Bognor maintained their slim chance of staying in the Isthmian Premier Division thanks to Jasper Mather’s fourth minute winner at Nyewood Lane.  Mathematically, with three games remaining, Bognor still have an opportunity to save their place in the league, if they win their remaining games, also depending on results above them. The belief is certainly there and the workrate was put on show for all to see.

On 3 minutes. It was Freddie Chester who ran on down the right flank before crossing it into the box but Tommy-Lee Higgs hit his chance into the ground and at the goalkeeper, Dylan Berry.

Rocks got their goal on 4 minutes.  Lennie Smith got a good strike away which was pushed out by the goalkeeper straight into the path of Jasper Mather who bundled it in on the rebound as Berry failed to stop it bouncing into his net.

Soon after, George Porter headed over from David Bremang who crossed it well from the left on 8 minutes.

Then Bremang miscued his chance after a passing passage of play from Dulwich, as they were struggling to get their equaliser early on.

Calvin Davies went into the book for a late challenge before he was tripped up by Arj Krasniqi.  He got the ball nicely into the area and Michael Chambers guided his header wide on 18 minutes.

Ryley Scott got a dangerous ball in across the box on the volley but his Dulwich teammates were not up with him to capitalise.

Preston Woolston did well to get a long range effort which only just flew over the crossbar in the chance on 28 minutes.

Then Bremang beat the offside trap to get a chance but eventually he rounded the defence but his shot from a tight angle.

Higgs went into the book for shoulder charging into the goalkeeper on the edge of Berry’s box on 32 minutes, trying to run down the ball.

Direct from a throw in it was Anthony Jeffrey who turned well before shooting on the rise from 25 yards but Ryan Hall was well placed to save it on 36 minutes.

Then Higgs squared the ball to Mather who only had the goalkeeper to beat but Berry was quick out of his goal to bravely block the chance and divert it away on 39 minutes.

Smith didn’t give up as a long ball bounced off the corner flag and came back into play.  He won a freekick though thanks to his hard work.  Davies whipped in the freekick but Chambers headed it out for a corner.

HT 1 – 0

Jeffrey won an early second half corner for Dulwich as Dion Jarvis diverted it out.  Krasniqi curled it in but it was booted away by Higgs at the near post on 47 minutes.

Jerome Binnom-Williams rightly went into the book as he pulled back Smith on the run along the main stand touchline on 49 minutes.

Aaron Williams-Bushell also went into the book for tripping Davies on 52 minutes as frustrations began to show from the visitors. Davies fired in a high freekick deep into the box and it was Harvey Rew who rose well to power a header wide of the back post.

Woolston did well to find the run of Mather over the defence but Mather’s fierce effort early with the ball saw Berry make a good save, pushing it out again on 55 minutes.

Mather ran down a long ball and after getting away with an apparent foul he managed to run inside along the touchline to force Berry into a legged save.  The ball ricocheted high into the air and Higgs tried an overhead kick but the ball bounced kindly for Berry to save.

Then Jeffrey went into the book for fouling Davies on 62 minutes. His freekick into the area was headed out straight to Higgs who looked unsettled when he bounced his effort well wide of the left post.

Luke Wanadio wound his way around his marker on the right flank before crossing it low into the area.  Amaru Kaunda did well to get a low effort on at goal but it was an equally good save from Hall to push it around his post on 67 minutes.

Bognor pounced on the attack as Chad Field headed out of defence before the ball was played through to Smith who spotted Mather on the overlap.  Mather sped through but from an angle, blasted it high over the goal.

Rew went into the book on 75 minutes for dissent.  He complained about Field being fouled following a high ball towards Danny Mills.

Michael Birmingham went into the book as he started to get frustrated with the referee’s control of the game on 76 minutes.

A cross-field ball found the run of Smith again and he made good headway into the area but his low effort hit the side netting soon after.

Lots of passes across Bognor’s back line saw Scott get a low shot in from distance.  But the ball rolled wide of the right post on 86 minutes.

Krasniqi curled in a corner and found Mills on the back post but he powered his header wide on 89 minutes.

Jeffrey sped into the area and got a shot away but Hall pushed it out again as five minutes were added on.

Late on, deep into stoppage time, Doug Tuck received the ball from the left before turning inside and firing it into the near side netting.  That was that as the referee blew his final whistle, and Bognor got another crucial three points at home with a narrow win. A win that meant so much to the Bognor fans in attendance. The Rocks head to Wingate & Finchley next on Saturday 19th April with kick off at 3pm, hoping to continue their great escape.

FT 1 – 0