Former Rock Kane Wills nets winner for Borough in front of impressive crowd

Rocks welcomed back Ollie Pearce to the starting line up as Bognor took to the field at a sunny and warm Nyewood Lane.

Joe Lea also got a starting place as Rocks were still without some key players as they welcomed Jamie Howell's Eastbourne Borough.

Pearce was already involved inside the first minutes into the game as his low shot rolled wide of the right post from the edge of the box.

Will Hendon received a talking to as he dragged back Calvin Davies in Bognor's half moments later.

Nathaniel Pinney moved with the ball into the Bognor area to play a square pass to Gavin McCallum who was closed down swiftly. Pearce received treatment shortly after but did return to play.

Eastbourne won a corner on the right and Kane Wills's kick was well caught by Dan Lincoln.

Dan Beck tripped up McCallum just outside the area and the forward won a freekick. Pinney curled it around the wall and Lincoln dived to his left to push it away for a corner on 11 minutes.

McCallum got the ball forward to Pinney in the box again but it was offside before McCallum had a shot on goal pushed away by Lincoln on 16 minutes, plus on the rebound Sergio Torres's chip was pushed over the crossbar by the goalkeeper.

Jimmy Wild was back to block a shot from McCallum before Rocks went on the break with a long ball by Tommy Block over the Eastbourne defence as Pearce ran onto it. But he couldn't stop the ball from rolling out for a goal kick.

Ben Swallow made it to the ball on the left and swung the ball in but Wild and then Pearce couldn't get enough onto it to direct it on target.

Jamie Taylor smacked another shot well over the crossbar following a lofted pass.

Wild was fouled in the Sports half. Swallow curled in the freekick but it was easily headed away.

Swallow and Davies combined on 32 minutes far on the left but Davies's cross was well stopped by Bailey Vose.

Torres passed it back to Taylor who struck it from distance but it was well gathered by Lincoln on 35 minutes.

Kiran Kinda-John played it forward to Torres who hooked it high onto the left to McCallum but after running inside his low shot flashed wide.

Pearce's cross from the left was too much for anyone in the box as Bognor looked dangerous in attack when the ball on the deck.

A ball over the top saw Pearce run onto it as the second half kicked off but he smacked his left footed chance wide.

Swallow then knocked one over the bar after receiving the ball square from Wild.

Pearce's cross was cut out by the goalkeeper. Then Swallow worked his way into the area before passing across the goal. A defender swirled it high towards the goal under pressure from Wild of which Vose had to push away.

Davies struck one from distance forcing the goalkeeper into a save after good hold up play by Wild and a pass by Pearce.

Wild hassled Hendon in the Eastbourne Borough area and thought he could win a penalty with handball appeals turned down.

Then Block was clearly impeded and Torres was shown a yellow card for the incident on 59 minutes.

Charlie Harris replaced Ryan Worrell on 59 minutes for the visitors in the game's first change.

Leon Redwood made his way down the left but scuffed his left footed attempt wide of the far post on 63 minutes.

On 66 minutes Torres worked the ball forward and Harris struck a deflected chance that was saved before firing again and hitting the left post.

Harris scuffed another wide moments later.

Pearce's cross from the left was searching for Wild but was gathered by the goalkeeper and then Taylor was caught offside on the counter.

Beck lost the ball in the Bognor half letting Torres play in Wills who ran in and shot low under Lincoln and into the bottom right corner on 71 minutes, giving the visitors a crucial lead.

Wild was replaced by Pat Suraci on 74 minutes. Josh Street also replaced Pinney on 75 minutes for the visitors.

Then James Crane came on for Whyte on 78 minutes.

Redwood hooked a ball over for Taylor but instead of hitting it first time he waited too long before belting it over the bar on 81 minutes.

Redwood received a booking for tripping up Suraci on the turn on the right. Swallow's short cross was diverted towards goal with Crane and Beck in the mix but it was diverted away by the instinctive save from Vose on 84 minutes.

Harry Ransom replaced Taylor on 86 minutes.

Hendon went to ground on the right and Pearce was booked on 89 minutes for the challenge.

El-Abd's long ball found Pearce who smashed it with his left boot from a tight angle but Vose was equal to it.

But that was the last chance as Bognor fell to their second defeat of the season. They travel to Chelmsford City on Saturday 2nd September, with 3.00pm kick off.

Rocks: Lincoln, Whyte (Crane 78), Davies, Block, El-Abd, Field, Lea, Beck (c), Wild (Suraci 74), Pearce, Swallow

Subs not Used: Scutt, Cooney, Boughton (G/K)

Attendance - 916