Stalemate matters little to Rocks, but may help Hawks
Rocks Whitehawk Bostik premier
Bognor and Whitehawk played out an entertaining goalless draw in Nyewood Lane’s final home game of the season.
The result meant little for the Rocks, who will finish the campaign marooned in the middle of the Bositk premier table, but the point could yet be valuable to Whitehawk as they fight to stay up.
The game marked the return to action of top Rocks scorer Jimmy Muitt and he looked sharp – good news for the Sussex Senior Cup final against Burgess Hill on May 7 when he is set to lead the line.
It was a shame the Rocks couldn’t sign off their home campaign with a victory but their fans gave them a good reception at the end of the game.
Whitehawk needed a win to scramble clear of the bottom three in the Bostik premier division – and almost nabbed one.
Muitt – out for two months with a knee injury – was fit enough to be named among the subs.
In a fairly uneventful first half Whitehawk went close a couple of times, hitting the postfromahenrymuggeridge corner and later striking Dan Lincoln’s bar after Nathaniel Pinney’s run at goal led to the ball running loose to Lucas Santos Rodrigues.
For the Rocks, Mason Walsh was at the centre of much of the attacking play and went close early in the game when he cut inside and fired an effort into the side netting.
As the half wore on Walsh was causing the Hawks defence a few problems and Harvey Whyte and Reece Meekums both got into the box for efforts the Whitehawk defence blocked.
In an unusual move, Bognor played left-back Joe Tomlinson in midfield, with Keaton Wood on the left of the back four.
There was nearly an opening goal in the first minute of the second half as Tomlinson sent Jimmy Wild through one-on-one with the keeper – but Wild took too long and keeper James Broadbent saved.
The Hawks missed a great opportunity to go ahead on 52 minutes when Rodrigues ran through as Bognor appealed for an offside that wasn’t given. Lincoln stood firm and saved the shot with his legs.
Walsh went through again at the other end but was denied by a defender.
Wood weaved his way into the six-yard box in another Rocks attack but it went out for a goal-kick.
Then Meekums seemed to be bundled over in the area but the referee ignored the penalty claims.
Muitt and young midfielder Emmett Dunn came on and Muitt almost made an instant impact, going on a mazy run that took him past two defenders and sending a low ball across the face of goal that Wild couldn’t quite touch in.
Walsh brought a superb diving save from Broadbent with a fierce shot from 15 yards that looked bound for the top corner.
Rodrigues got away from the home defence again on 76 minutes but was denied by an excellent Lincoln double save.
Ex-rocks man James Fraser came on for Whitehawk.
Walsh curled a lovely freekick inches high and wide. Five minutes were left when Rodrigues crossed for what looked like a Whitehawk winner – only for Kyjuonjaeger Marsh-brown to blaze the chance over the bar.
Muitt and Tomlinson both tested the Whitehawk keeper but couldn’t find a way past him. Then Wild’s cross was headed out from beneath the bar by Aaron Goode.
Muitt was booked for arguing with an offside decision.
Whitehawk were close to a vital winner when Fraser was denied by Lincoln and then Goode’s bicycle kick crashed back off the bar. That was their last chance and in truth a point apiece was probably fair.
Rocks: Lincoln, Mccormick, Wood, Tomlinson, Field, Sanders, Whyte, Gilto, Wild, Meekums, Walsh. Subs: Scutt, Muitt, Dunn, Leigh.