Rocks have a Field day at Wingate

Two second-half goals saw Rocks take another crucial three points away from home and extend their lead at the top of the Ryman premier to four points.
Chad Field scored the first Rocka goal at Wingate / Picture by Tim HaleChad Field scored the first Rocka goal at Wingate / Picture by Tim Hale
Chad Field scored the first Rocka goal at Wingate / Picture by Tim Hale

A Chad Field tap-in and James Crane’s glancing header saw them take the win against their play-off chasing north London hosts.

Bognor travelled to the Maurice Rebak Stadium with new signing Charlie Moone in the starting XI alongside Ollie Pearce. Ex-Rock Walter Figueira was on the bench for the Blues having signed the day before.

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With Dan Beck back, Calvin Davies dropped to the bench with Jimmy Muitt also among the subs.

Early on, James Fraser passed to Crane in the area and he fed it back to Dylan Barnett, who smashed it low but wide.

Spencer McCall saw his shot saved by Dan Lincoln two minutes later after good work on the right by Ahmet Rifat.

Fraser turned and hit one on the rise but his attempt failed to trouble Shane Gore in the hosts’ goal.

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Then Fraser played a neat chip over the defence in search of Crane, but the keeper claimed it.

Reece Beckles-Richards won a corner on the right for the hosts, leading to Steve Wales’ cross being headed out to Tanasheh Abrahams, who directed his shot well over the bar.

Lincoln gathered a Wales corner, then Wales picked out Rob Laney with a fine corner but his glancing header was comfortable for Lincoln.

Bognor got the ball forward after a period of Wingate pressure but Pearce smashed a chance high and wide on 29 minutes.

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Bognor stole the ball in their opponents’ half and Crane sped on to shoot but his low shot was well saved by Gore.

Harvey Whyte’s right-sided cross was searching for Moone in the area but the keeper got the ball away.

Tommy Tejan-Sie smashed into Fraser near the halfway line and received a talking-to from the referee on 36 minutes.

Barnett handled to give Wingate a free-kick on the right but it came to nothing.

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Lincoln claimed another cross by Ryan Sellers before Fraser floated the ball in towards Moone’s feet. But he scuffed his chance.

HT 0-0

Tejan-Sie won an early second-half corner. Wales’ kick was too strong for Rifat, who glanced his header wide.

Whyte and Pearce combined down the right on 49 minutes before the latter whipped in a cross but it was headed away after flying over Gore.

Field gave away a free-kick on 52 minutes. Wales swung it into the box and Lincoln punched it away. The linseman had his flag up for offside. Laney collided with the goalkeeper during the incident and received treatment.

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The Rocks brought on Jimmy Muitt for Pearce just before a yellow card was shown to Tejan-Sie on 56 minutes. Moone went close as he slid in inside the area but the ball was diverted over the bar.

But Bognor took the lead on 59 minutes. Following a right-sided cross by Barnett the ball bounced across the box as Gore failed to gather it and from a tight angle, Field was well-positioned to slot it home.

Field received a booking on 65 minutes after Whyte tripped Beckles-Richards on the left and Field kicked the ball away.

On 68 minutes Beckles-Richards found space to shoot from outside the box but hit the side netting.

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Barnett’s corner from the right saw Sami El-Abd win another on the left.

Moone was replaced by Jimmy Wild on 72 minutes.

Good work by Barnett on the left saw him feed the ball back to Crane who blasted in a shot from long range which Gore had to push over.

Laney’s run and cross from the right teed up for Sellers who was unmarked, but he skied his header.

Tejan-Sie was replaced by Ben Pattie on 79 minutes, then Gary Charman came on for Fraser for Bognor.

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Rifat latched on to a pass into the box from the right but it was well stopped by Lincoln.

Sellers sent another low ball into the box but Lincoln gathered it.

On 85 minutes Bognor extended their lead. A wonderful left-sided corner towards the near post picked out Crane, who peeled off his marker before glancing it low into the bottom corner to seal the win.

A good counter-attack down the left saw Barnett pass inside to Wild, who threaded the ball into Muitt. He slid a low shot wide.

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Pattie received a cross from the right before turning sharply and shooting low, but Lincoln got down to it.

Bognor played out four minutes of stoppage time to claim the victory spoils and now look forward to two more big games on the road.

They face League Two side Crawley Town in the semi-final of the Parafix Sussex Senior Cup on Tuesday at Lancing (7.15pm kick off), then have a big Ryman premier clash at Needham Market next Saturday.

Wingate: Gore, Ifil, Sellers, Abrahams, Cronin, Rifat, Wales, McCall, Laney, Beckles-Richards, Tejan-Sie (Pattie 78). Subs Not Used: Obafemi, Dawkins, Sharpe, Figueira

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Rocks: Lincoln, Whyte, Barnett, Tuck, El-Abd, Field, Fraser (Charman 79), Beck, Moone (Wild 72), Pearce (Muitt 55), Crane. Subs Not Used: Budd, Davies.

Att - 180

LIAM GOODLEY

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