Bognor Regis Town grabbed a 1-1 Isthmian premier division draw at Nyewood Lane against an impressive Carshalton Athletic – and the point was enough to take them off the bottom of the table on goal difference.
Tommy-Lee Higgs’ 39th minute penalty gave the Rocks the lead but Tommy Bradford equalised in the second half.
The Rocks began the day rooted to the bottom of the league after a 4-1 loss at Lewes in midweek. After a strong start from the visitors, a through ball by Higgs saw the ball roll out of play harmlessly off for a goal kick on three minutes. Then a left-sided free-kick by Calvin Davies was headed away.
A quick throw saw Jasper Mather find Dan Gifford with a neat flick over the defence but he was offside when he smashed it over the bar.
Gifford picked out Spencer Spurway with an overlapping run on the right and his cross almost flew into the top corner.
Sharon Ifeanyi curled in a dangerous cross to find Bradford but his flick with his back to goal was well gathered by Ryan Hall. A nice run by Matt Burgess saw him get into the box and after combining with Mather he went to ground under a challenge but the referee waved away penalty claims on 15 minutes.
Gifford got a ball in his face from close range but was okay after treatment.
On 22 minutes Fabio Camacho-Saraiva hit a long range effort only just over the bar. Ifeanyi shot low from outside the box but Hall saved on 25 minutes. David Smith held the ball up before playing in Abdullatee Salami, who hit it narrowly wide.
Davies required treatment after a knock on 30 minutes but did return to play. Amadou Jallow found Spurway with a pass down the right and he made a short run before shooting low from long distance but Faebian Witter saved comfortably.
Bognor took the lead on 39 minutes thanks to a penalty. Bernard Tanner was late with the challenge as Gifford closed him down in the box and he caught the striker. Up stepped Higgs to convert.
Mason Saunders-Henry was caught by a late challenge from Davies. who went into the book on 42 minutes.
Higgs was blocked when he had another chance after Mather made headway into the area.
After the break, Higgs held the ball up on the left before passing inside to Doug Tuck, who picked out Davies. But his fierce strike was high and wide.
Luke Read made his way into the box with a neat run on 56 minutes but was well challenged. Ifeanyi sped down the left to get a low cross in under pressure from Spurway but Hall was there to gather it.
Bognor conceded an equaliser on 58 minutes when a simple low cross from the left by Sharon Ifeanyi found Bradford, who with Hall stranded found the net after rounding a defender.
Ifeanyi ran at the Bognor defence but his strike was straight at Hall on 61 minutes. Camacho-Saraiva latched on to a throw in from the right but his attempt on the volley was well wide. Tommy Block was having an inspired afternoon and he blocked what looked a sure goal by Bradford, getting his body in the way on 72 minutes. On 76 minutes, the visiting keeper went down off the ball and had to receive treatment.
Bognor burst down the right through Lambert and Gifford before Tuck met the ball in, but his instant strike was blocked. Ifeanyi went into the book on 84 minutes for a foul on Davies in a counter attack from the Rocks.
Bognor had the ball in the net on 86 minutes but following Davies’ cross, Jallow was ruled to have impeded his man. Oliver Hamstead fouled Gifford on the break and went into the book. Hall made a late block as Carshalton continued to attack. Block headed away the resulting corner.
Smith was pulled back in the area by Jallow and the referee gave a penalty – but there was relief around the ground with the flag up for offside.
Bognor welcome Hastings United to the Nye Camp on Tuesday (19th November) in the Sussex Senior Cup and visit Folkestone on Saturday (23rd November).
Rocks: Hall, Spurway, Gale, Davies (c), Jallow, Block, Higgs (Lambert 65), Burgess, Gifford, Mather, Tuck. Subs not used: Woolston, Edmondson, Kingswell, Clark.
