Bognor went into the quarter finals of the Sussex Senior Cup thanks to a strong display at a cold Nyewood Lane with an own goal and a brace from Terry Dodd helping them on their way.
Rocks will now play Brighton & Hove Albion away in the next round.
A pitch inspection at 3.30pm took place after fears of bad weather saw the game get the final approval to go ahead.
Callum Saunders got a start in a strong first 11. Jason Prior and James Crane were on the bench.
Rocks could have been ahead on the 3rd minute when the Hillians failed to clear their lines as Steve Harper latched onto the ball inside the box but he was blocked off with his shot.
2 minutes later Staurt Axten headed down a cross for Harper inside the box, who smashed a shot on the volley – forcing a neat one-handed save from Joel Harding in the visitors goal.
Saunders drew a similar save out of the goalkeeper moments later as he headed at goal, but Harding frantically punched clear.
The visitors’ first attempt came on 8 minutes when Luke Donaldson spotted Craig Stoner off his line, but from the edge of the box his looping shot flew over the bar.
On 14 minutes Joe White brought down Saunders just outside the box. Harper tried to direct the ball low around the defensive wall from the freekick but it was blocked.
Dodd then won a freekick in a similar position after Neil Watts tugged him down. But again the kick was hit straight into the wall – this time from Ben Johnson. This was seconds before Johnson teed up Dodd with a cross from the right, but the striker headed over.
Down the other end Jordan Woodley blasted narrowly over from distance.
Johnson’s left-sided corner fell to Chris Breach in the box, but leaning backwards the defender couldn’t direct the ball with his head beyond Harding, who saved easily.
In a slight worrying moment Fred Foreman forced Stoner into fumbling his save from a shot, before Pat Harding blazed over the bar to end the same move.
The impressive Saunders did well to reach the ball on the right flank on 36 minutes. But after he cut inside his shot was disappointingly way off target.
Nearing half time the Hillians seemed to increase in confidence. Jonno Melia skipped into the box but his shot was feeble and straight at Stoner.
But Rocks would take the lead just before half time. Kane Wills (who looked lively all game) rattled the inside of the right post with a fierce shot. Then soon after Harper was in space in the box to drill a low shot at goal. It was defender Kit Tregear who had the final touch before it rolled low into the bottom corner beyond Harding.
HT 1-0
As soon as Bognor kicked off for the restart it was obvious they wanted to increase their lead. With 51 minutes on the clock Johnson cut inside to pass to Dodd, who glided across the front of the defence before getting a shot away. Harding dived to his left to save, just managing to push the ball far enough to be out of the reach of Saunders, who was rushing in.
2 minutes later Harper sped through with a solo run but curled his shot agonisingly wide of the right post after cutting in from the left.
Rocks doubled their lead on 55 minutes. Johnson did well down the left to square the ball across the area for Dodd to slide in and poke into an unguarded net.
On 64 minutes Wills sped down the right to get a low cross in for Harper, who slid in with the goalkeeper, but after the ball was loose other players that ran in failed to capitalise and the danger was cleared.
Burgess Hill rarely threatened in the second half but on 67 minutes Melia played a short pass forward to Ollie Lockyer who chose to hit ambitiously from distance with a low shot at goal. Stoner gathered comfortably.
Dodd’s second goal of the day and his team’s third came on 84 minutes. Wills sped through on the break and set Dodd up, who passed 2 players before firing low into the net from inside the box.
The striker should have score his hat-trick seconds later with only the goalkeeper to beat, but he appeared to take too much time before shooting, and his low attempt was rebounded out by the goalkeeper.
Chances came and went for the Rocks in the final stages but the final whistle soon sounded to advance Rocks into the next round of the Sussex Senior Cup.
FT 3-0
Team: Stoner, Marzetti (Sackman 74), Wollers, Saunders, Axten, Breach (Blatchford 66), Beck © (Crane 58), Wills, Dodd, Harper, Johnson
Unused Subs: Prior, Boyle
