Winning run comes to an end at relegated Bognor

BOGNOR REGIS TOWN v EASTLEIGH



MONDAY 13th APRIL 2009
Blue Square South

Report by Ray Murphy

Eastleigh visited the already relegated Bognor Regis Town for this Bank Holiday Monday Blue Square South fixture and manager Ian Baird made two changes to the side that had beaten Bromley by a single goal three days earlier. Jamie Brown was rested from the squad all together whilst Warren Goodhind returned from injury with Tony Taggart taking a place on the bench. Steve Clark moved forward to a midfield role whilst Matt Groves was given the role of leading the front line. Bognor Regis included ex-Eastleigh players Nathan Lynch, Jack Smith and Danny Smith.

The first half was very disappointing. Bognor winger Louie Castles caused Eastleigh concern on the right flank whilst diminutive striker Jahson Downes often popped up in good positions in and around the area. The first strike on goal did not arrive until the eighteenth minute then it was a long range Danny Smith free kick that was saved by Jason Matthews. Eastleigh broke immediately to the opposite end where Ashley Carew cut in from the right flank but his low left foot shot was saved by Bognor goalkeeper Anthony Ender.

On the half hour Steve Clark’s driven cross cum shot saw Ender readjust himself to be able to push the ball over the bar and two further half chances arrived before the interval. Carew's thirty-five yard shot was just off target whilst right on the interval Clark’s in-swinging corner was clawed away from under the bar by Ender.

Jonny Dixon had an effort just off target for Eastleigh three minutes after the break but the home side were just about to give Eastleigh some warnings. On fifty minutes Tom Jordan’s header back to Matthews fell short and Downes collected the ball. Downes went round Matthews but the Eastleigh keeper did enough to recover and scuff Downes shot away for a corner.

Two minutes later again Downes caused trouble, this time his weak shot was falling into the arms of Matthews, Lynch reacted and slid in to take the ball and bundle over the line but fortunately for Eastleigh, referee Nigel Lugg awarded a free kick to Matthews and disallowed the ‘goal’.

Eastleigh had an opportunity on fifty-five minutes Matthews’ long punted free kick from deep inside his own half was headed just over the bar by Jordan, but three minutes later Eastleigh went behind. A right wing Castle corner was flicked on by Lynch and Danny Smith’s shot took a hefty deflection off an Eastleigh defender leaving Matthews wrong-footed and Bognor were ahead.

Eastleigh put more urgency in to their play. Clark was withdrawn for Taggart but Eastleigh were struggling to break through the Bognor rearguard well marshalled by skipper Seb Wallis-Taylor. On sixty-five minutes Taggart headed a Goodhind cross wide and six minutes later Carew saw his rasping shot strike the post.

On seventy-four minutes Carew’s cross-field pass found Goodhind who guided the ball into the path of Peter Adeniyi. Adeniyi flicked the ball across goal and Bognor managed to clear their lines. Bognor were finding themselves chances as Eastleigh pushed forward leaving themselves short in defence.

Lynch acrobatically turned the ball wide when inside the six-yard box on eighty minutes whilst as the game drifted towards a conclusion Taggart had a shot saved by Ender. In stoppage time Dixon turned the ball over and with the final action of the game Jordan saw a header palmed over by Ender, there being no time to take the awarded corner.

The result ended Eastleigh’s run of six successive league victories and was only Bognor’s fifth home victory of the season, all thanks to a goal from a full time employee of Eastleigh Football Club, Danny Smith who works for their Community Football Office.