Bognor defender John Price insists Justin Edinburgh got it wrong in a Bank Holiday penalty row at Nyewood Lane.

Edinburgh, the former Spurs defender now in charge of Billericay, was convinced his side should have had a spot kick as they gave Rocks a battle for the premier division points.

Goals from Steve Sargent, after just ten minutes, and new boy Lou Savage late on made it three wins out of four for Jack Pearce's newly-promoted Rocks.

They were never at their most constructive, however, and had to rely on some solid last ditch defending plus the help of the woodwork to pocket the points.

Edinburgh confronted referee Brendan Malone at half-time and full-time to protest over the 20th-minute sliding tackle by Price on goalbound Gary Ansell which went unpunished.

Bognor boss Pearce admitted it looked "a stone cold penalty" from the main stand but added: "Everybody out there says he got a foot to the ball."

Price, outstanding at the back for a below-strength home side, revealed: "I played the ball, ask any of the boys.

"The ref made a great decision because I played the ball nice and clean."

Price, Edinburgh and surely even Pearce would agree Billericay had plenty of the ball.

The Rocks defender, arguably their man-of-the-match, admitted: "It was a bit of a backs to the wall job but we dug in and got three points."

Bognor boss Pearce was just happy his men got through without four key players, including captain and playmaker Michael Birmingham.

Jodey Rowland was thrown into battle alongside Price, having completed a globe-trotting trip by flying down from Scotland yesterday morning.

Rowland, who has not had a pre-season, ended the game with a blister or two which would have felt all the more painful had his woeful pass out of defence led to a goal for Hockton, who instead hit the bar.

Leon Hunter also rattled the woodwork, both close shaves coming with the score at 1-0.

Pearce admitted: "I would obviously like to put on more of a show for our supporters but it ain't going to be like that.

"There aren't any bad sides in this league. This game has proved that.

"Billericay will feel very had done by to have lost but I was very pleased with the way we stuck at the task because we didn't pass the ball very well."

In fact, the joke going around Nyewood Lane last night was that Bognor had two shots and scored two goals.

It was not quite like that, but they struggled to get anything moving in attack.

The opener on ten minutes was a beauty, Richard Hudson helping the ball into the middle and Sargent unleashing a superb shot on the half turn from 20 yards which flew just inside the post.

Dan Beck, who showed some lovely touches, fired at goalkeeper Jerome John after beating three men and also saw a header held late on before Rocks settled it on 89 minutes.

Fittingly the goal began with Bognor's big goalkeeper Craig Stoner.

His two sharp saves from Hockton and Russell Penn, both in the second half, plus an assured gathering of some hopeful crosses helped him win the sponsor's man-of-the-match award.

It was a swift, accurate throw after claiming the last of those crosses which sent Rocks moving forward on a counter raid.

Beck threaded a crossfield pass to the newly-introduced Savage cutting in from the right and the young striker, snapped up recently from Havant, had time to get the ball onto his right foot and guide a shot inside the post.

End of contest but not end of argument. Edinburgh, at least, saw to that.

Bognor: Stoner, Piper, D. Birmingham, White, Price, Rowland (sub M. Rutherford 81), Russell, Howell, Hudson (sub Savage 88), Sargent, Beck. Unused sub: Brown, Stillman, Davis. Yellow card: Russell (foul).

Billericay: John, Henry, Reddington, Penn, Scarborough (sub Lee 39), Dormer, Ritchie, Hunter, Ansell (sub Almadi 78), Hockton, Patterson (sub Jones 78). Unused subs: Morris, Jackson.

Yellow card: Reddington (dissent).

Attendance: 418.

Referee: Brendan Malone
Man-of-the-match: John Price (Bognor).