Albion were knocked out of the Sussex Senior Cup at the semi-final stage as they were beaten on penalties by Bognor Regis Town on Tuesday night.
Bognor started brightly, with Sam De St Croix presented with two decent opportunities to open the scoring. The midfielder could only get a tame effort away after Daniel Gifford had won possession back in the Albion box and picked out his teammate, before curling an excellent effort just wide of the top left corner.
Albion keeper Toby Bull was fortunate to only see yellow for a foul on Gifford just outside the box after racing off his line to clear the ball, before Robbie Blake’s side’s frustration was compounded by Albion taking the lead two minutes later.
Craig Robson failed to get the ball under control on the edge of his own box, with Ben Wilson pinching possession and finding Remiero Moulton – who had only come on five minutes earlier in the place of the injured Jamie Mullins – who slotted in after 27 minutes.
Albion’s lead lasted ten minutes as De St Croix made the most of a defensive mix-up between Charlie Penman and Bull to fire into the bottom right corner.
De St Croix was inches away from putting Bognor in front shortly after the restart when he got a flick on the ball from close range, but fortunately for Albion it bounced the wrong side of the post.
The Rocks couldn't have wished for a better opportunity when Gifford got in behind the Albion defence and found Nathan Odokonyero - who has 29 goals this season - for a tap in the middle of the box, but he got poor contact on the strike and Bull was able to gather when Albion looked certain to go behind.
Wilson went desperately close to a late winner when he brought down Josh Duffus's pass and looked to slot it into the bottom left corner, but the striker sent it marginally wide.
Joshua McCormick's rifled effort from the edge of the box was deflected behind for a corner, before Rocks skipper Harvey Whyte dragged wide from a similar position in injury time.
90 minutes of football couldn't separate the two sides, so the tie had to be settled on penalties. Matt Everitt went first and he saw his effort from 12-yards kept out by Matthew Rowley, and despite Cam Peupion, Sam Packham, Wilson and Samy Chouchane all converting, the Rocks netted all five of their spot-kicks to reach the final.
Albion line-up: Bull, Packham, Shann, Kavanagh, Penman (Chouchane 46), Hinchy, Baker-Boaitey (Peupion 78), Everitt, Wilson, Mullins (Moulton 22), Duffus.
Unused subs: Reid, Peupion, McConville.