Wilkinson inspires fine away win

Bognor Regis 0 Eastleigh 3

Blue Square South

Match Report by Ray Murphy
It was a strange game at Nyewood Lane, Bognor on Saturday. Eastleigh manager Ian Baird gave a debut to loan signing goalkeeper a 20 year old from Crystal Palace, whilst Fitzroy Simpson was also given his first start in the side for a month.

The early pressure from the home side had the Eastleigh rearguard looking anything but secure though they never tested Wilkinson. With only three minutes played and having absorbed the early pressure a long throw from the left flank from Adam Everitt was allowed to bounce inside the Bognor penalty area and with the ball rising Jamie Brown nipped in through a static Bognor rearguard to drop a header over home goalkeeper Craig Stoner and give Eastleigh the lead.

Bognor striker Mark Knee saw his pace allow him to get behind the Eastleigh back four again but Wilkinson was soon off his line to avert the danger. Eastleigh added their second goal straight away on seven minutes. The Bognor defence got themselves in a mix up and the ball fell invitingly for Andy Forbes allowing himself composure before lofting a shot beyond Stoner and give Eastleigh the two goal advantage.

Paul Sales almost added another Eastleigh goal on seventeen minutes heading a Mark Marshall cross wide of the target whilst three minutes later Wilkinson was in action out to the feet of Knee before the striker could damage the prospective clean sheet.

Knee was thwarted by Wilkinson again on thirty seven minutes having a header from a David Ray cross saved, whilst six minutes later a twenty five yard drive from Ray just went the wrong side of Wilkinson’s upright though it looked as though the keeper did have the goal covered.

On the stroke of the interval Eastleigh added their third goal. Anthony Riviere the scorer, his tireless running allowing him to be played in following good work from Brown and Forbes for the midfielder to fire home his seventh goal of the season.

Bognor made a double substitution at the start of the second period but Eastleigh should have added to their score within the first three minutes of the restart. A cross from Riviere being headed just over the bar by Forbes. As the game settled more into a midfield tussle Eastleigh were reduced to ten men on sixty two minutes when after an altercation Luke Byles was shown a second yellow card and was heading for the changing rooms.

On sixty-eight minutes played, Bognor skipper Luke Nightingale raced clear but again Wilkinson was quickly off his line and pushed the strikers shot away. From the resulting corner Andy Pearson headed over the bar when well placed.

Scot Chamberlain for the home side had a free kick off target and again Nightingale was through on goal but Wilkinson stood tall for his fourth one on one contest of the afternoon. The final goalmouth action of the afternoon came when after defending a corner Eastleigh quickly broke. Chris Piper fed Riviere who helped the ball into Marshall but the diminutive Eastleigh winger fired over.