Bognor let a two-goal lead slip with late drama seeing the visitors Hashtag United fire in twice to spoil hopes of a victory for the Rocks.
Bognor were in the lead on just 2 minutes as Calvin Davies’s long range freekick was knocked down by Chad Field into the path of Harvey Rew who showed great composure to knock the ball in low.
A 7th minute freekick by Davies was this time played short to Matt Burgess who ran on slightly before firing it over the bar from outside the box.
Spencer Spurway did well to speed down the right and his ball in was searching for the run of Dan Gifford but it bounced kindly for Jack Giddens to gather on 11 minutes as Bognor had started well against their 7th placed opponents.
Josh Osude strayed just offside after Misha Djemaili found him with a long lofted pass over defence in a rare early chance for the visitors.
A throw in by Dion Jarvis was knocked on by the head of Gifford who found Tommy-Lee Higgs. He hit it on the rise but wide of goal on 17 minutes.
Giddens clashed with Gifford with a bouncing pass of which the goalkeeper went to ground and won a freekick cheaply on 21 minutes.
Then Spurway hit another Bognor chance over the bar after a swift cross by Gifford was brought down well on the edge of the box by Jasper Mather.
A goal kick by Ryan Hall was knocked down to Higgs by Mert Apat. Higgs had a shot on the volley that bounced awkwardly at goal, but Giddens managed to push it away down to his left on 30 minutes.
Jarvis got a crucial deflection to steer Toby Aromolaran’s low effort past the back post soon after.
Bognor went close to a second goal on 36 minutes. Burgess curled in a decent corner kick as the ball ricocheted off a defender and the back of the fallen goalkeeper before it was hacked clear.
Soon after Matthew Woolbridge set up Sakariya Hassan who flashed his fierce shot from a throw in fiercely wide inside Bognor’s area.
Then Preston Woolston was the player who conceded a freekick for a handball just outside the box. Joshua Rusoke though curled the chance high over the crossbar on 44 minutes.
A late second half freekick was pumped into the area for the visitors but Ayo Olukoga’s header was stopped by Hall.
HT 1-0
Early in the second half Aromolaran ran through but was denied by a great challenge by the Bognor defence. Hassan’s resulting corner found the head of Aromolaran again and his header was punched away by Hall on 47 minutes.
Davies did well to get his boot on a long range effort after Field battled to knock down his freekick. Giddens was equal to the 30 yard chance though to deny him Bognor’s second of the evening.
Higgs sped into Hashtag’s half to find Spurway on the overlap but after a short run his long range effort was always rising over the bar on 53 minutes.
Percy Kiangebeni went into the book for a clear foul on Davies for his heated reaction to his challenge. Rew also went into box soon after in reaction to having to defend another chance for Hashtag and tripping his man.
Osude won the ball cleanly off Davies near the halfway line before slipping a pass for Aromolaran who steered his header wide of the far post on 60 minutes.
Jarvis threw the ball into the feet of Higgs, who was under pressure before shooting it low on the turn off the outside of the post and out for a goal kick.
Gifford and Spurway combined down the left and he found Higgs in space with a square pass but Higgs diverted it disappointingly wide of the left post on 66 minutes.
Hall managed to keep out a destined goal from point blank range as Hassan was on the floor trying to steer it in on 68 minutes.
Rusoke did well to round Spurway on the left but Davies got a deflection with a sliding challenge which diverted the ball onto the near post and out for a corner.
Bognor dramatically got their second on 75 minutes as Bognor’s other centre back, Field, who composed himself well, smashed it low from distance into the bottom left corner, sending the Bognor fans into celebrations.
Luke May-Parrott did well to get Hashtag on the attack and a dangerous low ball was cut back into the area and it was diverted in by the outstretched Djemaili on 87 minutes.
Bognor were having to defend and sadly conceded again late on 89 minutes as Mert Apat fired it in thanks to a deflection inside the net with the visitors really piling on the pressure late on.
A late freekick was awarded to Bognor inside 5 minutes of stoppage time. Davies curled the freekick into the box but Field failed to capitalise.
Then Spurway dug out a neat cross for Lewis Beale who slid in late inside the 6 yard box but missed it completely as time was not on Bognor’s side in the end.
Therefore, it was late heartbreak again as Bognor conceded two late goals to draw and they will see this as two points dropped after being 2 – 0 up with just five minutes left. They welcome high-flyers Billericay Town to Nyewood Lane next on Saturday 8th February, with kick off at 3pm.
FT 2 – 2
Rocks: Hall, Spurway, Jarvis, Davies (c), Rew, Field, Woolston, Burgess, Gifford, Higgs (Beale 71), Mather (Whyte 80). Subs not Used: Long, Smith.