Rocks Review: Rocks 6 Walton Casuals 1

Two early goals set the standard for the Rocks as they put in a commanding performance against struggling Walton Casuals.

And top-of-the-table Rocks added four more second-half goals as they ran out comfortable 6-1 winners to maintain their push for the Ryman League division one south crown.

They ended the day six points clear of Whitehawk, who moved second with a 5-0 win at Whitstable, and seven points clear of Dulwich Hamlet.

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The Rocks were without keeper Craig Stoner, who put in a man-of-the-match performance last week. Lloyd Anderson was back at Nyewood Lane to replace him. Dan Beck was also out after an injury at work.

Defender Osa Obamwonyi and striker Ashley Robinson, whose 30-yard thunderbolt secured a win over Merstham last week, both started.

It was the Rocks who made the brighter start, with Steve Harper crossing for Hayward, whose close-range shot was saved.

Just three minutes later, the Rocks took the lead when Robinson cleverly switched play wide to Ben Johnson, whose first-time delivery was poked home by Harper.

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And it wasn’t long before their second in the 12th minute from the penalty spot, when Harper was tripped as he kept chase of a loose ball inside the box. Up stepped Robinson and he calmly dispatched the ball into the bottom-left corner after a walk-up rather than a run-up to the ball.

It wasn’t until the 20th minute that the visitors had their first sight of goal – Adam Fletcher beating Darryl Wollers down the wing before his fierce cross hit the outside of the post.

Two minutes later, it was the Rocks’ turn to hit the woodwork.

Hayward’s out-swinging corner was met by Stuart Axten, whose header flicked off the bar.

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Walton had a gilt-edged chance to pull a goal back in the 25th minute after Obamwonyi was caught in possession on the edge of the box.

Fletcher was played in with only the keeper to beat, but he pulled his shot well wide.

Bognor went goal crazy in the second half.

They got their third just eight minutes in when Obanwonyi’s flicked effort slid in under the bar from a corner despite a defender’s attempts to clear it off the line.

They added two more around ten minutes later - and they were copycats of one another.

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The first came from Robinson, who cut inside the box after collecting a long ball, before firing low into the bottom corner of the Walton net.

The fifth came in near-identical fashion from Johnson when he ran free down the left, cut inside and fired into the same corner.

Harper and Axten both went close to further goals but sub Terry Dodd did get the sixth at the end of a lovely passing move involving Wills and Robinson, whose inch-perfect pass left Dodd to poke the ball past the onrushing Williams.

Walton got a consolation through Kwabena Agyei, who had the simple task of tapping in after Craig Lewington’s free-kick beat Anderson and came back off the post.

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It was the Rocks’ fourth league win in a row and sixth Ryman game unbeaten.

They’re next in action at Godalming next Saturday.

ROCKS: Anderson, Marzetti, Wollers, Crane, Axten, Obamwonyi, Hayward, Wills, Robinson, Harper, Johnson. Subs: Dodd, Thomson, Beck, Killpartrick, Boyle.

GREG MILES