Newhaven Women’s FA Cup dreams ended by five-star Fulham

 Newhaven Ladies 0 Fulham FC Women 5, Women’s FA Cup Second Qualifying Round

It’s not often that we get to welcome three-times FA Cup winners to Fort Road.

Yet that’s the fate that befell Newhaven Ladies this afternoon, as they hosted Fulham in the Second Qualifying Round of the Women’s FA Cup.

While the modern-day Fulham team may be a world-away from that of the early noughties (the team responsible for two of those aforementioned FA Cup wins), they still play a division higher than the Dockers and were always going to present a considerable challenge for Andy Cook’s still relatively inexperienced team.

Still Newhaven took to the pitch with dreams of an FA Cup giant-killing no doubt filling their heads.

Fulham, unfortunately, had other ideas.

Sometimes you just have to hold your hands up and say you were beaten by a better team. Today was one of those days for Newhaven Ladies.

From practically the first minute, Fulham looked a class apart, confidently knocking the ball around the pitch and making the Dockers have to work extremely hard for any possession of their own. Fulham just looked a yard or two faster – both on their feet and in their minds.

Yet, to the home side’s huge credit, they were evidently up for the challenge, maintaining a good, solid shape and at least making life difficult for their more esteemed visitors. 

The visitors still managed to create a few decent chances during the opening half-an-hour, mind you. However, a combination of poor finishing and some great saves by Annie Hills contrived to keep the Dockers on level terms. 

At the other end, the hosts threatened to shock Fulham on the break on a couple of occasions. Had Lauren Smith not been hampered by a slight hamstring injury, then there’s every chance she would have raced away at one-point in the first half to at least test the Fulham custodian.

As it was, Smith’s cross couldn’t quite be taken under control by the tireless Lucy Collinson; herself struggling with injury having taken a ball full-pelt in the face only a few minutes earlier.

With Newhaven doggedly having kept their visitors at bay for the opening 35 minutes, there was a feeling that if the Dockers could somehow survive until half-time Fulham might, just might, start to become a little nervy in the second-half.

Alas, it wasn’t to be.

Two goals in quick succession in the minutes leading up to the interval – scored by Helen Ogle and Charmaine True – ultimately broke Newhaven’s steely resolve.

With Smith and Collinson succumbing to their respective injuries during the half-time break – and the team already without the services of the suspended Chloe Evans, not to mention a few other key players – it was always going to be an uphill task to get back into the game.

Within ten minutes of the restart that uphill struggle suddenly resembled a trek up Mount Everest wearing just t-shirt, shorts and trainers.

On 47 minutes, True scored her second of the game when she took the ball past Hills before finishing calmly into the open goal. Less than a minute later, Ogle got her second of the game heading home unmarked from a corner.

Five minutes after that, Fulham had a fifth. Blistering forward play sent Georgina Heasman through on goal and she made no mistake to leave Newhaven’s beleaguered players looking totally dejected.

At this point there was a real fear that the game could become an absolute rout. Fulham were rampant!

Again, though, huge credit must go to the Dockers who managed to regain their shape and started to once again make life a at least a little bit more challenging for their visitors.

Of course, there was arguably also an element of Fulham taking their foot off the gas a little bit, but nevertheless Newhaven showed true batting spirit to not let their heads drop and to keep going until the end. Which I’m sure is exactly what the management would have asked of them.

With time running out, Megalie Mendes went close to adding a sixth for Fulham with a rasping drive that rattled the crossbar, but ultimately there was to be no more scoring.

So there was to be no FA Cup fairytale for the Dockers on this occasion. Still, a 5-0 defeat against an extremely accomplished side was far from a disgrace.

The most disappointing aspect of the game is that all five goals came within ten minutes of either side of half-time. Maybe a bit more concentration at key moments and things could have turned out differently. Although even at 0-0 it always looked like Fulham’s superiority would show eventually.

There’s more cup action for the Dockers next weekend as they travel to Brentford in the League Cup (Brentford play at the same level as Newhaven, albeit in the northern section of the league as opposed to the southern section).

The team are then back at Fort Road for another tricky-looking encounter a week later (16th October), this time against unbeaten Hastings United in the league. Kick off is at 14:00 and admission will be free.

Any support would be much appreciated. And the bar, as ever, will be open!

Come On You Dockers!

My MOM (aka, the controversial part): Annie Hills. Despite conceding five times, Hills still made a number of good saves and interventions to keep the score down.