Rocks bounce back by sinking Staines

Rocks 3 Staines 0
Jason Prior celebrates the opening goal / Picture by Tim HaleJason Prior celebrates the opening goal / Picture by Tim Hale
Jason Prior celebrates the opening goal / Picture by Tim Hale

Ryman premier

Bognor put their FA Cup disappointment behind them in fine style as two goals from Jason Prior and a wonder strike by Doug Tuck secured a valuable three points to move them back into the top five.

Tuck and Alex Parsons came back into the starting XI and Bognor were on the front foot from the start as Prior’s pass proved just too strong for Parsons and Jack Turner came out of his goal to clear.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Jack Bennett’s free-kick for Staines was glanced goalwards by Mitchall Gough but into the arms of Grant Smith.

Luke Wanadio’s fierce cross from the left bounced harmlessly wide then a through-ball from Ollie Pearce gave Parsons a chance.

Parsons’ pinpoint cross found Prior unmarked but his header crashed off the crossbar on ten minutes.

Sami El-Abd slid in late on Jack Hitchinson just outside the box. Bennett’s free-kick was too high.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Michael Kalu’s cross from the right was caught by Smith as Staines continued to pressurise.

At the other end Pearce’s run down the left saw him square to Snorre Nilsen near the back post. Nilsen’s shot was deflected wide.

Wanadio forced another save from Smith from long distance. The ball spun up and wide by only inches.

El-Abd headed a corner across the box for Robson, who headed towards goal, but Turner was well positioned to stop it.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

In a rather peculiar incident, Harvey Whyte was given a yellow card on 41 minutes for a dispute near the by-line.

Whyte redeemed himself by looping a pass over the defence for Prior. The striker sped through unmarked before squaring up and slotting the ball beyond the goalkeeper and into the net on 43 minutes.

Chad Field was booked just before half-time.

HT 1-0

Ex-Rock Pat Cox went close after the restart as his attempt from a right-sided cross was struck right at Smith.

Hutchinson received a yellow card for a foul on 49 minutes.

On 51 minutes Parsons did well to pick out Prior at the back post and he nodded the ball low inside the post to extend his tally of the season - fitting that he should score two goals to help banish the memory of his two penalty misses at Wealdstone.

Prior smashed a shot well over the bar following a corner.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The ball was cleared off Bognor’s goal-line on 59 minutes before Pearce went to ground in the opposition box only to be shown a yellow card for simulation.

Bennett threatened for Staines but on 66 minutes Bognor went three up to the delight of most in the 340 crowd when a cross from the right by Parsons eventually fell to Tuck, who struck it sweetly and into the top corner.

The Rocks brought on Daryl Wollers and Gary Charman for James Crane and Whyte on 69 minutes.

After a long pass by Smith, Pearce ran through but shot wide on 73 minutes.

Pearce’s corner found Robson but his header bounced wide.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Wanadio was the danger man all evening for Staines as he used his pace to outwit Wollers before shooting low and forcing another fabulous save from Smith on 77 minutes.

Pearce’s cross from the right didn’t fall right for sub Alfie Rutherford in the box on 86 minutes.

Then Erivaldo Felix brought down Rutherford and received a yellow card on 88 minutes.

Rocks: Smith, Whyte (Charman 69), Crane (Wollers 69), Tuck, El-Abd, Robson, Parsons, Nilsen, Prior (Rutherford 79), Pearce, Field. Unused subs: Horncastle, Beck.

LIAM GOODLEY

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Don’t miss out on all the latest breaking news where you live.

Here are four ways you can be sure you’ll be amongst the first to know what’s going on.

1 Make this website your homepage

2 Like our Facebook page at facebook.com/pages/Sport-Sussex

3 Follow us on Twitter @SportSussex

4 Register with us by clicking on ‘sign in’ (top right corner). You can then receive our daily newsletter AND add your point of view to stories that you read here.

And do share with your family and friends - so they don’t miss out!

Related topics: