ROCKS REVIEW: Rocks 1 Godalming (FA Trophy)

The Rocks were held to a frustrating draw in their FA Trophy second qualifying round tie at Nyewood Lane, forcing a replay at Godalming on Tuesday (7.30pm).

The hosts were without Dean Maynard through work commitments, but Matt Whitehead returned to left back ahead of Jon Marzetti who started on the bench. Michael Birmingham was watching the match after illness but did not feature.

Like the game away to Godalming, within seconds the visitors were on the attack. Richard Shittu worked well to hold the ball up for James Hennessy, whose shot from outside the area flew over the bar.

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Rocks replied 2 minutes later when James Crane linked up with Luke Nightingale down the right. The full back chipped in the ball for Jason Prior but Paul McCarthy managed to get there first to punch clear.

Shittu slid in late on Crane, who then required treatment.

On six minutes Dan Royce drove in a left-footed cross from the right but Stuart Harte headed clear.

Then a wonderful long diagonal ball by Ben Johnson allowed Royce to pass to Prior. The striker tried to cross for Nightingale but was blocked. The defender appeared to block the attempt with his hand but the appeal by the players and the home support was ignored.

Two quickfire attacks came for Bognor as they began to dominate. First Whitehead played a neat one-two with Prior to split the defence. But the left-back’s shot was stopped by McCarthy who had quickly slid in. The ball fell to Royce who smashed a shot along the ground that McCarthy used his legs to divert.

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But the visitors took the lead, almost against the run of play, when Scott Bennetts threaded the ball through to Shittu, who made no mistake powering the ball low beyond Craig Stoner.

On 25 minutes Johnson laid the ball back for James Fraser. The midfielder drove in a dangerous cross from the left but no player could get on the end of it as it flashed along the face of goal.

Johnson gave the ball away cheaply with a mis-directed square pass to allow Hennessy with a chance. The striker blasted well over when he had time to do better.

Kane Wills put the ball in the net but the referee had signalled for a handball by a Bognor player. Prior cut inside the area from the right after being set up by Crane. But after creating space for himself he could only fire straight at McCarthy.

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Then Fraser combined neatly with Johnson to be given space inside the area. But from a difficult angle he slid his shot wide of the far post.

With 10 minutes left of the first half, Bognor were awarded a free-kick after Royce was brought down just outside the area. Johnson sent his effort over the bar.

Rocks levelled on 36 minutes when Johnson spun the ball in with the outside of his boot to allow Nightingale to beat his marker to slot low beyond the outstretched McCarthy.

Godalming replied when Yinka Salami drove in a cross from deep on the right. Hennessy got on the end of it to glance his header wide of the post.

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Johnson then latched on to a corner to shoot at goal. His attempt from the corner of the area was deflected wide, bouncing off the back of Damian Matthews.

HT 1-1

Crane’s low cross towards Prior was scuppered when Matthews got there first to clear.

Down the other end Shaun Elliott beat Crane on the left to set himself up inside the area. But he blasted his left-footed shot wide of the right post when he looked destined to score.

Visiting skipper Gavin Smith powered a ball forward to Hennessy who appeared to be offside, but the flag stayed down and Stoner had to come out to boot clear.

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Royce found Nightingale but for once he was unable to control the ball.

Moments later Stoner again had to dash out of his area to use his head to clear the ball before Shittu could get to it.

Things were just not happening for the hosts: Nightingale laid the ball back to Whitehead on the left, Whitehead sped forward to cross but he miscued it and the ball flew over the bar.

Substitute Phil Turner did well to round Elliott but his cross from the right went straight across goal.

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On the hour, Turner’s corner was only partially headed out to Fraser. The midfielder managed to head back towards goal but the scramble in the area eventually led to Nightingale missing from close range.

Nightingale did well to beat his defender to cut the ball back to Turner who curled his cross-come-shot wide of the post.

Turner stole the ball from Matthews to cross. But nobody was up with him as his attempt bounced off for a goal kick.

With less than 20 minutes to go Crane ran through to drive in a powerful shot that was well stopped by McCarthy.

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Bennetts then got his boot under an effort to send the ball over the bar.

The referee struggled to control the game especially during the second half as substitute Miles Jones fell dramatically down the left when Crane appeared to be nowhere near the player and the game continued, despite shouts from the visiting dugout.

Bognor’s defence couldn’t deal with a back pass and Shittu pounced on the opportunity to slot the ball to Bennetts who spotted Stoner off the line. His shot looped over the bar as it dipped too late.

Bennetts was sent off after he sent Crane sprawling on the floor after a dangerous tackle that could have seriously injured the right-back.

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In stoppage time Fraser blasted wide from outside the area after a throw-in.

To add to the frustration Bond couldn’t squirm home the ball from a scramble. Then Whitehead drove in a hopeful ball but the chance was cleared.

Bognor were simply not clinical enough today, and it cost them dearly. Now they will hope for a repeat of their last outing to Godalming when they face them again this Tuesday.

Attendance – 298

Team: Stoner (6), Crane (7), Whitehead (7), Fraser (6), Axten (6), Bond (6), Royce (7) (Turner 55 (6)), Wills (5), Prior (6), Nightingale © (7), Johnson (6). Unused Subs: Marzetti, Wood, Marshall, Pointing

by LIAM GOODLEY