Saturday 10 March

Nationwide Conference South 

County 3 Bognor Regis Town 1

County came out on top in a close contest at Newport Stadium. A sweet Dean Holdsworth volley from the edge of the box from David Piper’s wayward clearance in the final minute confirmed the victory against an impressive Bognor Regis side.

County welcomed back Nathan Davies to midfield and Ian Hillier was selected at right back to replace the injured Steve Jenkins.

Bognor made the early running assisted by a strong breeze on a mild March afternoon. Mark Ovendale had to be quick off his line to foil Luke Nightingale and the unmarked Ben Watson contrived to hammer his volley over the bar from only eight yards in the opening stages. With five minutes of the half Ovendale was again alert to block a shot from Watson who had been slipped in behind the defence by Darren Budd.

A minute later County took an undeserved lead. Charlie Griffin was prevented from shooting having controlled Damon Searle’s cross and the ball broke to the Craig Hughes who fired home. Hughes had looked the most likely to poach a goal for County and showed his customary alertness to the relief of the home crowd.

Bognor again showed the initiative in the early stages of the second half and it was no surprise when they equalised ten minutes in. Substitute Ben Johnson watched the trajectory of David Piper’s off target shot and leapt to guide the ball across the stranded Ovendale with his head. Within four minutes County had retaken the lead. Craig Hughes broke clear on the right and his angled shot ricocheted off the legs of goalkeeper Craig Stoner onto centre half Charlie Balfe and into the empty net.

From a sweeping six man move Lee Collier shot over for the home side and substitute Dean Holdsworth had a goal bound shot blocked by a determined defence. The lively Watson came close to scoring a second equaliser but headed over from Richard Hudson’s pinpoint cross. With the home side looking to run the clock down by keeping the ball in their opponent’s half Stoner had to clear his lines and Piper’s mistake was pounced on by former Premiership star Holdsworth who ended the match with a goal of some quality.  

County are within five points of the play off positions and must capitalise in their match away at Eastleigh on Monday night.     

Line Ups:

County: Ovendale, Hillier, Searle, Davies, Brough (C), Edwards, Bowen, Collier, Griffin (Holdsworth 50)Hughes, Evans (O'Sullivan 73) Subs Not Used: Leek, Toppar, Giles

Bognor: Stoner, Piper, Taylor, Budd, Balfe, Tuck (C), Watson, Birmingham, Hudson, Nightingale (Johnson 29), Chamberlain (Beck 76) Subs Not Used: Rowland

Goals:

County: Craig Hughes (41), Charlie Balfe (o.g.) (59) and Dean Holdsworth (90)

Bognor: Ben Johnson (55)

Cautions:

County: Edwards (foul)

Bognor: Birmingham (dissent) and Hudson (dissent)

Officials:

Referee: Richard Greenwood (Plymouth)

Assistants: Lee Hoskin (Weston-super-Mare) and Mark Russell (Bristol)

Attendance: 755

Conditions:

Dry and sunny, mild, windy 

Man of the Match:

Official County Man of the Match: John Brough 

Reporter's County Man of the Match: John Brough 

Reporter's Bognor Man of the Match: Ben Watson 

Match Rating: 3/5