A dismal outing at Littlehampton saw Bognor crash out of the Sussex Transport Senior Cup at the quarter final stage as defensive errors cost them all six goals against a very clinical Littlehampton at the Sportsfield.

Isaac Olaniyan’s 32nd minute goal turned out to be just a consolation in the end in a game to forget in the Sussex Transport Cup.

Bognor gave away two early corners as Littlehampton started brightly.  Thankfully for Bognor both chances were wasted.

Jordan Layton got a long distance direct freekick and won yet another corner on the left.  But on this occasion Kieran Douglas headed it out.

It was certainly a slow start for Bognor as they couldn’t hold possession well in the opening minutes and gave the ball away far too often.

Layton went into the book as he tripped up Spencer Spurway on the left after combining with Isaac Olaniyan in a one two move.  Tommy-Lee Higgs hit the freekick low under the wall but it was swiftly cleared at the near post. The resulting corner kick found Spurway on the back post but his acrobatic backheel on the volley flew well wide.

It wasnt long before Littlehampton took the lead. A long ball over the top flew over the Bognor defence including Douglas, who was under pressure and appearing to duck under the ball.  Following it up was Finlay Chadwick who fired it high over Ryan Hall and into the net on 18 minutes. 

Calvin Davies won a freekick and took it himself on the right.  He tried to find Higgs but the ball ricocheted back out again allowing Littlehampton a swift attack.  It was Chadwick who spotted Hall off his line again but his long range effort was caught by the goalkeeper.

Bognor went further behind on 26 minutes.  George Gaskin bounced a strike over Hall with Ben Anderson and Douglas unable to clear the danger. 

Joe Rabbetts did well to win a corner after the goalkeeper spilled his save.  The corner by Higgs found the head of Dan Smith who headed it into the turf and it was pushed over the bar by the goalkeeper.  A rare chance for the Rocks.

Bognor did get a goal back.  Another corner ball into the front post by Higgs saw Douglas divert the ball into the box and it ricocheted off a defender and Olaniyan was there before rolling into the net on 32 minutes.

Then just before half time Douglas failed to judge the flight of the ball.  This allowed Gaskin another chance. However, his low effort was well saved by Hall.

HT 2-1

Subs at half time were desperately needed.  Smith and Jasper Mather were replaced by Tyler Jackson and Dan Gifford.

In a Bognor opportunity, Olaniyan did well to win possession.  Gifford played it back to Olaniyan who won a corner.  Higgs curled the ball in but after Douglas was blocked it was Anderson who slid the ball well wide of the left post on the rebound. 

Then Higgs turned around swiftly with the ball before shooting low but he was disappointed that he had strayed offside.

Gifford did well to run across the defence with his quick feet but his effort was deflected wide for a corner.  Higgs’s ball in though was poor and flew out for a goalkick.

The Golds extended their lead when Douglas slipped up allowing Gaskin in for Littlehampton’s third goal on 55 minutes.  He miscued a header allowing the player to shoot low beyond an outstretched Hall.

Josh Short stroked a low shot wide as Bognor were stuck in their own half defending as the wind and rain worsened.

Jackson did well to get a cross in from the left for Bognor and it fell to the feet of Higgs who scooped it wide on the turn.

Higgs went into the book for fouling Layton as he sped onto the attack.

On 72 minutes, Littlehampton got their fourth as Gaskin got to the ball first before Douglas and the ball was played square to Nodirbek Bobomurodov who smashed it high into the net from outside the box.

It got worse for Bognor as Spurway slipped up in the swirling rain allowing Bobomurodov to turn into loads of space just inside the box before diverting it low into the net on 75 minutes.

It wasn’t over yet.  Bognor went further behind on 82 minutes as the defence was split open, allowing Ollie Starkey a run inside before shooting it off a sliding Douglas and into the net.

In Bognor’s final change, Joe Briffa came on for Higgs on 84 minutes as it was damage limitation time for the Rocks.

It was over 5 minutes of stoppage time before the referee finally blew the final whistle to end a miserable outing in the rain at the Sportsfield.  Littlehampton were clinical and Bognor failed to worry the hosts for much of the game.  Robbie Blake will want his team to show a big improvement at their next game on Saturday 10th February where they welcome Cheshunt to the MKM Arena with kick off at 3pm in the Isthmian Premier League.

FT 6-1

Rocks: Hall, Davies, Rabbetts, Burgess, Spurway, Douglas, Mather (Jackson 45), Anderson, Smith (Gifford 45), Higgs (Briffa 84), Olaniyan (Holland 64)
Sub: Pattenden