Bognor 2 Braintree 1

Bognor were without Luke Nightingale, still struggling with a shoulder injury, and defender Chris Breach was cleared to play only at the last minute after back problems recurred.

Braintree had the first effort of the afternoon, Lee Burns firing narrowly wide from close range after Michael Shinn's through-ball put him in on goal.

Scott Chamberlain was first to threaten the Braintree goal but keeper Nick Morgan held his 20-yard drive. Then Mark Knee wasn't quite quick enough to beat Morgan to a through-ball.

Alex Haddow and Knee both whipped dangerous crosses into the Braintree box from the left, but there was no-one to get on the end of them.

David Birmingham was only just wide with a shot from the edge of the box on 17 minutes.

The Rocks were getting on top and were unlucky not go in front in a spell of pressure on 20 minutes.

First, Dan Beck's shot was turned behind for a corner by Morgan, and when the resultant kick fell to Breach just outside the area, his shot was cleared off the line.

Another scramble immediately after that saw another goalline clearance, before Morgan earned his money for the afternoon with a brilliant tip around the post from Beck's close-range shot.

Andy Pearson was the first man of the day to be booked after a clumsy challenge on his opponent on the halfway line.

Braintree looked like they might threaten when they won a free-kick 25 yards out, but captain Brad Quinton's curlingball into the box was easily cleared by the home defence.

The Rocks had Craig Stoner to thank for keeping it goalless on 33 minutes. James Hawes looked odds-on to score when Burns crossed to him eight yards out but the keeper got down brilliantly to push it behind.

Beck almost made Braintree pay for the miss when Bognor broke quickly and Morgan had to be alert to save his shot.

Beck was having a lively afternoon but fluffed his lines on 36 minutes when he sliced a half-volley well over the bar after Haddow's cross had caused problems for the Essex side's defence.

Beck tried one from longer range two minutes later but it was grasscutter and was easily collected by Morgan.

Play got a little scrappy as half-time neared, but Haddow tried a shot from 25 yards which Morgan dealt with easily.

Braintree missed the best chance of the game to date when Burns lobbed wide with Stoner in no man's land after a through-ball caught the home defence napping.

But the Rocks didn't learn from that as Hawes was played in minutes later by a ball from the right. There was a suspicion of offside about it but no flag and Hawes took his time to draw Stoner and slot it past him for a lead the visitors scarcely deserved.

Half-time: Bognor 0 Braintree 1

Pearson found space in the Braintree for a low cross-cum-shot three minutes into the second half, but it was held at the second attempt by keeper Morgan.

Then Burns stung Stoner's hands at the other end with a fierce volley he couldn't hold on to at the first attempt.

Seven minutes into the second half, David Ray had a shot deflected behind for a corner when Haddow picked him out in the box with a neat cross from the left.

The corner saw Pearson's diving header well stopped by Morgan and then another goalline clearance denied the Rocks the equaliser.

Pearson had suffered a gash above the eye when heading for goal and had to come off for treatment and a change of shirt. He was soon back in the action with a white bandage wrapped around his head.

Then Bognor drew level.

Some 58 minutes had passed when Braintree defender Billy Burgess was booked for a foul on Birmingham. From Chamberlain's floated free kick, Jupp headed goalwards and when it was clawed out by Morgan, BREACH headed it in from close range - and it was no more than the Rocks deserved.

On 66 minutes, Chamberlain's hurried shot from 25 yards went well wide, then at the other end Shinn whistled a shot past the post.

Bognor were furious that effort came when Birmingham was down with a head injury, and the midfielder was replaced by Charlie Balfe.

Beck wasted a decent opportunity with 19 minutes to go when he hit a shot into the ground after Ray and Haddow had combined to set him up.

Bognor went ahead on 74 minutes. Ray ran at the visiting defence on the right, squared it to sub Balfe, who played it on to Haddow in space on the left.

His first touch wasn't good but when he fired in a low shot, Morgan couldn't hold it and KNEE was on hand to hammer it in from just a few yards out, getting there just ahead of a defender's desperate lunge.

Braintree were pushing for an equaliser and Burns hit a 25-yarder only inches wide of the beaten Stoner's post with 11 minutes left.

Twice Haddow sent left-footed shots just past Morgan's far post as the Rocks tried to make the game safe with a third goal. And with four minutes on the clock, Chamberlain curled a free kick into Morgan's hands.

Braintree threw everything at Bognor in the dying moments but the Rocks held firm for a vital three points.

Bognor: Stoner, Pearson, Wallis-Tayler, Chamberlain, Jupp, Breach, Ray, D Birmingham, Beck, Knee, Haddow. Subs: Harris, Balfe, Greatwich, Rowland, Arojogun.

Defeats and draws for other sides near the bottom of the table mean Bognor are now eight points clear of the drop zone. Click here to see the new table

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