Newhaven roar back to winning ways

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 keeper – who was to endure something of a mixed afternoon; making a number of good saves whilst making a number of barely believable howlers – made a complete hash of a tame shot from outside the area. 

From the resulting corner, Newhaven played it short, Uckfield switched off, and a good cross from the left was met by the head of Charlie Bennett who made no mistake, giving the Dockers a dream start.

Five minutes later, the hosts came within inches of doubling their lead. 

Lee Robinson, looking as sharp as he has for a very long time, won the ball in his own penalty area – yes, you read that right – before striding forward and playing a sublime pass that sent Callum Connor clear on goal. The striker’s chipped effort looked to have been brilliantly executed, only to swerve at the last minute and bounce off the foot of the post and behind for a corner. 

It really would have been some goal.

Newhaven were rampant at this point, most of the threat coming from the Robinson brothers down both flanks. Lee was involved in everything, while Ian was easily getting the better of the Uckfield right back who was being given a torrid time whenever the ball went out to the Newhaven left - which was often.

Time and time again Newhaven threatened to extend their lead, only to be denied by some dogged defending and some good saves by the Uckers’ custodian.

While being extremely comfortable for the most part, the Dockers did survive something of a mini scare when, on 25 minutes, Ryan Blunt was adjudged to have fouled an Uckfield player as he went through on goal. 

Although it was hard to spot any infringement – other than a possible free-kick for Newhaven (which would have been soft) – the ref left everyone inside Fort Road stunned when he awarded the visitors a free-kick. Having made the decision, there was maybe a case to answer that Blunt had denied a goalscoring opportunity but, much to the relief (kind of) of everyone involved in Newhaven, the man in the middle only produced a yellow card.

Uckfield then had their best chance of the half when their striker did get through on goal, only to see his effort well smothered by Jake Buss.

It proved to be the wake-up call Newhaven needed.

With half-time approaching, good interplay between Blunt, Lukas Franzen-Jones and James Rhodes (on as a sub for the ill Connor), led to the latter threading a brilliant ball through to Lee Robinson, who raced clear, rounded the keeper and tapped the ball into an empty net. The goal the elder Robbo’s first-half performance had deserved,

At the start of the second-half it appeared it was only a matter of time before Newhaven ran away with the game. Ian Robinson looked certain to either score or create a chance every time he received the ball and, with a bit more luck, the Dockers would have been out of sight within ten minutes of the restart.

As has been the case at times this season, though, Newhaven don’t like to do things the simple way. With just over an hour on the clock, Henry Watson was caught in possession, and Harvey Burgess stayed calm to reduce the arears.

Suddenly it was game on. For the first time in the match, Newhaven looked a little nervous and Uckfield started to seem to believe that they really could get something from the game.

However, just as the visitors were starting to get on top, their goalkeeper made another calamitous error. A long ball forward was headed back to him by his centre back. It should have been a routine catch, but with Franzen-Jones bearing down on him, the Uckfield keeper took his eye off the ball, fumbled it, and Franzen-Jones was left with the simple task of tapping the ball into the empty net. 

The attacker’s first goal for Newhaven since re-joining the club from Haywards Heath.

Now the game was up. And Uckfield knew it.

A fourth goal arrived with ten minutes left to play. Lee Robinson showing predatory instincts to net his second of the afternoon.

The goal of the game arrived a smidge over a minute later; Franzen-Jones lashing a brilliant effort into the top corner from 25 yards out.

The Uckers started to lose their discipline at this point, resulting in two visiting players being sin-binned and Rhodes left with a nasty scratch (yes, really – someone clearly needs some nail scissors) down a large portion of his neck.

Robinson then came with a hair’s-breadth of completing what would have been a well-deserved hat-trick when his curling effort from just inside the area bounced back off the post.

Still there was time for a sixth as two substitutes combined to put the icing on the cake. Josh Gould did brilliantly on the left, turning his marker inside and out before crossing low for Demas Ramsis who finished emphatically at the far post. It was no more than the Dockers deserved.

With the last kick of the game, Uckfield had a chance to grab a consolation goal when they were awarded what looked to be a hugely soft penalty. However, the resulting spot-kick was, quite frankly, awful and Buss saved comfortably. In fairness, he could have dived the wrong way and still got back in time to save it!

Walking off, I heard an Uckfield fan bemoan the fact that it was never a 6-1 game. He was right. The margin of victory could – and perhaps should – have been a lot higher.

Still, after last week’s disappointment this was the ideal way for Newhaven to bounce back to form. Aside from a five-minute period in the second-half, when it looked as though the hosts may press the self-destruct button, this victory was as routine as it comes.

And with results in other games involving some of the Docker’s closest promotion rivals also going their way, Hollywood script editors would have been hard-pressed to have come up with a better afternoon’s action for Newhaven.

Next weekend (11^th February), the Dockers travel to Alfold for another game that they really should have designs on winning, before they head to Broadbridge Heath in midweek (14^th February) for a Peter Bentley Cup quarter final clash; a huge game.

We’re back at Fort Road on the 18^th February, when another team threatened by relegation, Roffey, are the visitors. A big crowd will be more than welcome to hopefully roar the boys on to another big victory!

Come On You Dockers!

My man of the match (aka, the controversial part): Lee Robinson. His two goals aside, this was undoubtedly the best Robbo has played for ages, looking sharp from the start and constantly causing the Uckfield defence all manner of problems. A great afternoon’s work from Newhaven’s all-time leading scorer.

After the match, Reuben caught up with Newhaven’s MOM to ask for his thoughts on a good afternoon’s work…