Rocks had made only one change to the starting line up with Isaac Olaniyan coming in for Ben Anderson who is nursing a slight knock.  Therefore, Anderson started on the bench.

Kieran Douglas did well to shepherd Toby Aromolaran off the ball early on and he won a freekick inside Bognor’s penalty area.

Olaniyan did well to cross into the area for Sam De St Croix but he won a corner.  Calvin Davies’s corner flashed across goal but Lucas Pattenden couldn’t latch onto it.

Olaniyan put an inviting ball in moments later but with Smith and Pattenden threatening in the area, it flashed across the box and out of play.

Davies did well to deny Aromolaran’s run in a crucial challenge at the back.

Craig Robson put the ball out of play for a corner from Aromolaran’s run.

Davies’s ball down the left saw Dan Smith run onto it but unfortunately he ran the ball out of play on 14 minutes.

Olaniyan continued to pile on pressure and combined well with Smith in attack before crossing a dangerous ball into the area but again it was headed out.

Max Cornhill did well to get a shot away but Harvey Whyte got the crucial block inside the box with Ryan Hall diving to his left.

Hall then had to punch clear two corners in quick succession across his goalmouth after 20 minutes, both with one flailing arm.

Hashtag continued to be dangerous in attack.  Aromolaran did well to get a cross in from the right.  Douglas was there to stop Percy Kiangbeni’s low effort with Hall stranded on 26 minutes.

Alex Teniola did well to get a shot away which deflected off of Matt Burgess.  Another inswinging cross was pushed away around the frame of goal yet again by Hall to deny a direct goal.

Burgess picked up a yellow card for a late challenge as Hashtag attacked on the break on 30 minutes.  Harry Haysom headed wide the forward freekick into the area.

Then Douglas also went into the book for dissent on just 31 minutes.

Bognor had one good chance to talk about in the first half when De St Croix couldn’t get a shot away.  It fell to Smith who did shoot powerfully outside the area forcing Alex Andra into a parried save. Tommy-Lee Higgs hit the side netting with his strike on 37 minutes on the rebound.

Andra went into the book for time wasting when he was taking too much time with the goal kick on 38 minutes.

Pattenden won another corner on the right.  Davies’s curling ball in was well gathered in the air on 41 minutes.

Then Sakariya Hassan did well to get a cross in from the left and it was Cornhill with a free header but he diverted his attempt agonisingly wide of the right post.

Teniola played the ball inside to Aromolaran who belted it high and wide of the near post after a short run into the area.

Douglas did well to play the long ball forward towards Pattenden but even the pacey winger couldn’t get there ahead of the goalkeeper Andra, who was quick off his line to dive in and scupper his run.

HT 0-0

Davies won a freekick on 49 minutes.  Smith and Douglas went up for the same ball as Smith headed it wide of goal as they both leapt into the air inside the area.

Smith then picked out Pattenden on the right and he burst inside to have a go on goal and it was Andra who pushed the ball out again on 53 minutes which just missed Smith on the rebound.

A ball in from the left by Hassan fell to Aromolaran who knocked it on the rise high over the crossbar on 58 minutes.

A crucial challenge by Robson denied a cross in another chance for Hashtag as they overran the Rocks defence.

Mo Jammeh and Jasper Mather came on for Olaniyan and Smith on 60 minutes as tired legs started to show in a much needed change.

Kiangbeni did well to get into some space on 63 minutes 20 yards out but he curled his right-footed effort wide of the right post.

Jammeh did well to win a corner but Davies did well to whip in the cross but again Andra was highest to gather it high in the box.

Haysom went into the book for a clear foul on Pattenden.  Douglas met the ball in the air from Davies’s freekick but his header was deflected off a defender and flew straight to Andra.

A ball was hanging high in the Bognor box and Hall was out of position meaning Robson got another bash to the head when Aromolaran put the ball into the net on 72 minutes. But it didn’t count as the referee pulled it back for the foul on the Rocks defender.

Whyte, who put in another great shift, had to be replaced on 74 minutes for Anderson.

Then Wyan Reid did well to square up and smacked the ball high over the bar for the visitors.

Pattenden got Bognor on another attack and was blocked before it fell to De St Croix who was also blocked with his chance in some frustrating moments for Bognor.

Anderson did well to find Higgs on the turn down the middle but hitting it with his first touch he belted high over the bar from 25 yards out, after spotting Andra off his line.

Then Jammeh did well to find Mather in space but from outside the box his shot bounced once before Andra saved it on 85 minutes.

Hassan picked out Lewis Watson in the box but his glanced header was deftly pushed away by a reaction save from Hall.

Jammeh was shoved down on one end then Hall failed to deal with a fierce back pass and almost let Hashtag score when Teniola hit the outside edge of the post when he out muscled the goalkeeper in the air.

Mather smacked it high and wide with his left foot following a one-two move with Higgs teed the forward up deep into stoppage time.  5 minutes were indicated to be the minimum added on time just before this.

Douglas tried to play the ball out from the back and dived in to commit a challenge and, totally missing the ball and getting all of the player, meaning he picked up his second yellow card and was therefore sent off.

Neither Bognor or Hashtag could find the net on a hot day at the MKM Arena. Rocks travel to Canvey Island next on Saturday 26th August with kick off at 3pm.

FT 0-0

Rocks: Hall, Whyte (Anderson 74), Davies (c), Burgess, Douglas, Robson, De St Croix, Olaniyan (Jammeh 60), Smith (Mather 60), Higgs, Pattenden
Subs not Used: Dellaud, Howick