The Rocks, a division above the Hillians, haven’t been able to defeat the Hill in the FA Cup in their previous two attempts and Dean Cox’s side made it three times to progress.

The Hillians got off to the best possible start with a bursting run down the left by Marcel Powell. He brought the ball back to Lewis Finney, who struck it low beyond a diving Ryan Hall inside the first 2 minutes.

Bognor had their first chance when Calvin Davies hit a free kick through the wall but ex-Rock goalkeeper Taylor Seymour pushed it back out of the area on 20 minutes.

Hillians were on the hunt for a second and Kieron Pamment curled a free kick into the area but Finney, sliding in, couldn’t quite get to it.

At the other end Jasper Mather found Joe Rabbetts on the left and the he hit it fiercely across goal and it was Seymour who steered it around the frame of goal.  Before the corner, Darren Budd went into the book after arguing with the referee on 25 minutes.  Isaac Olaniyan miscued the ball completely following the corner kick and Davies was blocked with his strike.

Then Olaniyan was denied with his low cross but was blocked from the left flank as Bognor were trying to get back into the game.

Bognor were dominating possession but were struggling creating to many chances as they tried to get back into the game but Hill’s defence were standing strong.

Early in the second half Sam De St Croix won an early corner on the right. Davies crossed it in but Douglas glanced his header wide.

Powell was making some good runs as he beat Douglas down the left but the ball had rolled out of play before his cross.

Rocks went close soon after though as Olaniyan had a 22 yard strike destined for the top left corner but he was denied by a decent diving save by Seymour.  Then De St Croix, on the rebound, fired it over the bar on 52 minutes.

Another freekick from the left hand side by Davies saw him hit the freekick into the area but Douglas couldn’t reach it in the air.

Down the other end, Martyn Box’s run down the left ended with the full back crossing it.  A header was missed in the area but the ball fell to Powell who diverted it high over the bar on the bounce.

Powell had beaten Douglas for pace and had only Hall to beat but the goalkeeper denied him a goal with his diversion into the side netting.

Rob O’Toole crashed the ball off the crossbar from yards out after a deflection off Ben Anderson on 68 minutes, after the ball fell to him low inside the area.

There was a period where Rocks were down to 10 men after Douglas had to receive treatment which added to the pressure they were under.

Kieran Rowe hit another chance over the bar for the Hillians as Rocks were struggling to create much in the second half.

On 77 minutes Box curled a freekick in but Jack Taylor diverted his header over the bar.

Lethbridge did well to speed down the left before diverting the ball across the box to Mather but right in front of goal it was denied straight away by the brave Seymour, who saved it.

Bognor committed another foul just outside the box. Left back Box was the freekick taker but his strike sailed straight to Hall who caught it confidently.

The game was officially over and beyond the Rocks when Burgess Hill went down the other end and scored their second.  Box did well to run down the left before putting the ball on a plate for a rising Finney to nod it down and into the net deep into stoppage time.

The Hillians were drawn away at Sheppey United in the next round which will take place on Saturday 16th September.

Man of the match: Kieran Rowe

COYH 💚🖤