Bognor’s Borough hoodoo continues

The last time we walked into Nyewood Lane to report on a match, the pandemic wasn’t even on the horizon. Returning today, for Bognor Regis Town’s match with Haringey Borough in Pitching In Isthmian Premier, the old ground looks rather different.

Whilst the pandemic stopped two seasons, the Rocks used their spare time wisely- with an enormous amount of help from the community. The club launched an appeal for cash in June 2020, hoping to raise thirty thousand pounds which would help finance ground improvements and ensure that they could continue to support their senior football setup and their twenty seven junior teams. A few months later and the total donated has passed the fifty thousand pounds mark, and a quick look around today demonstrates the difference that cash has made.

Where there used to be two old, mismatched and rickety stands down one side of the pitch, one of them with particularly poor sightlines, there is now one gleaming green structure in its place, comfortable and with great views unless you sit behind someone who is six feet four. The uncovered terrace at one end of the ground adjacent to the clubhouse- ‘Seasons Bar’- has been revamped with a roof, improving the atmosphere and the wellbeing of those who used to stand there and get rather wet when the rain rolled in over the sea. There is a ‘Wall of Thanks’ to those who donated, a lovely touch and a permanent reminder of the generosity of a town which is far from being one of the wealthiest places in the county- and, perhaps a reminder that whilst Bognor and Worthing both launched appeals at around the same time, and both were incredibly successful, the Rocks made more money. Not that the two clubs are at all competitive!

On the pitch, things have remained rather constant over the past three and a half seasons. When the pandemic hit, the Rocks were eighth, nine points away from a play off spot. The 20-21 season had hardly started when it stopped, but the Rocks were fourteenth, and last season saw a ninth place finish. We came into today’s match with them sitting in eleventh place, seven points away from the top five.

And yet, there was no shortage of optimism around Nyewood Lane. This is a rather cheerful place- always welcoming, with a large number of committed and friendly folks who don’t get too excited by a good run nor too downhearted when things don’t go so well- however four consecutive wins had made them start to look upwards. Corinthian-Casuals, Haywards Heath Town, Lewes and Bowers & Pitsea had been vanquished- albeit in three different competitions- over the last few weeks, and the side looked to be finally putting together a consistent run of form. More than that, with only one home defeat Nyewood Lane was beginning to look like the fortress the home faithful would expect it to be.

The only downside, if trends and superstitions are perhaps your thing, was that today’s visitors were a bit of a bogey team for the Rocks. Haringey Borough were not the best of opponents to roll into town when you’re trying to build a winning run, as the Sussex side had won only one of their previous seven meetings with the club from White Hart Lane. That solitary victory was here, back in September 2019, when Tommy Leigh and Jimmy Muitt got the goals in a two-nil win, Scott Durojaiye dismissed late on for the visitors. Borough arrived this afternoon four places and only one point behind their hosts, and their vociferous fans were determined to make far more noise that their numbers would suggest whilst supporting their team- something they are very good at whilst at home, too.

The teams ran out under an overcast sky. The wind was whipping across the pitch, and the weather was reminding us that, despite the World Cup being on, it is actually the end of November. But at least it wasn’t raining- yet. Both sides wore their home kit, green and white for the hosts, yellow and blue for the visitors.

Borough got us underway and immediately launched the ball forward, which was the cue for the visiting fans to launch into song. They also hung up two flags, one, initially upside down, proclaiming that its owners were ‘Haringey Borough- Sussex Branch’- so at least someone had a short journey. Within two minutes the visitors were whipping in a free kick, the follow up shot needing to be cleared off the line- and within seven minutes they were ahead, a poor pass from a Rocks defender intercepted by Anthony Mendy, who charged forward and looked to have given himself too narrow an angle, but somehow found the net nonetheless. The home fans awoke and began to bang a drum, but their side was behind nonetheless, and the Borough hordes responded with The Lion Sleeps Tonight, because they “always sing away.” They always sing at home, too.

At the other end, Nathan Odokonyero looked very lively, as you might expect from a striker who already had sixteen goals this season. He had the first chance for his side on twelve minutes, and perhaps should have done better, firing too close to Luke Mewitt and allowing the Borough keeper to palm the ball away.

Another Borough break on seventeen minutes could have seen them double their lead, but from just outside the box Alphanso Kennedy shot straight at Toby Steward. But it was a worrying time for the home fans, because most of the Borough possession was coming from their side’s defensive errors.

