After a breathless display of attacking rugby from both sides, Bognor emerged as worthy winners to keep alive their hopes of promotion. The large crowd, basking in the glorious sunshine, was treated to a total of thirteen tries, most of which were the end result of some great handling moves, and Chichester, despite their mid-table position, showed enough to suggest that they should be challenging for promotion next season.

The result means that Bognor are two points ahead of Portsmouth coming into the final weekend of the season when they will play Millbrook at home, a match they will be expected to win and thus securing promotion. Millbrook, however, will have other ideas and they have already demonstrated that they are capable of spoiling the party, having already beaten Chichester twice this season.

Ironically, Chichester themselves could have a massive say in the promotion battle because they will be travelling to Portsmouth. So, can they do their old rivals a favour and pave the way for a Bognor promotion? This scenario, however, is of no interest to Bognor’s Head Coach Karl Flinn who will settle for nothing less than a straight win for Bognor against Millbrook.

Bognor began the match with real intensity and immediately began to look dangerous with ball in hand. Two successive penalties allowed scrum-half Alfie Spurle to take a quick tap and skipper Charlie Jays was on hand to crash over for the first try of the match. Adam Halligan’s conversion put his side into a seven-point lead.

Bognor’s dominance continued for the next ten minutes but, as so often happens when a side seems to be cruising ahead early on in a match, the visitors took their foot off the gas and Chichester came right back into it.

After fifteen minutes Chichester looked to have scored a try, only to be pulled back for a forward pass but, from the resultant scrum, the home team pounced on a loose ball to score their first try.

Bognor lost two lineouts on their own throw in quick succession and, after twenty-five minutes, the momentum had swung Chichester’s way. A poor kick-chase by the visitors following a 22metre drop-out ended with a penalty to Chichester in front of the posts, a gift that they duly accepted for a 10-7 lead.

Bognor lost a third lineout on their own throw to heap more pressure on themselves but, after twenty-five minutes, they struck back decisively. As has so often been the case this season, Connor Herrington accelerated away from deep inside his own half, first of all swerving outside his man before stepping inside a second would-be tackler and feeding a perfect try-scoring pass to Freddie Hayes.

Shortly afterwards, Jeremy Newton-Young chipped ahead inside Chichester’s 22 and a fortuitous bounce saw him gather and pass to Ben Woolnough to touch down under the posts. Halliday added the extras and, to rub salt in the wound, a Chichester player was yellow-carded

Bognor were now 19-10 up but, suddenly, they were down to fourteen men themselves when Tom Orchard was yellow-carded for a high tackle. Chichester capitalised with a try from a driving lineout to reduce the halftime deficit to just four points.

The second half began with a Bognor lineout inside their own 22. Somehow, Spurle darted between the opposition forwards and then set off on an incredible run, beating another three players before touching down under the the posts, having sprinted a full eighty metres. Halligan converted to stretch the lead to eleven points.

Spurle was soon in action again as he put in a dangerous chip inside Chichester’s 22. When the kick was gathered by a covering Chichester player, the galloping Orchard took the ball out of the hands of the luckless defender without breaking stride and flew over the line to make amends for his earlier misdemeanour. Halligan again added the conversion points.

At this point Chichester could have been forgiven for bowing out gracefully, instead of which their backs executed a superb move to score a cracking try right in front of a packed balcony.

The try fest continued as Herrington broke through the midfield yet again, Halligan linking well to put Orchard over for his second try.

Strong carrying by Noah Flinn and Josh Turner enabled Herrington to score his second in the left-hand corner, the 21-point lead starting to look insurmountable, but back came the home team with a wonderfully-worked move from a tap-penalty and a try out wide.

Halligan wisely chipped over a penalty to restore the gap to three scores before Chichester crossed for their fifth try of the match to set a few nerves jangling.

The reply came yet again from the Herrington-Halligan partnership and this time it was left to the young full-back to finish the move and bring up the half-century with a fine try.

Chichester had the last word with another driving lineout try to reduce the final deficit to just ten points.

And so to the climax of the season: Bognor v Millbrook at Hampshire Avenue, KO 3pm. Supporters please note that, due to a festival, there will be no parking available at the club so allow extra time to find a space locally. Better still, leave your car at home and enjoy a few beers in what shoe a great atmosphere.

Leighton Thomas