Sharp Rocks sink United (02.03.04)

A SOMEWHAT jaded looking Magpies slipped to yet another home defeat in the league on Tuesday night.
The visitors are well known as being a good footballing side, with manager Jack Pearce being a lifelong advocate of keeping the ball on the deck and playing a good passing game, so it was no surprise to see the Rocks play to their usual standard.
The Magpies almost had a dream start when after just three minutes a cross from Kelvin McIntosh was met by Steve Hale who forced a good point-blank save from Bognor keeper Craig Stoner.
Unfortunately, this was all the keeper had to do in the first half as Bognor took control. A lot of good approach play by the visitors meant the Magpies’ defence was hard pressed and Phil Wilson had a number of saves to make, the most notable of which was at close range when Collins broke free inside the box.
The pressure finally paid off after 31 minutes, but from a set piece rather than open play. 
Guy Rutherford’s corner found Kevin Murphy who headed goalwards where Matt Russell collected the ball and fired home from close range.
A rare foray forward from the Magpies saw Hale again with a half chance after a good run and cross from new signing Rob Martin, but the shot was blocked by Piper for a corner. Bognor almost doubled their lead just before the break with a carbon copy of the first goal – a Rutherford corner, a head forward by Murphy, the ball collected by Russell, but this time the shot was cleared off the line by Dugdale.
Maidenhead looked a much better side after the break and started getting further forward. An early chance saw Craig Farley curl in a shot which went inches wide and Stoner was forced into making a good save when Farley latched on to a good ball from Martin.
The best chance fell to Lawrence Yaku on the hour when Hale won the ball and found Yaku with a well placed pass. But the striker completely miscued his shot.
Bognor hit back on the break after soaking up some pressure and Wright was guilty of a bad miss when set free by a Vikram Singh pass, only to pull the shot wide of the post.
Yaku was stretchered off after falling when challenging the keeper and United changed personnel, pushing more men forward but the ploy misfired and a good run forward and a defence splitting pass saw Rowland put clear and he made no mistake with a well-placed shot.