Bognor Regis Town’s walking wounded assessed ahead of clash with Kingstonian

The Rocks sit in seventh place in the table but with games in hand and unbeaten in the past seven games.

But the Bognor manager will bewithout key players Ben Anderson and Lucas Pattenden, who both face lengthy spells on the side lines. Defenders Craig Robson and Kieran Douglas also face a race against time to be fit for the encounter after picking up injuries in last week’s 1-1 draw with Cheshunt.

Anderson, an emerging talent signed from Horndean in the summer, suffered a fractured fibula and a dislocated ankle in that clash and could well miss the remainder of the season given the severity of the double injury.

Pattenden has a pelvic issue that requires rest and Blake will monitor his progress over the coming weeks to assess when he will be fit to re-join the action. Robson was forced to pull out of the Cheshunt game with a bad back just before kick-off and Douglas required stitches in a mouth wound as well as emergency dental treatment after a collision in the same game.

But one positive to come out of the game was the display of winger Alfie Bridgeman, in for Pattenden, who turned in his best performance for the club since he re-joined from National League South outfit Eastbourne Borough.

The fact that Tuesday’s home game against Wingate & Finchley fell foul of the weather meant that Blake could offer his walking wounded time off to recover from their efforts.

And he is confident that his side can go to basement-dwellers Ks and maintain their fine form of late.

He said “We are entering a period of the season when there is a lot at stake and it’s also a time that your squad strength is tested, and that is certainly the case after last week. I really feel for Ben Anderson who has come in and demonstrated he can make a real impact for us at this level and for him to pick up those injuries is devastating.

"But I have told him he is young and will come back stronger and we are right behind him all the way in this. He is only 20, but has a maturity about him beyond his years and this will help him recover, of that I have little doubt.

"Lucas Pattenden needs to rest before we can assess properly his injury while we are hopeful that both Craig, Robson and Kieron Douglas can be patched up and be part of our plans for the game at Kingstonian.

“With Lucas missing, it gave Alfie Bridgeman a chance to come in and show what he can do and in fairness, I thought he had his best game of the season for us since he came back.

"So now the challenge is to go to Kingstonian, who have not been having a great time of it of late it has to be said, and impose ourselves on them. We need to play our game, stick to our structure and find ways of hurting them in the final third.

"I still think we need a better return in terms of goals from the chances that we are creating, but I have faith in our attackers to do that. We are a young side, developing all the time and that shows in our recent form.”