IT WAS first hosting third on Non-League Day at Longmead in front of a large crowd of more than 800, and the attacking football on display showed both sides are likely to be involved in the end-of-season shake-up.
But there was concern at the end as the Angels goalkeeper Jonny Henly had to receive lengthy treatment and was taken off on a stretcher after he was the victim of a crude foul.
Almost straight from the kick-off the hosts took the initiative with decent chances falling to Adem Ramadan and Jared Small.
But the visitors were quick to react, Mason Walsh going close with a header in the seventh minute, followed by a Bradley Lethbridge effort a minute later.
Tommy Whitnell should have done better for the home side when he was presented with the ball following a short Bognor back pass.
After 20 minutes the best chance of the early exchanges fell to Rocks skipper Harvey Whyte but he was blocked by Whitnell.
Despite some good Bognor possession, suddenly the Angels gave their supporters something to cheer on the half-hour when Joe Turner’s excellent cross from the right saw the onrushing Alex Read just screw his shot wide.
Then Bognor’s goalkeeper Daniel Lincoln went walkabout, allowing Jared Small to fire in a shot on the angle but his effort went inches wide of an empty net.
The high quality continued after the break with chances falling for Lethbridge for the visitors and James Folkes for the Angels inside the opening minutes of the half.
Eventually something had to give, although it was something of a gift for Bognor when Tonbridge defender Sonny Miles seemed to slow down and presented Lethbridge with a straightforward chance to put Bognor ahead after 51 minutes.
The Angels were certainly in no mood to give up the fight and started to come much more into the game, putting the Bognor defence under some pressure.
The equaliser was coming and in the 67th minute Ramadan combined with Turner to set up Read, who fired his shot accurately past Lincoln.
There followed a long stoppage following an ugly foul on the Angels keeper Jonny Henly, after which Walsh fired a 25-yard daisy cutter past substitute keeper Stewart Copeland in the 90th minute to secure the three points for Bognor.
Angels manager Steve McKimm said afterwards: “I thought we were a bit tentative in the first half with one of two players hiding but in the second half we played much more to our potential.”
Tonbridge remain on top of the Bostik League Premier by a point from Worthing with Bognor another point further back.
So it’s tight at the top of the Bostik League Premier as the Angels travel to Hornchurch on Saturday [October 20, kick-off 3pm].
