Dockers upset high-flying Hawks

Whitehawk 1 Newhaven 2, SCFA Senior Cup Round Two

It had started to seem like Newhaven simply weren’t destined to visit Whitehawk’s Enclosed Ground this season. 

First, back in July, a pre-season friendly there had to be cancelled due to the weather being too hot. Then, last week’s Sussex Senior Cup meeting was postponed due to a waterlogged pitch.

Thankfully, it was to be a case of third-time lucky, as no further climatic conditions contrived to call-off a meeting between the two sides this time around.

Whitehawk are arguably Sussex football’s form team this season. They are currently just three points off the summit of the higher-level Isthmian League South-East Division, having lost just once and conceded a meagre eight goals in 14 league games.

No matter what way you examined it, this was going to be an extremely tough game for the Dockers.

Yet, make no bones about it, it is in this very division that (fingers-crossed) Newhaven hope to be plying their trade next season. Tough trip or not, this was a great chance for the Dockers to test themselves against one of the very best teams around at Step Four.

As often seems to be the case with Sussex Senior Cup matches, the Docker’s starting line-up was missing some stellar names. Skipper Jake Buss was absent, leaving 17-year-old Roman Chiosa to deputise between the sticks, while the SCFL’s top scorer, Alfie Rogers, was deemed fit enough only for the bench; presumably there as insurance should the match have gone to penalties.

There was also no recognised right-back in the starting XI. Central midfielder Charlie Bennett filling that particular vacancy.

An already tough assignment suddenly looked a darn sight trickier.

Kicking up the slope in the first-half (well, I say slope – it’s practically a hill! I swear the pitch has got even steeper since I last visited Whitehawk), it was clear from the early stages that this was going to be a very different game to what the Dockers have been used to this season.

For once, it was Newhaven who had to cede the early possession, looking to play largely on the break while their opponents knocked the ball around confidently. Not a situation they've been used to in any other game that comes to mind in recent months.

However, despite plenty of early possession for the Hawks, they struggled to create any clear-cut opportunities from open play. The main danger for the Dockers appeared to be from set-pieces, with Whitehawk clearly targeting Newhaven’s fledgling ‘keeper from corners.

If Chiosa was ruffled, though, he certainly didn’t show it.

Despite some dangerous moments, the Dockers defence held firm. Newhaven players all over the park were snapping into tackles, constantly winning headers and picking up practically every second ball. Make no mistake, Newhaven were up for this. And Whitehawk knew it.

As the half progressed, Newhaven grew into the game and started to cause the hosts a few problems of their own. They probably created the best chance from open play in the entire half, when a good move down the left saw Ian Robinson's low cross divert fortunately into the hands of the Whitehawk custodian.

At the other end, just as it seemed Whitehawk were about to fashion a clear chance of their own, Max Vardy appeared from out of nowhere to put in a fantastic last-ditch challenge to keep the scores level. It was a tackle that perfectly epitomised the commitment levels of the entire team. 

I pity anyone on the Newhaven coaching staff who may be asked to count how many tackles the likes of Conor Sidwell, Jack Meeres and Henry Watson (to highlight only a few) made last night! It was great to watch such unyielding commitment to the cause!

With half-time approaching, the game was becoming increasingly even. Suddenly, it was more difficult to spot that there was a pretty much a whole league table’s difference between the two sides.

However, just seven minutes before half-time, it was the hosts who took the lead. There was an element of fortune about the goal – for two reasons.

First, Marcin Ruda looked to have been fouled in the build-up, only for the ref to ignore the appeal before awarding a free-kick the other way for a very similar offence (they were both fouls in my opinion). Then, from the resulting free-kick, Charlie Harris’ fiercely struck shot seemed to take a deflection off the wall, taking the ball out of the reach of the diving Chiosa. 

It was clear from the way Whitehawk celebrated the goal that they were hugely relieved to have taken the lead in a game they clearly wanted – and expected – to win.

If Newhaven felt aggrieved by going into the interval a goal behind then they didn’t show it. 

A half-time switch around saw James Rhodes replace Demas Ramsis. Within six minutes, this substitution had managerial masterstroke written all over it. Following a spell of pressure, the veteran striker did brilliantly to control a ball just inside the area, before turning sharply and firing a low shot into the bottom corner of the net.

Just eight minutes later, the turnaround was complete. A particularly ragged period of play from the hosts where they gave the ball away numerous times under minimal pressure, culminated with Ryan Blunt (himself only just turned 18 let’s not forget!) capitalising on a loose pass before quickly setting Lee Robinson away with a perfectly placed through ball. 

Newhaven’s all-time top scorer then did what he’s spent much of the last ten years doing. Namely finding the back of the net.

Not only was the goal celebrated joyously by the fairly large Newhaven contingent present at the game (always good to see on a cold Wednesday night), it had the double bonus of momentarily silencing the Whitehawk drummer behind Chiosa’s goal. Albeit, not for very long.

With half-an-hour still to play, however, it was clear that this game was far from over.

That said, the Dockers had a great chance to put further daylight between them and their hosts just a few minutes later, only for the younger Robinson brother to blaze over when well placed inside the penalty area.

Much of the last 25 minutes was, unsurprisingly, played with Whitehawk on the attack and Newhaven looking to counter. 

As time went on, the hosts succeeded in pushing Newhaven further and further back, but the visiting defence remained resolute; all ten Newhaven outfield players putting their bodies on the line to keep the Hawks at bay. 

Sidwell could barely walk come the end of the game. Although this isn’t an entirely unusual sight.

In fairness, Newhaven’s cause was aided by the fact Whitehawk’s striker spent much of the second-half offside. It happened so often it was like he’d forgotten the rules.

There’s little funnier than the sight of watching a forward complain about continually about being flagged when he’s often not even close to being onside (although, I will concede he was at least fairly close on a couple of occasions). I did feel a bit sorry for the assistant, mind you. I was worried he was going to pull a shoulder muscle at one point the amount he was having to raise his flag!

The host's best chance of an equaliser arrived on the 80^th minute. Even now I’m not quite sure how the ball stayed out of the net, with Chiosa making a quite extraordinary save to keep Newhaven’s lead intact, before the ball was eventually scrambled away to safety from off the goal-line.

After a final ten minutes that seemed to last for about an hour – again the Hawks mainly causing problems through set pieces rather than open play – the ref brought the game to a conclusion. Newhaven had battled to a hard-fought and memorable win. 

While you couldn’t necessarily have described them as the better team, it would be equally hard to suggest that they weren't full value for the victory against a very decent team.

Thankfully, given last night’s exertions (for the players, not the fans), there’s no game this weekend. The Dockers are back in action next Saturday (10^th December), when sixth-placed Steyning visit Fort Road in what will be a crucial league match. We hope to see you there.

Come On You Dockers!

My MOM (aka, the controversial part): The whole team. Yes, it’s a cop-out and, no, I don’t care! It would be entirely unfair to pinpoint any one individual when every single squad member played a significant role in a securing what was a very impressive victory!