Lewes 0 Bognor 1.

Lewes saw their Blue Square south title hopes take a blow as they lost 1-0 at home to Bognor.

Luke Nightingale scored the only goal on 50 minutes as the Rocks boosted their survival hopes.

Leaders Lewes dominated for long periods but were made to pay for not taking their chances against a Bognor side who have not lost on their last three visits to the Dripping Pan.

With Eastbourne Borough losing at Bishops Stortford, Lewes remain six points clear of their rivals, having played two games more, but manager Steven King will count this as valuable points dropped.

King said: "In the first half it was like the Alamo. We created chance after chance and didn't score. They got a free kick, the guy was five yards offside and the assistant didn't give it.

"I am frustrated with the officials, I am frustrated that we didn't take our chances."

Andy Drury returned from a calf injury for Lewes, who included new loan signing Charley Hearn on the bench.

Former Millwall midfielder Hearn had been signed for a month from Grays to bolster a squad missing four players through injury plus captain Steve Robinson due to a one- match ban.

Lewes went close twice in the first two minutes. First Paul Booth shot wide within 30 seconds, then neither Booth nor Ian Simpemba could get a decisive touch on Simon Wormull's free kick.

Booth had an even better chance in the tenth minute. A defence-slipping pass from Tom Davis sent him clear, he went round goalkeeper Craig Stoner, and seemed certain to score but Seb Wallis-Tayler dropped back to clear off the line.

The hosts had a good shout for a penalty on 24 minutes when Wormull was flattened, then Drury rattled the crossbar from a free-kick.

The Bognor goal led a charmed life and Gary Holloway was next to go close, firing over from a Dale Binns cross.

It really was one-way traffic and Drury was then inches away from breaking the deadlock with a header from a Wormull corner.

At this early stage you wondered whether King's men would live to regret a string of near misses.

The visitors showed little as an attacking threat but must have been happy with their first-half efforts.

And amazingly it was Bognor who broke the deadlock five minutes into the second half.

The Lewes defence appealed for offside as Luke Nightingale headed home Scott Chamberlain's free kick.

Lewes were stung by the goal but their response was positive and Drury went close twice in a minute with shots with which Stoner was equal to.

Holloway and Bognor's Duncan Jupp were both booked following a 60th-minute incident when Holloway fouled Wallis-Tayler and Jupp fell theatrically to the ground trying to get his rival sent off.

Lewes had another penalty appeal turned down when Booth appeared to be pushed in the back and you sensed it was not going to be their afternoon.

Home keeper Steve Williams made a brave save on 59 minutes to deny Alex Haddow as the visitors threatened to wrap up victory in a rare attack.

Lewes: Williams, Conroy, Hamilton, Davis, Legge, Simpemba, Drury, Holloway, Wormull, Booth, Binns. Subs: Kennett, Cox, Hearn, Groves, Barness.

Bognor Regis Town: Stoner, Pearson, David Birmingham, Breach, Jupp, Wallis-Taylor, Ray, Chamberlain, Beck, Nightingale, Haddow. Subs: Knee, Gratewich, Harris, Balfe, Temilope.

Referee: M McCoy (Herne Bay) .

Did Lewes deserve to lose?