It was Bognor who were next to press, and they looked good going forward, Odokonyero and Luke Robinson particularly impressive. The difficulty the hosts had was the speed of the Borough break every time they regained possession; particularly with Mendy seemingly having a speed advantage down the left every time the ball came his way, which was often.

On twenty four minutes the visitors were forced into a change, Kennedy limping off to be replaced by Johnny Ashman, who was quickly in the thick of the action. The game had slowed, Borough happy to contain their hosts and look to break, rather like England v USA last night only with more entertainment. When Bognor did get forward crosses tended to be overhit- and at this point we could make another England v USA analogy but we suspect you’ve already got the point. Tom Bragg forced a save from Mewitt- another Bognor shot straight at the keeper- and it began to drizzle.

Four minutes before the break a neat passing move for the hosts ended with Isaac Olaniyan receiving the ball at the edge of the box. He looked up, took aim, and fired well over the bar. It was the story of their first half; lots of pretty passing with no quality end product. The referee somehow found four minutes to add as if he thought he should keep time Qatari-style, and it gave us more entertainment than the previous forty five, chances at both ends and almost an own goal, Josh McCormick cannoning an attempted clearance off the inside of his own post.

The second half started and the pattern of the first continued, Bognor having most of the possession but not looking like they really knew what to do with it. The crowd was announced as six hundred and thirty three, and most of them watched on in a depressed silence. They were almost even more depressed on fifty minutes, Mendy forcing a fine save from Steward- another chance which came from a Rocks error. They stormed up the other end, however, and Mewitt was forced into a save, too- although his was a great deal easier.

The Rocks made a change, new signing Hani Berchiche replacing Sam De St Croix, and immediately they look more of an attacking threat, putting the visiting goal under pressure. A cross from Olaniyan only needed to be forced home, but somehow wasn’t, and a corner quickly followed- but it was a terrible corner, a grass cutter which was easily cleared, to the groans and moans of the home support. Another corner on the hour was similarly wasted, and despite all the home possession they remained behind. On sixty three minutes a third corner failed to beat the man at the front post, and Olaniyan fired a shot over the bar from the edge of the box whilst the crowd wondered if anyone ever practiced taking set pieces.

Olaniyan came off, Tom Chalaye came on, and the home faithful turned to prayer, whilst the visitors kept up a rhythmic “come on Borough-“ and kept warm at the same time. “Sing if you’re Haringey, sing if you’re happy that way,” came next, with apologies to Tom Robinson and his band. The were given something else to sing about on seventy three minutes, as Chaynie Fage-Burgin fired home, but he was clearly offside even without the benefit of seven people operating VAR.
Bognor decided that as their long corners had been rubbish they’d try short corners, which were only marginally better. Mewitt caught a cross from a second of those and went down in pain, to the chagrin of the home fans who felt he was time wasting. After treatment he recovered, and launched the ball downfield, causing many in the main stand to proclaim a miracle cure.

A good run from McCormick down the right and an intelligent pull back saw the ball fired into a crowded box, and groans, as it somehow evaded everyone. Ten minutes to go, Borough still hanging on- but they could have got a second when a break and a cross from the left just needed a finish, but didn’t get one. “This makes England look exciting,” moaned a home fan from the back of the stand, as the visitors tried to add more excitement, another cross only lacking a finish.

With two minutes to go we thought we had an equaliser. Tom Chalaye charged into the box, put the ball across the box and it needed only a touch at the back post. Celebrations were about to start, but somehow it didn’t go in, Berchiche unable to get a toe on it. A break, and up the other end Fage-Burgin hit the bar, whilst Borough manager Tom Loizou asked whether anyone in the crowd had a spare pacemaker. Five added minutes were announced. Another Bognor attack, another cross, and it looked like the hosts couldn’t miss- but unwilling to change the plot at this late stage, they did. “Just put the ball between the two white sticks,” shouted a home fan who felt basic instructions were required.

The game finally came to an end, and the visiting fans celebrated, whilst the Rocks faithful complained audibly across the ground. They’d perhaps had seventy percent of possession, and yet they got from the game exactly what they deserved. Bognor’s Borough hoodoo continues, and the North Londoners headed back to White Hart Lane with three points having executed their game plan perfectly.

It wasn’t pretty to watch, but the visitors won’t care.

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