#COYD - Come on You Dockers

Midhurst and Easebourne 2 Newhaven 3, SCFL Premier Division match #30 Having scored a frankly ludicrous 25 goals in their previous four league matches, the Dockers headed to leafy West Sussex high on confidence on Saturday afternoon. With mid-table Midhurst and Easebourne currently on an awful run or form – they’ve failed to win since 3 rd December; a run totalling nine games – hopes were high that another big victory was on the cards for Newhaven. However, those of us who watch the Dockers on a regular basis were strangely wary ahead of kick-off. Midhurst are a team full of big, physical-looking lads, and their pitch is, shall we say, somewhat sloped and rather bobbly. This is a combination of factors that hasn’t tended to suit Newhaven’s fluid passing style at times this season. If a game ever had potential banana-skin written all over it, then this was it. And so it so almost proved. From the outset Newhaven struggled to get to grips with both the opposition and the condi...

AFC Varndeanians 0 Newhaven 3, SCFL Premier Division match #29 Just over 48-hours on from their mauling of Roffey , Newhaven were back in action last night, knowing that a win would put them back on top-of-the-table; albeit having played more games than the teams around them. What’s more, a victory with at least three-goals scored would also lead to the Dockers notching their one-hundredth league goal of the season in just their 29 th game. A landmark they would become the first Step Five team in the entire country to reach. A double incentive for a big victory if ever there was one. In mid-table AFC Varndeanians, Newhaven were facing a team who have acquitted themselves well in their second season in the SCFL Premier Division.  While consistency remains a problem for the Brighton-based team, they have recorded some impressive results against some of the top sides this season, having drawn with Steyning and Eastbourne United, and beaten Crowborough Athletic. Complacency fo...

Newhaven Ladies 2 Herne Bay Women 3, London & South East Women’s Football League Division 1 South, Match #16 It’s been a while since I last managed to make it to a Newhaven Ladies game (not for lack of trying, I hasten to add). In that time, the Docker’s form and fortunes have steadily improved.  They've reached two cup semi-finals and gone on a seven-match unbeaten run. In Herne Bay, though, the ladies yesterday afternoon found themselves up against a team also in a rich vein of form. The Kent side had won their last four league matches going into this game, including a resounding 9-1 win against Cray Valley earlier this month. That these were two sides high on confidence was evident from the outset. Both teams were clearly intent on taking all three points from the encounter, making for an open and entertaining game with plenty of chances for both teams. Herne Bay created the first big chance of the match, somehow failing to score from a corner when the ball looked li...

Newhaven 11 Roffey 0, SCFL Premier Division match #28 The Dockers took on bottom-placed Roffey yesterday afternoon, in a match they were hot-favourites to win. Winless all season, Roffey have struggled to adapt to life in the SCFL Premier, but have improved a bit since Christmas; picking up three draws since then, including a hugely creditable point against title challengers Broadbridge Heath earlier this month. While the Dockers still went into this match hugely confident of securing another vital three-points in their title charge, it’s fair to say that no one could have predicted quite how comfortably the match would ultimately turn out to be for them. In truth, this is quite a difficult report to write (and not just because I don’t bother to record what’s happening as the game is in progress). It’s hard to find the right tone between not coming across as being too disrespectful towards the visitors, while staying the right side of not being patronising towards them either. ...

  Broadbridge Heath 1 Newhaven 2, Peter Bentley Cup Quarter Final It was back in October that Newhaven sealed their spot in the quarter-finals of the Peter Bentley Cup, courtesy of a somewhat fortunate penalty shoot-out victory over Bexhill . Four months on, the Dockers travelled north to Broadbridge Heath for a tricky last eight tie against the team sitting directly below them in the league table. Having already suffered a narrow defeat to the Bears in the league earlier in the season, Newhaven were well aware that a tough 90-minutes were guaranteed. A 90-minutes made even tougher by a number of high-profile absentees from the starting line-up due to a combination of holiday, injury, being cup-tied and Valentines-related schmoozing. However, it speaks much for the strength of Newhaven’s squad that they were still able to field a strong starting XI whilst managing to boast some options from the bench. After the opening quarter-of-an-hour, that long 90-minutes suddenly looked...

Alfold 1 Newhaven 5, SCFL Premier Division match #27 Football. It’s a funny old game, as Jimmy Greaves – and probably countless others – have often pointed out. Just two weeks ago, it seemed as though the Docker’s title ambitions had well and truly sailed, as defeat to Bexhill left them facing a – potential – 12-point deficit to the league leaders. Just two weeks later, though, and a couple of favourable results (from Newhaven’s perspective) affecting the teams directly surrounding them at the top of the table, means that the potential gap is now down to (at most) a far more manageable six. Game on! We’ve reached that stage of the season where unexpected results can – and indeed do – start to happen. Results that, in the blink of an eye, can change the complexion of a league table. One such result occurred in midweek, when struggling Alfold held high-flying Broadbridge Heath to a 1-1 draw. A fantastic result from Alfold’s – and Newhaven’s – perspective. It was also, though...

Newhaven 6 AFC Uckfield 1, SCFL Premier Division match #26 Seven days ago, Newhaven’s promotion dreams took a huge dent as they succumbed to a direct Bexhill side . With Uckfield being the next visitors to Fort Road, it was hoped the Dockers could get back to winning ways sooner rather than later. However, having suffered seven defeats on the spin, a midweek victory for AFC Uckfield over Little Common seemed to have put the visitors in good mood ahead of kick-off. A few visiting players were even overheard to be feeling quietly confident of causing something of an upset prior to 3pm. It was confidence that was to prove highly misplaced. That said, the visitors did almost create the first opening of the match within the first 30 seconds, only for the Newhaven defence to just about recover when it looked like the Uckers might be through for a clear sight on goal. It was to prove to be a massively wasted opportunity. A minute or so later, Newhaven were in front. The Uckfield keepe...

Newhaven Ladies forward Mel Orme becomes the latest female Docker to tell us all about her teammates. Which teammate is likely to incur the most fines this season? What fine will be their undoing? Faye [Hannaford] has the most money owed for fines with all her red and yellow cards! Though Steph [Harrison] gets megged a lot. Which teammate is most likely to pull out of a team night out at the last minute (or go home first)? Think [Charlotte] Markham is mostly like to go home early from a night out! You reach the County Cup final and it goes to penalties. Which 5 players hit the spot kicks? For penalty kicks I’d pick, Chloe [Evans], Summer [Dutton], Markham, Ellie Coade and Jaime [Quinn]. (Definitely not Faye it would end up in Scotland). Who do you not want on the opposing team at training, and why? I wouldn’t want Andy on the opposition team at training, his team always wins! Who would be in your ultimate Newhaven Ladies 5 aside team, using current squad or coaches? A...