Lowestoft got their season off to a winning start after enduring a horrendous eight-hour journey to the Sussex coast which saw two coach breakdowns before arriving at the ground an hour after the advertised kick-off time.

After their mammoth journey and without the benefit of a proper warm-up it was not surprising the Trawlerboys were on the receiving end in the opening quarter. Within the first couple of minutes, hesitancy by Frazer Blake-Tracy was pounced upon by Dan Beck but Jamie Waite reacted quickly to block his point-blank shot. It then required a superb saving tackle in the area by Rory McAuley as Jimmy Wild broke clear before a right-wing corner was flicked on by Wild to James Crane who hooked the ball over the bar from close range.

Having weathered that early storm, Lowestoft started to get into the game, with Rossi Jarvis and Andrew Fisk stamping their authority in midfield and Jamie Forshaw and Jake Reed working tirelessly up front. Bognor were being forced deep into their own half with Reed. Forshaw and Fisk all going close.

The goal Lowestoft fully deserved arrived five minutes before the break. The Trawlerboys' passing game had been causing numerous problems and the ball finally found its way to Chris Henderson some 25 yards out and his ferocious drive screamed past Billy Granger and just inside the post.

Like the first half, Bognor started the second on top and a freak rebound off the head of Ollie Pearce saw Waite stretch to tip the ball over and from a right wing corner Wild's glancing header was cleared off the line by Fisk. Lowestoft again took a grip on the game and Reed robbed Crane and cut inside, but his shot was deflected wide.

A second goal was always on the cards and it arrived in the 59th minute. Blake-Tracy's corner was cleared back out to him on the right and when he played it back into the middle it eventually fell to Michael Spillane whose volley took a deflection on its way into the roof of the net.

It had been an excellent all-round performance and the icing was put on the cake five minutes from time when superb passing between Henderson and substitute Connor Deeks ripped apart the home defence for Henderson to claim his second of the game.

Bognor managed a consolation goal as the game entered added time when Lowestoft failed to defend properly and Crane prodded the ball into the net at the far post.

Bognor Regis Town: Granger, Crane, Wollers, Tuck (Sanders, 78), Field, Charman (Davies, 57), Fraser, Beck (Budd, 71), Wild, Pearce, Barnett. Substitutes not used: Walsh, Robinson.

Lowestoft Town: Waite, Barker, Fraser-Tracy, Fisk, Spillane, McAuley, Henderson, Rossi Jarvis, Reed (Smith, 88), Forshaw (Deeks, 78), Ryan Jarvis. Substitutes not used: Marsden, Joel Glover, Jessup.

Referee: J Robinson

Attendance: 353