Rocks earn homecoming success against Creeksiders

By Connor Steel

BOGNOR REGIS TOWN celebrated their long-awaited return to their ‘beloved’ home stadium as they hosted Fareham Town in their latest Isthmian League South Central match on Saturday afternoon (December 27): comfortably getting a narrow two-one success versus their opponents enjoyed by the crowd featuring 1655 supporters within Nyewood Lane.

The hosts started quicker on an artificial 3G pitch surface and could have scored in the seventh minute through Callum Laycock, who narrowly missed Billy Allcock’s hooked pass. The striker then forced a tipping stop from Fareham keeper Charlie Searle with a swirling drive whilst Cam Sullivan had his shot denied by the away shot-stopper in their response.

This open encounter continued as Ethan Robb set up Seok-Jae Lee to brush the side netting on the eighteenth minute before Charlie Cooper headed straight at Searle down this other end; both sides doing well in cold conditions. Brendon Chebby saw the next opportunity when he got onto Harvey Whyte’s pass but he floated the header over on 29 minutes.

Whyte and Chebby linked up again as the attacker blasted wide a left-footed strike moments later, whilst Searle had to prevent Preston Woolston’s corner delivery from dipping into this net after catching a breeze on forty-four minutes. The visitors weren’t just defending however as Dan Sibley was stopped by the Bognor keeper to end this goal-less first half.

Fareham came out strongly for this second period with Sibley again creating some space and flashing off target, whilst Cooper headed wide from a delicious delivery where the leap was unbalanced. These chances moved Bognor forward though with Chebby sailed over and soon headed wide of the near post before the hour mark as the natural light faded.

Further opportunities for Matt Jones, Laycock and Chebby followed before these three set up Finley Chadwick to fire it wide on seventy minutes; both teams making substitutions to make the breakthroughs. And it was Bognor who opened the scoring with thirteen to play as a set-piece swirled into the path of Laycock, who diverted this shot inside the corner.

It was then two-nil as another dangerous cross from Lennie Smith bounced into Chadwick; the attacker hitting one into the far corner at long distance with a wonderful strike on eighty-three minutes. The Bognor goalkeeper initially pulled a diving save to deny Jamie Arnold, but was beaten by Reggie Hodan for a goal that sadly proved to be too little too late.

Another defeat means that Fareham remain bottom of this current table and are fifteen points off safety at this half-way point; their last win coming versus Littlehampton in late August. The Creeksiders will hope that the New Year will end a poor run of form as they host leaders Leatherhead next Saturday (January 3), before playing Met Police four days later.

PICTURED BY FAREHAM TOWN MEDIA: Visiting midfielder controls this ball on edge of penalty area in a tight defeat.