Report, highlights and reaction: Walsh and Muitt strike as Bognor see off Carshalton

Goals from Mason Walsh and Jimmy Muitt gave the Rocks a fairly comfortable 2-0 win at home to Carshalton Athletic at Nyewood Lane - and enabled them to movew back into the Bostik premier top six.
Jimmy Muitt celebrates after scoring the Rocks' second / Picture by Tommy McMillanJimmy Muitt celebrates after scoring the Rocks' second / Picture by Tommy McMillan
Jimmy Muitt celebrates after scoring the Rocks' second / Picture by Tommy McMillan

Bognor were without Pompey loanees Bradley Lethbridge and Dan Smith, needed by their parent club, and were without suspended Ed Sanders. Joshua McCormick and Jimmy Wild came into the starting line-up.

As Jack Pearce and Robbie Blake's team looked to build on taking seven points out of nine in their holiday matches, Walsh, after weaving his way past a couple of Robins players, got a shot away from outside the box but it high and wide on just three minutes. Muitt passed to Theo Widdrington whose chip almost found Harvey Whyte but the ball bounced through to the goalkeeper Billy Bishop.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Bognor took the lead on ten minutes as Bishop's goal kick fell nicely for Walsh, who worked the ball inside before shooting low from the edge of the box and the ball took a deflection as it went past the goalkeeper before flying low into the net.

Mason Walsh controls the ball before firing Bognor ahead / Picture by Tommy McMillanMason Walsh controls the ball before firing Bognor ahead / Picture by Tommy McMillan
Mason Walsh controls the ball before firing Bognor ahead / Picture by Tommy McMillan

Harry Ottoway's chipped cross was headed away by McCormick as Carshalton tried to hit back. Tommy Bradford received a right-sided cross before spinning a header at goal. Dan Lincoln pushed it over the bar one-handed, but the linesman had his flag up for offside.

Widdrington got in the way of a free-kick and was shown a yellow card on 22 minutes. Olawale Sogbamnu got on the end of a cross by Kalvin McGrath-Gibbs but after gaining control he stubbed his shot into the turf and it was easily saved by Lincoln. Bradford beat the offside trap to latch on to a long ball before shooting but Lincoln got down to tip it around the post. Soon after that, Lincoln dealt with a deflected low shot.

On 30 minutes Muitt found Walsh on the left and he took a few steps before curling a dipping shot at goal which was agonisingly wide. A short corner ended at the feet of Muitt, who hit it from way outside the box - his shot bounced freakishly and almost beat Bishop but he did enough to push it out.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Great passing play followed out on the left with Doug Tuck, Walsh and Widdrington involved, the on-loan midfielder smashing the ball over the bar. Then McCormick did well on the right before crossing it and Wild seemed to be pushed in the area but the referee ignored the penalty claims.

Whyte and Tuck combined again on 38 minutes before Tuck picked out Muitt but his first-time shot spun high and wide. HT 1-0

There was a mix up as Tuck looked to be fouled and Gary Charman was beaten with a pass before Christie Pattison won a corner. It was punched out by Lincoln before Bradford’s header on the rebound went wide. Muitt found Joe Tomlinson - the Brighton left-back whose loan has been extended to the end of the season - and he ran inside before shooting. His strike was well stopped by Bishop.

On 55 minutes Wild did well before passing to Muitt, who hit it sweetly into the net to give Bognor a 2-0 lead. Walsh was fouled outside the box with Paris Hamilton-Downes going into the book. Widdrington hit the free-kick well but it was pushed away by Bishop. Walsh went close soon after, committing Bishop into a diving save.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Bognor failed to clear their lines on 61 minutes before Robins player-manager Peter Adeniyi hit it early but high and wide. Tommy Scutt replaced Charman on 66 minutes.

Walsh won a free-kick and his low pass to Wild was miscued before Chad Field's attempt wasblocked by a defender on the line on 69 minutes. Then Tomlinson smacked a dipping effort just over the bar.

Corey Heath made his long-awaited return from injury to replace Walsh, who was struggling with cramp on 79 minutes. Heath has been out since early in the season with an ankle problem.

McCormick picked up a yellow card and Adeniyi combined with Jacob Mendy before he was stopped in his tracks. Jordan Cheadle's late long-range free-kick forced Lincoln into a save - then Bognor cleared the ball off the line seconds later.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The win extends Bognor's unbeaten run to four games and puts them in fine fettle for the long trip to Brightlingsea Regent on Tuesday night.

Bognor: Lincoln, McCormick, Tomlinson, Tuck, Field, Charman (Scutt 66), Whyte, Widdrington, Wild, Muitt, Walsh (Heath 79). Sub not used: Osborne.

Carshalton: Bishop, McGrath-Gibbs (Dixon 78), Mendy, Dudley, Olomowewe, Hamilton-Downes (Cheadle 57), Adeniyi, Sogbamnu, Ottoway (Dos Santos 78), Bradford, Pattison. Subs not used: Ohman, Swaby.

...