Bognor Regis Town 2 Blues 2

Richard Wilkins made one change to the line up from Monday’s match against Bury, Josh Merritt replacing Darren Mills writes Trevor Elmy. Unfortunately during the warm up John Sands suffered an injury and was replaced in the starting line up by Josh Mayhew. Leiston started brightly and controlled the play from the start, with Conor Hubble finding space between the Bognor defence and midfield. Joe Jefford received a yellow card on 19 minutes and on 23 minutes Leiston was forced to make a change with Patrick Brothers suffering from a rib injury being replaced on the left hand side by Tom Winter. Leiston took a deserved lead on 32 minutes when Gareth Heath controlled and turned in the Bognor penalty area before firing past Winterton in the home goal. Bognor’s main threat was the pace of Stuart Green on the right wing but Seb Dunbar showed what a good acquisition he is by restricting the danger posed by Green. Leiston should have increased their lead just before half time but Conor Hubble was unable to get a shot away with any power and the ball went wide of the left hand post.

Bognor started the second half with more purpose and nearly equalised in the 47th minute when a header struck the post with Danny Gay beaten. Leiston, unlike the first half, were not keeping possession and the defence was coming under more pressure but looked solid and able to deal with any danger. In the 66th minute Seb Dunbar was booked for a foul on the lively Green on the right wing. Five minutes later Leiston had a great opportunity to increase their lead when a corner was allowed to drop in the Bognor six yard box but nobody was able to react to the situation. Bognor broke quickly and within 30 seconds had equalised when Crane fired in from 25 yards. Joe Francis made a welcome return from injury replacing the tiring Josh Merritt on 79 minutes before Bognor took the lead on 83 minutes when Ollie Pearce, looking at least two yards offside in the middle of the penalty box, was able to divert the ball away from Danny Gay in the Leiston goal. The visitors responded when Stuart Boardley fired a free kick just over the bar on 87 minutes. With time running out Conor Hubble was cynically fouled just outside the box. Hubble and Boardley stood over the ball and it was Hubble who curled a right foot shot around the wall into the bottom left hand corner to give Leiston a deserved equaliser.

FT – Bognor Regis Town 2 Blues 2

Blues line up - Gay, Saker, Dunbar, Boardley, Jefford, Bullard, Merritt (Francis 79 mins), Heath, Hubble, Mayhew, Brothers (Winter 23 mins). Sub not used: Rossis

Man of the Match – Gareth Heath

Attendance - 326