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Rocks 2 Maidenhead 4
A sloppy defensive performance saw the Rocks crash to a home defeat against Maidenhead at a sunny Nyewood Lane.
The Rocks twice hauled themselves back to within a goal of the Magpies in an entertaining second half, but further lapses at the back meant they were left reflecting on their third defeat in four games.
Manager Mick Jenkins cut a downbeat figure afterwards and this performance is sure to have him stepping up his efforts to boost his squad with two or three new faces.
Bognor were unchanged from the team who lost 3-1 at AFC Wimbledon last Saturday, while Maidenhead included former Hawks striker Richard Pacquette in their line-up.
Maidenhead were the first to threaten as the game started two minutes in early in warm sunshine, skipper Ashley Nicholls firing a shot just high and wide from 20 yards a minute in.
On eight minutes, Joe Gatting forced Maidenhead keeper Shane Gore into a desperate clearance after chasing a seemingly lost cause.
The Rocks wasted a golden chance to go ahead on 11 minutes. Dan Beck put Gatting clean through and he had time to look up before placing his shot as the keeper came out, but it rolled wide of the post.
At the other end, Lee Newman forced Darren Behcet into a save with a shot that might have dipped in under the bar.
Pacquette tried a long-range effort on 15 minutes but it was a comfortable save for Behcet.The ex-Hawk had the ball in the net a minute later but the flag had gone up for offside well before he hit his volley past Behcet.
Beck gave the Rocks a scare when he went down with a foot injury on 19 minutes. He appeared to be hurt when running for a loose ball with an opponent. He continued after treatment but was to hobble off later in the first half. He is set to miss Monday's game at Eastleigh.
Maidenhead were looking the more threatening side and Pacquette had an easy job to nod the Magpies in front on 26 minutes when he got in between the defence and Behcet to rise unmarked to meet Ashley Smith's high cross from the right.
The Rocks did their best to gift Maidenhead a second two minutes later when Jupp's back header fell short of Behcet and into the path of Lee Newman, but the keeper salvaged things with a double close-range save from the striker.
The Rocks won a free kick just outside the area on 32 minutes but Paul Watson's attempt was blocked. Then Beck was forced off with the injury sustained earlier and he was replaced by Zak Burke.
It was 2-0 five minutes before the break when Nicholls was harshly judged to have been fouled just inside the box. Newman made no mistake with a well-hit and well-placed penalty.
Half-time: 0-2
The Rocks looked livelier straight from the kick-off when Josh Dutton-Black, who'd had a quiet first half, found space down the left for a good cross into the danger zone which a Magpies defender had to hoof clear.
Sub Burke did his best to get the Rocks back into the game with a run down the right and cross, but Dutton-Black only got a faint touch on it and it went out for a goal kick.
Dutton-Black had another good crossing chance on 56 minutes but his effort went first bounce to the keeper. It sparked a cry of 'wake up' from Rocks boss Jenkins to his team from the technical area.
They took him at his word, too - they hauled themselves back into it on 59 minutes when Burke made the most of a defensive mix-up after a Gatting flick-on to round the keeper and roll the ball into the empty net from the edge of the box.
Now the Rocks had an extra spring in their step and Jackson beat two men before slightly mishitting a 20-yard which went wide of Gore's right-hand post.
It was end-to-and stuff and much more entertaining than what had gone before it, and Newman forced Behcet into a good low save to his right with a run and left-foot shot from 20 yards.
Then Dutton-Black curled one high and wide amid half-hearted claims for a foul in the box as the Rocks attacked in search of an equaliser.
Just as the Rocks looked capable of an equaliser, Maidenhead restored their two-goal lead on 70 minutes when Dale Binns got away down the left and somehow beat Behcet at his near post.
The goals were flowing and there was another on 73 minutes as Paul Watson scored from the spot after Gatting's weaving in the box was ended by a trip.
Danny Smith then forced a superb diving save from Gore when he let fly from outside the area with a fierce low shot.
Scott Balderson replaced Scott Harris on 76 minutes.
Maidenhead went 4-2 when Binns took advantage of hesitation in the Rocks defence to head his second past a stunned Behcet.
It might have been five on 81 minutes but Pacquette's shot, although it beat Behcet, rattled the post and rebounded to safety.
Time was running out for the Rocks but they hadn't given up, and Jackson's header back across goal from Dutton-Black's cross would have been dangerous if anyone had anticipated it.
Gatting almost got a third for the Rocks in the 90th minute when his shot from a tight angle beat Gore, but it went just wide of the far post.
Bognor: Bechet, Hinshelwood, Watson, Harris, Jupp, Waterman, Jackson, Smith, Gatting, Beck (Burke), Cutton-Black. Subs: Balderson, Whisken, Pearce, Hill.
Maidenhead: Gore, Bradshaw, Bernard, Hinds, Sterling, Surey, Smith, Nicholls, Pacquette, Newman, Binns. Subs: James, Tyriaki, Fyfield, Behzadi, Carter.
Ref: Mr C Hatzikadis.
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Get the Observer on Thursday for all the latest from Nyewood Lane, including a look ahead to next week's home games with Bishop's Stortford and Welling
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Weather for Chichester
Tuesday 29 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 13 C to 21 C
Wind Speed: 20 mph
Wind direction: West
Tomorrow
Sunny spells
Temperature: 13 C to 20 C
Wind Speed: 18 mph
Wind direction: South west
