Rocks solve crisis with Pompey signing

Bognor have moved to solve their defensive injury crisis by signing young Pompey starlet Joe Dandy.
Joe Dandy in action at PompeyJoe Dandy in action at Pompey
Joe Dandy in action at Pompey

Central defender Dandy, 17, has been brought in on loan from Fratton Park to compensate for a double defensive injury blow for Bognor.

Pearce said: “We've been ever so unlucky with injuries to both Keaton Wood and Corey Heath which has left us short. We have signed Joe from Portsmouth, on the same basis as with Brad Lethbridge and Dan Smith, and he will be with us for training on Thursday so we can work with him.

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“We will look to partner him with Chad Field on Saturday at Tonbridge Angels and then, of course, we have a home game against Folkestone Invicta on Tuesday.

“He is a first-year scholar but we're told he has showed great promise even though is one of the younger members of Pompey's current crop of U18s.

"As ever we are grateful to Pompey and we're delighted our association with them continues to flourish. Obviously, Robbie Blake has a good relationship with the management team at Fratton Park as well."

Dandy is a disciplined, technically-astute centre-half who can also operate as a right-back. He has been an ever-present for Pompey’s U23s and their Academy side, for whom Lethbridge scored twice on Saturday given that the Rocks were without a fixture.

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Smith is Bognor's other absentee - he, Wood and Heath and are likely to be out for a little over a month with hip, ankle and ankle injuries respectively.

Get all the Rocks latest in the Bognor Observer tomorrow