Laura Barton, Kirsty Willett, Millie Carter, Lou Lou Robson and Annabelle Gracey all got on the scoresheet as Bognor were dominant.The Bognor Women’s team were back in action after their last match saw them suffer a narrow defeat at Hassocks 3-2 on the 11th February. With the bad weather ending any hopes of having matches prior to this game at the MKM Arena.
Early on, Millie Carter struck the left post inside the first minute after good battling just in front of the Bexhill penalty area. The Rockettes certainly started brightly at the MKM Arena.
On 10 minutes, Poppy Harrod forced Nicole Robinson into a save as her bounced chance at goal on the turn forced the goalkeeper to deny her.
A swift ball through to Leah Hume for the visitors saw her have a chance but her strike along the deck was gathered easily by Robinson as she appeared to scuff her effort on 17 minutes.
Rockettes won a freekick on 18 minutes. Laura Barton stepped up to hit it into the top left corner directly from the dead ball to give Bognor an early lead.
Annabelle Gracey did well to get the cross in from the right. But the chance broke down after Jess Cromey tried to divert it back into the heart of the penalty area but Jessica Jack in the Bexhill goal, gathered it.
Carter was fouled and wounded, meaning another freekick for Bognor. However, after a passed freekick, Jade Widdowson was offside as she received the through ball.
Widdowson then spun with the ball after good work in the build up but smashed it wide of the right post on 32 minutes.
Then Cromey played the ball square along the deck to Widdowson again but she skied her effort high and wide on her first touch.
Ruby-May Braithwaite did well to cross the ball but it was cleared out by Jemma Lindfield. The ball fell out to Anne-Marie Pier but she smashed it wide of the right post.
A corner was headed out by Georgina Starkey to Pier who hit another chance narrowly over the bar on 37 minutes.
Nice work saw the Rockettes extend their lead on 39 minutes. Nice work from Cromey and Carter in the build up saw the latter play it inside to Kirsty Willett who made a decent run before shooting low inside the bottom right corner beyond Jack.
Then Carter drove a cross in but the ball bounced out to Barton but she fired it high over the bar from outside the box.
Carter was the goal-scorer of the third goal on 44 minutes. A nice turn saw her find space just outside the box before firing it high into the net to extend the Rockettes lead just before half time.
HT 3-0
Early on in the second half Cromey passed it back inside to Carter but she struck her effort from outside the box wide of the right post.
Harrod hit a long-distanced freekick high and direct at goal but it was well stopped by Robinson.
A neat cross by Carter found Willett on the back post. She went to ground under a challenge but the referee ignored any claims for a penalty on 50 minutes.
Molly Thorn came on for the Rockettes soon after on 51 minutes. She replaced Cromey.
Harrod had another long range freekick on 57 minutes that she fired high at goal. Robinson did well to push the ball over the bar with both hands. Robinson was again solid moments later as she gathered a corner kick from the right.
Molly Kemp then committed Robinson into a diving save as she pushed the ball away from the low and long range effort off for a corner. Michelle Compton, who was complaining about a previous foul freekick decision, was shown a yellow card by the referee on 65 minutes.
A great pass by Faye Trinidad set Thorn on her way but it was a late sliding challenge by Compton who was lucky to get away with not being shown a second booking. Lou Lou Robson smashed the freeckick wide of the right post.
Cromey came back on for Trinidad on 68 minutes in a roll off change for the Rockettes.
Lindfield did well to play the ball through to Carter inside the box but her pass inside towards Thorn inadvertently bounced back to Carter and off for a goal kick.
On 73 minutes Bognor had a great chance to extend their lead as Carter beat Kemp to it before rounding both the defender and the goalkeeper. But with an open goal, she slid the ball wide of the left post with her attempt.
Gracey had a chance soon after as she latched onto a poor clearance before shooting over with the rising ball on 75 minutes.
But soon the Rockettes extended their lead as they got another goal direct from a freekick. Robson stepped up from 35 yards out to fire it powerfully into the net directly over Jack to make it 4 goals to the good on 76 minutes.
On 77 minutes Georgia Selby came on for Gracey for Bognor.
Bexhill got a goal back on 78 minutes as Hume spotted Robinson off her line to loop a shot in from long distance in a game where the visitors struggled for the majority.
Thorn did well in response as she made a good run into the area but she was denied by a good save from Jack who pushed it over her crossbar on 80 minutes.
Then Carter had a long range effort fly over the bar soon after as Bognor remained dominant overall.
Carter, who had a long stint on the pitch and was amongst the goals, had to be replaced by Gracey on 85 minutes.
Cromey did well to hit a cross in from the right and it was only just gathered by Jack in the penalty area on 86 minutes.
Then Thorn combined with Selby before the latter fired it wide of the left post with a curling low effort on 87 minutes.
The Rockettes got their fifth goal in two minutes of stoppage time as Gracey turned through the defence before neatly slotting the ball low into the bottom left corner. A fine finish to a great performance from Bognor at the MKM Arena, as they picked up a well-earned 3 points.
The Bognor Women’s team are next in action at home at the MKM Arena as they welcome Bromley to Nyewood Lane in league action on Sunday 17 March with kick off at 2pm.
FT 5-1
1. Nicole Robinson, 2. Annabelle Gracey, 3. Kirsty Willett, 5 Lou Lou Robson, 6 Georgina Starkey, 7 Millie Carter, 13 Jade Widdowson, 4 Faye Trinidad, 10 Laura Barton, 11 Jess Cromey, 12 Jemma Lindfield
Subs: 17 Georgia Selby, 8 Kayleigh Akmenkalns, 9 Molly Thorn
Bexhill: 1 Jessica Jack, 2 Molly Kemp, 9 Poppy Harrod, 4 Michelle Compton (c), 7 Josephine Wonnor, 8 Freya Mist, 3 Anya Chatfield, 6 Ruby-May Braithwaite, 12 Mia Clark, 10 Anne-Marie Pier, 14 Laura Swarbrooke
Subs: 15 Leah Hume, 5 Stevie Robertson, 17 Katie Wilde
