After another stormy week, having seen the worst of Storm Eowyn on Friday, I precariously drove down to the south coast, to see Bognor Regis play the season’s surprise success story, Dover Athletic, in the Isthmian League Premier Division.

Bognor Regis Town play at the Nyewood Lane Stadium, located in the very heart of the iconic seaside town. The capacity of 4500 allows for most people to have covered provision. Crowds this season range from 479 against Margate, to a high of 1322 against local rivals Chichester City.

Bognor Regis Town came into today’s fixture in bottom place, sitting twenty second. The team are eleven points from the safety of being outside the drop zone, but with “the Rocks”, as the home side are known, having won two recent away fixtures comfortably, 3-4 at Dulwich Hamlet and a 0-6 destruction of Steyning Town, hopes are high that they might perform a miraculous escape.

Goals this season have been scarce but Tommy-Lee Higgs (18 goals), Jasper Mather (8 goals), Dan Gifford, and Spencer Spurway (all 4 goals) have all made a crucial contribution. Today’s tie against a side twenty places and thirty six points above them was a real chance to swing the season for Bognor Regis Town and managers Michael Birmingham and Jamie Howell, would have been hoping their team could fire to earn a crucial first home league win since the defeat of Cray Wanderers FC, back in September 2024.

Dover Athletic have had an unbelievably positive season, after a resurgence of form from the decline that saw them suffer two relegations since lockdown. This year manager Jake Leberl has taken his team to second in the Isthmian Premier Division, as they seek an immediate return to the National League South. Leading scorers this season are the league’s top scorer George Nikaj (21 goals), Ruben Soares-Junior (18 goals), Luke Baptiste (12 goals) and Alfie Matthews (7 goals). Dover would have been hoping to iron out a recent blip in form, as they attempted to leapfrog Billericay Town and return to the top of the league.

After enduring some early Dover Athletic pressure it was Bognor Regis Town who took the lead when Tommy-Lee Higgs fired home in the twelfth minute.

In the 35th minute a devastatingly quick counter attacking move saw Dover Athletic move level with a brave headed finish by Ruben Soares-Junior.

Despite there being chances for both sides in the final ten minutes, at the break the teams went in tied at one-all. The second half looked to be entertaining as both sides needed the three points.

Dover pushed hard for the winner with two good chances on the hour mark. It did start to seem that they may walk away empty handed today.

As the game moved towards full time, and the sky turned unbelievably lilac and then a deeper red, it was the turn of the Rocks to create chances which great defending by the Dover Athletic back line and confident management of the last line by their keeper, Jordan Gillmore, kept at bay.

Then with just three minutes on the clock Dover Athletic won a penalty, after a mistimed challenge in the box. Up stepped Luke Baptiste to fire home, in front of the loud away support in a bumper crowd of 790,to put the away team 1-2 ahead. Seeing the passion the loyal Dover away support showed reminded me of the joy that would be felt by arguably Dover’s most recognisable fan, Matt Gerrard, Co-host of the Kent Non-League Podcast, as he heard the score come in!

At fulltime it was Dover who took the points needed to head back to the top of the table, with Billericay Town losing heavily to Dartford. Bognor Regis played really well today and had chances to win all three points themselves. This will give “the Rocks” fans and players some self belief that there is still much to play for, in their battle to stay up.