Rocks 0 Mangotsfield 1
8th October 2011 Rocks fell at the first hurdle of the FA Trophy as a goal in the second half was enough to steer Mangotsfield into the next round, where they will now play Oxford City away.
A beautifully struck goal on the 64th minute by Matt Groves saw the visitors go home happy. Rocks will be hoping for a better performance come Tuesday when they take on Ramsgate in the Ryman Division One South this week.
The evident changes before kick-off saw Matt Whitehead return to the starting eleven. Luke Nightingale replaced Terry Dodd after impressing after coming on against Corinthian Casuals in midweek. That game saw Rocks lose their first league match of the season.
The game got off to a bad start for the hosts. Chris Breach gave the ball away in midfield, allowing Tom Knighton to speed down the left wing to cross. But Tim Bond was solid in the box to head it away.
Down the other end good work found Dan Beck with space down the left. He found Ben Johnson with a neat pass but unfortunately the winger was blocked off with his pass.
The visitors replied when Tom Billings held the ball up well, which led to Sean Saville?s cross from the right. Though Stuart Axten comfortably cleared the danger.
Beck combined with Johnson again on the left. Johnson cleverly hit a cross on the bounce, but the ball flew over the rising Nightingale inside the box.
A further chance saw Johnson feeding Whitehead on the overlap, but the left back?s low cross was booted clear.
Then Beck played in Whitehead again but this time the small full back sprayed his attempt at a cross out for a goal kick.
United hit back on the break with Knighton getting into space. However, the nifty striker could only fire his shot wide of the far post.
On 10 minutes, Johnson ended a purposeful passing move to whip in a cross towards Jason Prior. But Gary Colbourne in defence for the visitors got there first, before James Crane came in at the back post to head over the bar and wide on the rebound.
2 minutes later and Rocks were on the attack again. Prior held the ball up before cutting it back to Crane. The full back smashed a low shot at goal, though it was easily saved by Danny Graves.
Johnson won the ball in midfield to pass forward to Nightingale, who tried to find Prior with a cross. But again Colbourne?s efforts was enough to distract the striker.
Craig Stoner had to pull out a quick save to deny Seaville?s fierce shot towards goal on 18 minutes.
Rocks seemed to let their visitors through again moments later. Knighton beat the defence to the ball just inside the box and his shot on the rise just hit the side netting.
Nerves reached a new high as Matt Groves? corner kick flew agonisingly over Stoner and across goal as players failed to capitalise.
Bognor lacked a finishing touch and this was evident when Johnson spun another cross into the area but Graves easily gathered in the air.
Then Nightingale tried to thread in Prior but instead won a corner. Johnson?s first corner from the right was put away for a second corner kick on the left. This time he found Axten, who glanced a header towards goal. It was Breach who got the final touch - helping it on with his head - but again Graves was superior and saved confidently.
Groves then played in target man Billings on the counter. The tall forward swiftly spun and shot narrowly wide of the right post.
With 7 minutes left of the first half to go, Johnson?s sliced shot fell to Prior. He managed to squirm a low shot at goal, though the goalkeeper was equal to it.
Breach lofted a high ball into the box towards Prior. The striker appeared to be impeded in the area but the referee ignored the claims from the home crowd.
Johnson then beat his marker on the left before firing narrowly over the bar from a tight angle. It appeared as though the winger was looking to cross the ball at first and on another day could have caught the goalkeeper unawares.
But Mangotsfield forever threatened on the break. The last chance of the game came when Knighton fired in a cross towards Billings, but again Bond bravely got their first when he out muscled the striker to the ball.
HT 0-0
The first real attempt at getting the opening goal from the restart was when Johnson beat his marker on the right. He crossed onto the head of Nightingale on the back post. The striker nodded it back to Prior who?s shot was bravely blocked by the visiting defence.
But some neat one-two play between Groves and Billings saw the latter get into a scoring position. Though his shot was good, it only hit the side netting.
Beck then set up Prior from outside the area but the striker blasted disappointingly way over the bar.
Substitute Dodd had a shot blocked after being chipped in by Johnson and then Dodd also forced a good save out of Graves.
After the hour mark Geraint Bater nodded down the ball down for Groves but he got his boot underneath the ball to send it sailing well over the bar.
Seaville believed he was fouled in the area moments later but the referee waved away any chances of a penalty.
Mangotsfield took the lead on 64 minutes. Groves got on the end of a square pass on the left to let fly with a beautifully struck curling shot that beat the outstretched arm of Stoner.
Johnson darted through the visitors? back line before scooping a shot narrowly over the bar from a tight angle, as Rocks tried for an equaliser.
The visitors should have gone 2-0 up on 68 minutes. Seaville managed to latch onto a ball on the break in acres of space and picked out Knighton with a cross-field pass. Knighton ran on to shoot low - only being denied by the legs of Stoner, who had pounced out of his goal with great speed.
With less than 20 minutes left, Kane Wills had to receive treatment. This held up play for a few minutes and he did return to play, along with receiving a yellow card as he got to his feet - presumably for arguing with the referee. Though moments later he looked back to his management team to be replaced as he could not run the injury off.
On 76 minutes Crane piled in a cross onto the feet of Prior. But his attempt at flicking the ball over marker Colbourne failed.
Then Johnson?s cross from the left led to Graves punching clear above Prior.
A similar attempt down the other end saw Groves chipping in Billings but his looping header was punched clear by Stoner.
Dodd then tried to flick the ball on towards Prior as a reply but it was cleared.
The substitute then almost scored himself when he let fly with a shot from just outside the box, which bounced tamely into the goalkeeper?s arms.
Amongst the great number of blocked chances, Crane got the ball on the right to cross for Axten but he headed over - deep into 4 minutes of stoppage time. It was a clear sign that Rocks were never really likely to score today - against a spirited Mangotsfield defensive display.
Attendance - 344
Team; Stoner, Crane, Whitehead, Breach (Dodd 56), Axten, Bond, Beck ©, Wills (Ide 73), Prior, Nightingale, Johnson (Wollers 83)
Unused Subs: Marzetti