding, Armstrong, Ramsey, Aitkin, (Chamberlain 82) M Crabb (N Crabb 78). Subs not used: Ballard, Leach, Lightwood.