Bognor outplayed the home side in the first half and went ahead through Lucas Pattenden’s goal on 19 minutes but failed to add to the goal despite enjoying decent possession and working some slick patterns of play.
Leigh Rose brought the Scholars level on 55 minutes and even with a good amount of time remaining to try to get in front, the Rocks couldn’t quite grab the goal and the victory that the performance deserved.
It left Blake with a tinge of regret but full of pride for his team’s control, battling qualities and work rate. The Nye Camp boss had shuffled his pack and brought in Reuben Livesey-Austin — on a short loan from Worthing — at full-back in the absence of the injured Joe Rabbetts and former fans’ favourite Jimmy Muitt, borrowed from Dorking Wanderers for a month, came into the squad.
The visitors were without the recently departed Dan Gifford up front after he returned to his parent club Farnborough so Jasper Mather and Dan Smith led the line for Blake’s men in front of a gate of 157 at the Lantern Stadium.
Despite certain frustrations, Blake said he was pleased overall with a point given that it came following a win over Kingstonian last time of asking and showed his side are very much on the right track.
He said: “We could have been 3-0 at half-time but it’s those small margins once again that seem to prove costly and obviously we are disappointed we couldn’t get the three points with a win.
“But the lads were very good and on another day we would have won comfortably and that is not been disrespectful to Potters Bar. It’s fine margins and I am gutted for the lads because their work rate, commitment and the way they put our plans into place was commendable.
“I think we are very close to being a very good side and I think that will come. Some of the patterns of play that we execute are great to watch and in all honesty these deserve bigger rewards and I think they will come for us.
“What we will do is learn from this, as we always do, and go again next week in a game we are really looking forward to against Hayes and Yeading in the FA Trophy at the MKM Arena.”
Bognor Regis Town: 1 Ryan Hall, 2 Harvey Whyte, 3 Reuben Livesey-Austin, 4 Calvin Davies, 5 Kieran Douglas, 6 Craig Robson, 7 Lucas Pattenden(Bradley Lethbridge 77′), 8 Matt Burgess , 10 Jasper Mather, 9 Dan Smith(Tommy-Lee Higgs 80′), 11 Isaac Olaniyan (Jimmy Muitt 68′). Subs: 12 Tommy-Lee Higgs, 14 Danny Howick, 15 Jimmy Muitt, 16 Bradley Lethbridge, 17 Joe Briffa
