The Rockettes were knocked out of the Combined Counties Cup under the lights by a young Fulham side at the MKM Arena.

Despite some soft goals conceded in the first half very early on,  they can take heart in a much more assured second half, where they were unlucky not to get anything in consolation against the higher ranked side from London.

Early on Nicole Robinson gathered a high hanging corner cross from Ava Huntrods as Rockettes had to defend well in the early going.

Millie Carter made a quick run in response but was quickly closed down when she tried to place a pass across the box.

Rockettes went behind on 9 minutes as Ede Buchele fired it in low after Bognor failed to clear the danger in the box.

Annabelle Gracey won a corner in response some time later.  Carter drove the corner in but it was headed out.

Then Alice Gue tried to track back as Iyna Patel raced through to pass it into an empty net with Robinson stranded on 12 minutes, extending Fulham’s lead.

Fulham went further ahead on 18 minutes as Patel latched onto a ball along the deck and fired it low into the bottom right corner.

Bognor were winning the ball in Fulham’s half but were wasteful in the final third as Jade Widdowson tried to pick out Kerri Grant’s run but it bounced out for a goal kick.

Widdowson then received a pass from the right before hitting it wide of goal from over 25 yards out on 24 minutes as Bognor were trying to find some momentum.

Fulham ran the ball out of play as Buchele made a run on the left and had beaten her marker on 29 minutes.

Then Emily Bird made a quick run inside fom the left but hit the side netting for the visitors in another chance.

Then Buchele hit it wide when Robinson failed to clear the ball to a Bognor player soon after.

Lou Lou Robson came on and replaced the injured Danielle Bradshaw on 36 minutes.

Grant did well to dig out a cross from the right but it flashed across the box and Kirsty Willett was just out of reach on 40 minutes.

Ellie Olds latched onto a poor kicked clearance by Robinson and fired it wide, luckily for the Rockettes soon after.

Right before half time, Robinson was called into action soon after diving to her left and then Laura Barton was there to clear the loose ball.

HT 0-3

Olds went through but despite her and another forward looking as though they were at least a yard offside, she burst through to shoot but luckily Robinson easily saved it down to her right.

Then Robinson gathered a powerful cross from the right by Olds as Rockettes were trying to close the opposition down quicker.

Amber Watson raised her foot up to reach a cross that spun up on her but she diverted her effort wide of the left post on 50 minutes.

A corner by Emily Bird clipped the frame of goal before bouncing through the area but Robinson managed to gather it at her back post.

Barton got a corner on the left which was also met in the air but the ball bounced wide.

Isabelle Childs and Jess Cromey came on for Grant and Gracey on 56 minutes in a double change for the Rockettes.

Another double sub saw Lou Lou Robson and Steph Madden replace Alice Gue and Barton on 62 minutes.

On 67 minutes Carter’s inswinging cross from her corner forced Lucy Large into a save as she pushed it onto the post and received the rebound.  The eventual clearance saw her manage to hack it out only as far as Widdowson who struck it low but was blocked from the edge of the box.

Carter was good again with her corner but it bounced straight through.  The following corner flashed across goal by Childs but then Macie Downs was denied by the goalkeeper on the back post.

Then Childs diverted her effort wide of the goal on the rise moments later as the Rockettes deserved a goal back.

Willett and Georgina Starkey came off for a returning Bradshaw and Grant on 77 minutes.

Georgia Selby got a dangerous dipping cross in with her left foot but Rockettes couldn’t capitalise on the chance on 81 minutes.

Sylvie Wimey struck over the bar on her first touch, outstretched following a quick ball across the box by Bird on 87 minutes.

Buchele pushed through the defence before running on and shooting it low but it was a solid save from Robinson to deny her.

The Bognor women could take heart in a much improved second half as they were the better side in the restart and will take that into upcoming league games as they were knocked out valiantly at the quarter final stage.  Rockettes travel to Eastbourne United away next on Sunday 21st April with kick off at 2pm, before returning to the MKM Arena on Sunday 28th April when they welcome Herne Bay with kick off at 2pm.

FT 0-3

1  Nicole Robinson, 13  Jade Widdowson, 17  Lucy Gue, 4  Macie Downs, 14  Georgina Starkey, 2  Danielle Bradshaw, 3  Kirsty Willett, 7  Millie Carter, 10  Laura Barton, 11  Annabelle Gracey, 9  Kerri Grant

Subs: 16  Jess Cromey, 19  Isabelle Childs, 12  Steph Madden, 5  Lou Lou Robson