Brightlingsea Regent 0, Bognor Regis Town 5: Super Rocks resounding winners in Essex

Super Bognor were resounding winners at North Road against Brightlingsea Regent as Ashton Leigh got two, with Kayne Diedrick-Roberts, Nathan Odokonyero and Charlie Bell all contributed with goals.
Nathan Odokonyero. Picture by Martin DenyerNathan Odokonyero. Picture by Martin Denyer
Nathan Odokonyero. Picture by Martin Denyer

Mekhi McKenzie was closing down Amadou Tangara in the early going. Jordy Mongoy pounced in response but was shut down.

A good move turn Ashton Leigh turned to play the ball out wide to James Crane and his ball inside to Kayne Diedrick-Roberts saw him forced backwards though.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Max Booth was on the end of a bouncing cross from the right but it was easily gathered by Tangara.

Mongoy won a freekick in response down the other end. Leigh took the freekick from the right but Craig Robson could only head his chance backwards.

Diedrick-Roberts and Leigh combined down the left but were blocked off with their advance.

Leigh found Mongoy on the overlap just inside the box and his low ball into the area towards Nathan Odokonyero saw him only just steer it wide on 9 minutes.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Tangara was called into action pushing away Lewis Byrne-Hewitt's strike. But the corner in was poor and easily cleared by Bognor. Down the other end it was Diedrick-Roberts who did well to cut inside and play it square to Leigh who skied his effort well over the crossbar.

Diedrick-Roberts hit his freekick into the wall and Harvey Whyte couldn’t follow it up. Then a cross by Leigh was curled onto the back post but beyond any Rocks players that were just not quite up in position.

Tangara had to gather it after Charlie During made his way into the area but the goalkeeper bravely got to the ground ahead of the player.

Odokonyero was fouled on the turn by Charlie Bennett but Whyte’s eventual ball in was headed out.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Mongoy won a corner on the right, hitting his cross off the defender. Leigh's drifted ball in found Robson with a free header but he headed it wide of the right post.

Bognor took the lead on 21 minutes. Mongoy ran down the right and put the ball inside for Leigh who neatly turned and slotted the ball into the net low beyond Charlie Turner.

Lewis Byrne-Hewitt found space on the left. He curled in a cross to Eren Kinali who could only divert his effort wide of the left post when it seemed easier to score.

Booth pounced on the attack but his cross to Byrne-Hewitt ended with him knocking his effort over the crossbar.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Bognor slipped up allowing a defensive header to go out for a corner. Booth whipped it in but the ball was headed away by Robson. Bognor responded by Leigh finding Mongoy on the left. He curled it in straight onto the boot of Diedrick-Roberts and his volley only just flew wide.

Leigh played it back to Mongoy who found Flannigan who spun a header towards the back post but it was headed away off the line by the defender.

Mongoy and Flannigan battled together on the right. Flannigan got the cross into the area. It bounced to Diedrick-Roberts who took a while before getting a shot away again but frustratingly wide of the left post with Bognor on the up.

Leigh poked the ball onto Mongoy who curled it inside the box. It was only just deflected by a defender into the path of Turner.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Robson went into the book for a sliding challenge on McKenzie. But Booth's freekick inside was headed back out by Joe Dandy as the half came to a close.

HT 0-1

Booth had an early second half strike fly off Robson and out for a corner. The corner was curled into the back post by Kinali to Miles Mitchell-Nelson who hit the side netting with his header at the back post.

Dandy surged forward and was clearly tripped up by During but he avoided receiving a yellow card.

Mongoy combined with Whyte in Bognor's half before Mongoy ran on and found Odokonyero who ran and spun it into the area but Turner was there first.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Diedrick-Roberts ran along the left flank and drove the ball along the face of goal but Odokonyero was not quite there to follow it up.

Flannigan strayed offside after good build up from Bognor who were playing some nice passing football.

Marcus Gouldbourne made some headway inside the Bognor half before letting fly with an attempt but it flew well over the bar.

Mongoy rounded two men before whipping it straight onto the boot of Odokonyero who hit it first time and forcing a great save from Turner.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Bognor deservedly got their second goal on 57 minutes. Great work from Odokonyero inside the box saw the ball cut back to Leigh who controlled it, beat a defender, before smashing it high into the net to extend Rocks' lead.

Diedrick-Roberts did well to cut inside from the left and shoot low and forcing another save from Turner who denied him.

Crane flicked on a forward ball. Diedrick-Roberts did well to divert it back across but Leigh, after his hat-trick, knocked it just wide from the edge of the box. Odokonyero headed wide from a Leigh cross seconds later as Bognor should have put the game beyond doubt.

Ethan Robb played the ball back to Diedrick-Roberts who again got a shot away but it was hit straight at Turner.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Mongoy played a one-two with Leigh who was in the middle and he turned and hit one low at goal but it was another solid save from Turner to deny him.

Mongoy's low cross was deflected out to Whyte after a pass back by Leigh. Whyte's shot was heavily deflected to an unmarked Diedrick-Roberts who looked along the line before smashing it low into the net, beating the offside trap on 68 minutes.

Odokonyero did well to stay on his feet in the torrential rain before shooting wide soon after as Bognor were superb in the second half.

On 72 minutes Calvin Davies replaced the hardworking Whyte for Bognor.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Byrne-Hewitt and Bennett were replaced for the hosts and coming on was Zach Smith-Walter and Jake Thompson on 73 minutes.

Diedrick-Roberts was then replaced by Harrison Brook for the Rocks on 75 minutes.

Booth’s cross was good and bouncing in the area and then Crane did well to slide it away from he back post.

Leigh was replaced by Charlie Bell for the Rocks on 78 minutes. Leigh was rightly applauded off as the rain continued to pour.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

A diagonal ball over to Brook who cut the ball along the deck back to Bell who was blocked by the defence but Odokonyero was there to pounce and smash in at the near post to give Bognor a 4-0 lead.

Bognor made it five to the good. Bell pounced to follow up Mongoy's deflected low cross. He composed himself before coolly slotting it into the bottom left corner to send Bognor fans into a celebration in a very convincing performance.

Straight from Tangara’s kick out Bognor attacked again. Odokonyero ran on into the box with Brook up with him unmarked. He decided to shoot instead and it flew over the bar.

Kane Gilbert made it to the byline before crossing the ball. Tangara tipped the ball back out for a throw in on the far side.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Kinali's cross was headed wide but McKenzie was offside so it wouldn’t have counted anyway.

Bognor were far stronger in the poor conditions and deserved their win here. They welcome Leatherhead to Nyewood Lane next on Tuesday 5 October, with a 7.45pm kick off, hoping to build from their fifth position.

FT 0-5

Rocks: Tangara, Flannigan, Crane, Robb, Dandy, Robson, Whyte (c) (Davies 72), Diedrick-Roberts (Brook 75), Odokonyero, Leigh (Bell 78), Mongoy

Subs not Used: Hancott, Wyatt

Related topics: