The Bognor Women’s team were again dominant with another 5-1 victory at the MKM Arena against mid-table and higher-placed Herne Bay.

The goals came from Georgina Starkey, Millie Carter (2), Jess Cromey and Kirsty Willett as the Rockettes added to their points tally, after securing their place in the league already in the previous game.

The Rockettes started well with Annabelle Gracey getting a dangerous cross in and then Millie Carter getting a shot blocked from the edge of the box.

Izzy Lewis-Taggart burst through with a good pass but her low strike had beaten Nicole Robinson but came back out off the right post on just 5 minutes.

Jade Widdowson found Gracey with a ball out on the right and she got another decent cross in but Ryley Davis was there to gather it in the box on 9 minutes.

Then Georgina Selby did well to pick out a pass down the right flank to Carter, who beat her marker and got a low cross in towards Georgina Starkey but a defender got there first.

Then the visitors attacked with Tiffany Adby’s low strike getting stopped under the foot of Rockettes goalkeeper Robinson on 14 minutes as Herne Bay looked more likelier to score in the early going.

But the Rockettes took the lead on 16 minutes.  A nice move saw Gracey play the ball back square to Carter who striked it low towards goal but it was Starkey who got the last touch to steer it into the net beyond a diving Davis.

Jemma Lindfield did well to chip the ball forward to Carter who ran through into the box and shoot from 15 yards out across the goal and it was Davis who was equal to it, pushing the ball out again.

Lou Lou Robson hit a long range effort from the freekick on 21 minutes but almost from the halfway line it dipped just over the crossbar.

Herne Bay equalised on 25 minutes when they beat the offside trap to allow Lewis-Taggart to burst through and she hit it low inside the bottom left corner after a decent through ball.

Then the Rockettes had a freekick far out on the left.  Robson used her power to direct it bouncing at goal but it was a good save by Davis that denied her.

Following this the left sided corner fell to Macie Downs and she was blocked with her effort on the back post.  Carter swung in another corner kick on the right side which picked out Kirsty Willett in the area, but she glanced her header wide on 28 minutes.

Then Robson chipped the ball long to Starkey who had a low shot easily saved.

The Rockettes were having some good chances as Willett swung the ball in to Lindfield to allow her to have a go but she diverted her high effort over the crossbar.

Then Robinson denied another chance for the visitors as they responded with Effie Dodds.

Willett did well running with it on the left to win a corner.  Carter’s cross was good and found the head of Robson, but she was denied and then Gracey’s strike was well pushed out again by Davis.

But the Rockettes took the lead again on 40 minutes.  Carter latched onto the ball, made a square run before shooting high and over Davis with her left foot, just inside the area.

Lindfield sped past 3 players and everyone thought she would have a shot before laying the ball off for Gracey before she passed onto Carter who diverted her left footed shot wide of the left post on 44 minutes.

A long range effort by Dodds forced Robinson into a late first half save.

Then Robinson’s kick out went straight to Robin Smitherman but her strike, after spotting the goalkeeper off her line, was easily stopped.

HT 2-1

Early in the second half, Willett passed forward down the line to Starkey who cut inside with a neat run before playing it square outside the box.  It fell to Lindfield who ran in and smacked it with her first touch but the ball flew wide of the goal on 47 minutes.

Downs clashed as she tried to stop an advancing attack down the right and required lengthy treatment with an ice pack before she could be brought off, due to a concussion and replaced by Jess Cromey on 53 minutes.

Adby latched onto a bouncing pass over the defence and she got a deflection of which Robinson got something on to, to steer the ball wide.  Then Robinson gathered the resulting corner confidently in the air.

Gracey did well to get the ball forward.  She picked out the run of Cromey who had timed her run well to eventually run through and shoot just wide of the left post on 56 minutes.

Willett latched onto a corner by Carter to round her marker but her shot, left footed, was easily saved at her near post by Davis.

Gracey did well to win back possession before finding Carter and her long range effort only just flew over soon after on 59 minutes.

Lindfield, who played well throughout, did well to shoot from the edge of the box and again Davis pushed it away, diving to her left to deny Bognor’s third of the afternoon on 65 minutes.

Gracey was replaced by Isabelle Childs on 66 minutes for the Rockettes.

Robson had a long range effort from her freekick fly high at goal but it was well saved soon after.

The Rockettes extended their lead on 67 minutes as good work from Childs saw them retain possession.  She diverted the ball into Carter’s path and she made a short run across the defence before curling it low into the bottom right corner of the net.

Willett did well to run down the left, beat her marker and get a decent cross in.  Cromey was all on her own in the box but kneed her volley wide.

A neat move saw Lindfield pass into the area and Carter won a corner.  Carter’s ball in found the head of Lindfield but she couldn’t steer her chance at goal on 74 minutes.

Emily North, who was impressive for the visitors, had a shot from distance but Robinson was equal to it as her shot lacked in height to catch the goalkeeper off her line.

Starkey went down off the ball and had to receive treatment and she went off and was replaced by Gracey who returned following the injury on 80 minutes.

Danger woman, Lewis-Taggart hit a long range effort which was saved by Robinson and then down the other end Cromey teed up Carter but her strike bounced wide of the left post on 82 minutes.

On 85 minutes a good team move saw Carter slip a pass forward to Childs and in space she had a shot towards goal but Davis pushed it out at her near post.

Then Robson’s header was cleared off the line from Carter’s corner as Bognornwere in search of more goals.

Lindfield committed two fouls late on and went into the book on 88 minutes for clearly pulling the attacker back.

Childs got the ball into Cromey who did well to turn inside and with Willett in support, she went for goal with a low effort which bounced in off the left post on 89 minutes.

Then Carter did well to get a cross in and it was missed by Cromey but Willett hit the low effort curling at goal but Davis again was equal to it.

Bognor extended their lead further two minutes into stoppage time.  Carter hit another chance which somehow was diverted into the path of Willett who diverted it in from close range.

Following yet another Carter corner, Cromey tried to glance her header into the box but the ball was cleared only as far as Lindfield who hit it wide on the rise 5 minutes into the added on time.

But Bognor had done more than enough to secure yet another decisive win at home and have just two games remaining against Steyning on Wednesday 8th May, kick off at 7.45pm, followed by Bromley on Sunday 12th May at 2pm both to be played at Sidlesham Memorial Ground due to renovations to the Nyewood Lane turf taking place in May.

FT 5-1

Rockettes: 1 Nicole Robinson, 13 Jade Widdowson, 7 Millie Carter, 14 Georgina Starkey (11 Annabelle Gracey 80) , 21 Georgia Selby, 3 Kirsty Willett, 15 Jemma Lindfield, 11 Annabelle Gracey (19 Isabelle Childs 66), 5 Lou Lou Robson, 17 Alice Gue, 4 Macie Downs (16 Jess Cromey 53)