Chips are down for Rocks

It's three defeats on the trot for Bognor - and still no league win since August - after Chippenham won at Nyewood Lane despite a home debut goal for Ibra Sekajja.
Ibra Sekajja is congratulated by Ollie Pearce after a goal on his Rocks home debut / Picture by Tommy McMillanIbra Sekajja is congratulated by Ollie Pearce after a goal on his Rocks home debut / Picture by Tommy McMillan
Ibra Sekajja is congratulated by Ollie Pearce after a goal on his Rocks home debut / Picture by Tommy McMillan

David Pratt starred in a strong attacking performance from Chippenham Town and despite an improved display, Bognor fell short again - though they still sit just above the National Leaue South's bottom three.

Bognor welcomed Connor Tighe into the side after his month's loan move from Whitehawk. Jimmy Wild was out with tonsillitis and the Bognor subs' bench only had three players on it.

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Kristian Campbell returned to the starting line up after missing the FA Cup game away to Oxford City.

Bognor started well, and on two minutes Doug Tuck found Sekajja. He fed Ollie Pearce, who cut inside but blasted over from outside the area. Skipper Harvey Whyte cut inside from the right and squared to Sekajja, who found Tuck - and he let fly with a low effort again from outside the box but it was wide

Andy Sandell's long throw into the box was headed out by Corey Heath and the ball back in was gathered by Dan Lincoln. A corner by by Pearce to Sekajja saw the striker back-heel it back to Pearce in space and he hit it first time - but the ball bounced off the bar on 12 minutes.

Felix Nuno's chipped pass into the area was gathered by Lincoln but the Chips were rarely threatening. Alex Ferguson tripped Sekajja inside Bognor's half and received a booking on 17 minutes. Whyte skied his effort after decent build-up play on the left following a pass by Pearce on 21 minutes.

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Scott Twine ended an attacking move when his low shot ricocheted off Chad Field and out for a corner. Lincoln flapped at the corner and was out of position as Dean Evans hooked it over his head towards goal but Heath was there to head it off the line on 26 minutes.

Pearce's swirling free-kick was headed away, then Campbell's throw saw a cross fall to Sekajja, who missed it completely. Then Jimmy Muitt smashed the ball well over on 32 minutes.

Josh Smile replaced the injured Evans on 33 minutes for the visitors. Twine went to ground in the box fairly easily and claims for a penalty were waved away by the referee on 34 minutes.

Heath was booked on 36 minutes for a challenge on Pratt. Lincoln punched Twine's chipped free-kick out. Pratt's low attempt after a quick turn was saved and pushed out to Twine, who chipped it in from close range to give the Chips the lead six minutes before the break.

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Campbell's decent work on the left saw him cross towards Tighe, but the ball was headed out to Muitt - and he miscued his effort as well.

HT 0-1

Whyte cut the ball back to Tuck, who knocked it on to Campbell on the left. His cross to Sekajja saw the new man head well wide. Bognor went further behind when Pratt ran onto a through pass before beating Campbell and slotting the ball low into the bottom corner on 49 minutes.

On 51 minutes, Sandell curled a free-kick at goal and Lincoln made a diving save to push it away. On 53 minutes the deficit increased when a Sandell free-kick bounced once and out off the crossbar before the ball fell to Michael Jones, who hit it low and in via a deflection.

On 57 minutes Muitt miscued an effort which hung in the air before falling kindly for the goalkeeper. Pearce did well to commit the goalkeeper into a save before Muitt was blocked off on the rebound.

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Campbell received a yellow card on 63 minutes for arguing with the linesman over a decision before Tighe's pass to Muitt saw the latter's cross saved.

Pearce then hit an effort from long distance on 67 minutes but Jared Thompson was equal to it. Muitt was replaced by Ben Swallow and Whyte was booked on 73 minutes for a late challenge.

Pat Suraci replaced Tighe on 74 minutes and Tuck smashed one high and wide before Suraci's cross was easily gathered by Thompson on 75 minutes.

A pass to Pratt saw him turn and shoot instantly but his deflected effort was well saved by Lincoln. Another Pratt curling chance was diverted over the bar by Lincoln after a neat pass from Ferguson.

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Pearce's 79th-minute corner from the left was nodded well wide by the flying Field. Will Richards got on the end of a loose clearance from a corner to blast over the bar on the turn on 80 minutes.

Jordan Rickets replaced Sandell on 82 minutes for Chippenham and it was 3-1 with five to go as Sekajja got on the end of Swallow's cross from the right and converted it.

Good play down the right saw Swallow's cross fall into the path of Sekajja, who looped a rising effort wide. But despite Bognor's efforts in the final four minutes of stoppage time, they couldn't get another goal and now face a long trip to Truro City next Saturday... perhaps wondering where that next win will come from.

Bognor: Lincoln, Whyte (c), Campbell, Tuck, Field, Heath, Muitt (Swallow 67), Block, Sekajja, Pearce, Tighe (Suraci 74). Sub not Used: Scutt

Chippenham: Thompson, Bowman, Nuno, Jones, Tindle (c), Richards, Ferguson, Twine, Pratt, Sandell (Rickets 82), Evans (Smile 33). Subs not Used: Oldridge, Beedon, Mathews.

Att: 495

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