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Harsh on the hosts but clinical Dockers march on

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, a result that proved that yesterday afternoon’s game should not be taken for granted. Yes, the league table suggests the result was only going one way. As did the meeting between the two sides earlier in the season, which the Dockers won at a canter.

But Alfold have welcomed a plethora of new players and improved a lot since then, so a positive result was far from a foregone conclusion.

Now, I know most of you who have seen the above scoreline will be wondering what I’m banging on about. A 5-1 victory away from home is just about as convincing as it comes, surely. Especially when you take into account that Alfold didn’t score their goal until stoppage time.

But those who saw the match, will I’m sure agree, that this was a slightly flattering scoreline for the visitors. Alfold were much more competitive than the full-time result showed.

In fact, after half-an-hour, it wouldn’t be too hard to make a case to say that the hosts had actually been the better side. The ball was certainly spending plenty of time in Newhaven’s defensive third. Certainly more so than at the other end.

However, Alfold's problem was a staggering inability to defend properly.

Yes, they may have been the better side for 30 minutes, but they still contrived to find themselves 2-0 down in that period. A head-start you just can’t afford to give the often free-scoring Dockers.

In fairness, there was little they could do about the first goal just four minutes in. Following a well worked move down the right, Billy Barker’s sumptuous cross was met perfectly by the head of Callum Connor who subsequently guided his header brilliantly past the goalkeeper.

For the next five minutes, Alfold went at Newhaven, pushing the visitors backwards and forcing Henry Watson into a sublime last-ditch tackle to deny Fold’s lively left-winger a clear shot at goal.

But on the 11th minute, the Alfold defence pressed the self-destruct button – and not for the last time in the match.

Josh Gould (in for his first start in place of the absent Ian Robinson) did will to dispossess the number six (the first of a number of error-strewn contributions he made during the game) before racing through on goal. A combination of goalkeeper and defender kept out Gould’s effort, before Lee Robinson prodded the ball back across the goal where Lukas Franzen-Jones reacted quickest to stretch out a leg and poke Newhaven into a two-goal lead.

Despite the two-goal cushion, the pattern of the game didn’t alter. Alfold spent most of the next 20 minutes on the front-foot, with Newhaven’s defence enduring some shaky moments but just about managing to keep their hosts at arm’s length.

With ten-minutes to half-time, Alfold would have probably felt aggrieved to have been behind. By the interval, they must have been well and truly stumped by what was happening.

On the 38th minute, the home defence once again contributed to giving Newhaven a third. A low Franzen-Jones free-kick should have been dealt with multiple times by the defence and goalkeeper, only for the ball to roll to the back post where Watson managed to divert it into the net from close range – despite two Alfold defenders being arguably better positioned to reach it ahead of him.

By half-time it was four. A brilliant piece of improvised skill in the area by Connor led to him flicking the ball over the hapless number six’s head. All the defender could do to compensate was to drag the striker to the ground for the most stonewall penalty you’ll ever see.

Should he have been sent off for denying a clear goal-scoring opportunity? I’m not sure. The so-called double jeopardy rule when it comes to sending offs and penalties is yet another rule that no-one seems to truly understand. You’ve got to hand it to the FA, they do like to find ways to make a fairly simple sport unnecessarily confusing!

From the spot, Charlie Bennett made no mistake to fire Newhaven into a scarcely believable 4-0 first-half lead, and all but ensure the three-points would be heading back to Fort Road.

If I’m being kind, I’ll describe the second-half as a bit of a non-event. Newhaven were understandably more than happy with the score and were seemingly content to see the game out with the minimum of fuss. Alfold, meanwhile, knew the game was up and lost some of (lots of) the attacking verve that they’d had for lengthy spells in the first-half.

As a result, goalmouth action was at a premium, with very few shots on goal from either side.

One of the brightest aspects of the second-half for Newhaven was the return to action of long-term absentees Harry Reed and Tyler Scrafton, who both got a run-out and seemed to make it through the game unscathed. It’s good to have them back!

With just under ten minutes left, the Dockers did grab a fifth. Once again Alfold’s defending left plenty to be desired. A high ball into the box wasn’t dealt with by any one of three defenders, allowing Franzen-Jones to bring the ball down (which he did brilliantly by the way), turn and fire a low shot into the net.

Alfold got the goal they deserved deep into injury time. A neat one-two sent Tyrese Sutherland through on goal, and he netted a consolation.

From Newhaven’s perspective (okay, my perspective), conceding this goal was slightly annoying. it’s not the first time this season the Dockers have shipped a late goal when they’ve been on the way to a clean sheet. And, yes, I get the goal doesn’t matter in the grand scheme of things, but a few more clean sheets would be welcomed. That’s definitely the moany defender in me coming out there!

Ultimately, though, this was definitely a potential banana skin averted. And while it may not have been as comfortable as the scoreline suggests (for the first 35 minutes at least), it was good to see a clinical team performance against a side that will probably (fingers-crossed) cause other teams around the top of the table a few problems over the coming weeks.

Thoughts now turn to Tuesday night, when Newhaven travel to Broadbridge Heath for a quarter-final clash in the Peter Bentley Cup. A huge game that could see either side strike a psychological blow to the other ahead of what is sure to be a vital league meeting between the two sides in March.

The Dockers are back at Fort Road next Saturday (18th February) when bottom-side Roffey are the visitors. A home-banker on paper – but Roffey also drew with Broadbridge Heath a couple of weeks ago, which suggests this might well provide another slippery step in the title run-in. As ever, your support will be much appreciated.

Come On You Dockers!

My man of the match (aka, the controversial part): Lukas Franzen-Jones. Despite the scoreline, this wasn’t a match where any player particularly stood out. No one played brilliantly but, more importantly, no one played badly either. However, Lukas was involved in most of Newhaven’s best attacking moments and grabbed himself a couple of goals to boot.

After the game, Reuben caught up with the man-of-the-match (and Everton fan) to ask for his thoughts on this game and Monday night’s Merseyside derby…



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