Error-strewn show is a letdown for fans
Trojans 39 Bognor 18 Hampshire Counties 1
Bognor travelled to Stoneham Lane confident they could build on their win against New Milton and beat the side sitting just one place above them in the table.
By the end of a dismal afternoon, however, Bognor left for home with their tails betweentheirlegsafterprobably the most disappointing display of the season.
New Milton’s heavy loss at Eastleigh meant positions remained unchanged at the lower end of the table but Bognor will have to raise their game considerably if they are to trouble Portsmouth this Saturday, a side they beat convincingly in November.
Conditions were muddy and slippery underfoot but at least the heavy rain stayed away for the duration of the game. Bognor’s large band of travelling supporters, though, were given little to cheer as they looked on in dismay at an error-strewn display.
The visitors started well enough and showed good control to earn a couple of penalties, the second of which was converted by Kurtus
Dent to give them an early lead.
This was followed by loose kicking and ill-discipline by Bognor, two of the characteristics that dominated the rest of their game, which allowed Trojans to come back quickly with a try from a driving lineout.
The home side’s tactics were clear: to use their bigger forwards to run hard and straight, off-loading the ball with simple, short passes. Their fly-half controlled the tempo with a combination of some astute kicking, strong running and little pop passes inside to his strike runners. It was not rocket science but it proved highly effective.
Bognor, on the other hand, were guilty of badlyjudged kicks, a poor selection of passes and an uncharacteristically passive defence, which drove the coaches to distraction on the touchline.
At one stage in the first half Bognor conceded seven successive penalties which meant they were unable to gain any meaningful territory. During this period Trojans kicked a penalty and took advantage of a defensive mis-reading out wide to score a second try.
Bognor clawed back a second penalty courtesy of Dent to narrow the deficit to seven points and, with the opposition down to 14 after a yellow card, they pressed hard on Trojans’ line. Regrettably they could not quite get over, but they had shown enough in the last ten minutes of the half to suggest they were capable of overturning the lead.
Could strong words from Head Coach Karl Flinn do the trick, as they had so often in the past? On this occasion, his young side were just not listening as they soon conceded the softest of tries.
Trojans strolled through a statuesque defence for their bonus-point try before rubbing salt in the wound with another two penalties.
To their immense credit Bognor rallied to finish strongly. Tyrone Makasi scored in the corner before Jackson Voigt’s strong running allowed prop Mark Ubsdell to touch down for their third try. The tries at least provided some consolation.