Sluggish start but Dockers progress to cup semi-final

 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 more like being an excruciatingly long 90-minutes. The Dockers simply weren’t at the races. Broadbridge Heath were dominant… and already in front.

In fact, the hosts could have been a goal-up within the first two minutes after Newhaven managed to make a hash of clearing the ball, only for Jake Buss to bail them out with a good save.

Jack Meeres then missed a great chance to put the Dockers ahead when he failed to make proper contact with an inviting ball to the back post, allowing the Heath keeper to claw the ball off the line.

It would have been a goal very much against the run of play, though. The Bears deservedly took the lead a minute or so later. Louis Evans was afforded far too much time to get his shot away, but take nothing away from the finish, which was rifled into the top corner, leaving Buss with no chance.

At this point, it seemed like Heath would create an opportunity every time they went forward. Newhaven were lethargic, every player a yard or two off the required pace. Passes were constantly being misplaced... and the Bears looked primed to take advantage.

After about 25 minutes, Newhaven finally started to settle and see more of the ball. While they weren’t exactly banging on the door, threatening to equalise, the hosts were no longer bossing proceedings and the game entered a fairly non-descript period where nothing much happened.

This all changed as half-time approached. Lukas Franzen-Jones was hauled down just outside the area when he would have been clear through on goal. It was a professional foul. One that denied a certain goalscoring opportunity. A clear red card. No question about it.

Now, I know this could come across as me looking at the incident through Docker-tinted goggles, but when a vast majority of Broadbridge Heath committee members and fans feel the same way, then it probably tells you that I’m not.

Unbelievably, after needlessly conferring with his assistant, not only did the man in the middle fail to produce a red card, he didn’t even book the offender! Absolutely baffling.

Although, maybe we shouldn’t be that surprised. After all, as was proved in the Premier League over the weekend, officials are failing to make the right decisions even after viewing incidents on videos countless times from various different angles! No one would say it’s easy being a ref… but they really don’t help themselves, do they?

Anyway, from the subsequent free-kick, Charlie Bennett blazed his effort high over the crossbar.

The incident, while frustrating, did seem to galvanise Newhaven who finished the half strongly. Henry Watson, playing in midfield instead of defence, probably should have done better with a header in first-half stoppage time, but could only divert the ball wide of the post.

Still, it was hard to argue against the fact that Broadbridge Heath deserved to be heading to the changing rooms in front. Controversy aside, they had been the better side overall.

The second-half, though, was to be a completely different affair. At least the first 35 minutes of it. It was as though a completely different Dockers side had retaken to the West Sussex turf.

Gone was the lethargy that had dogged the opening 45-minutes. In its place was a performance full of energy, verve and attacking intent, driven on by the ever-inspirational Watson. Broadbridge Heath’s defence simply couldn’t cope with it.

The equaliser arrived within five minutes of the restart. Demas Ramsis did brilliantly to chase down what appeared to be a lost cause, forcing the goalkeeper into a block he probably hadn’t been expecting to have to make. The ball popped up into the air where Bennett was first to react and he promptly prodded the ball into the net to the delight of the ever-sizable visiting contingent.

As Newhaven continued to flood forward, the hosts seemed to forget everything they’d been doing well in the first half and reverted to a hoof it anywhere approach. This style had been Newhaven’s undoing in a league match against Bexhill a few weeks ago. Last night, though, the Dockers stood tall and, for a while at least, continued to dominate.

On the hour, they grabbed what turned out to be the winning goal. The Heath defence failed to fully clear a corner and after more good work from Ramsis, the ball ended up at the far post where Meeres scored from about the same sort of range that he’d missed his earlier opportunity. Cue wild celebrations. On and off the pitch.

At this point, it seemed to be a case of how many Newhaven would score. Chances started to be created at fairly regular intervals as the Bears seemed to have run out of steam.

However, with what would I’m sure have proved to be the killer third goal eluding Newhaven, the hosts started to regain some belief.

The last ten minutes of the match was like the Alamo. The Bears threw the proverbial kitchen sink at their visitors. Their goalkeeper spent practically the last five minutes playing up-front – and nearly even scored a late, late equaliser.

Yet Newhaven’s defence held firm… just about… displaying a steeliness and grit which has deserted them at times in big games this season. It wasn’t a pretty ending to the match (from either side) with the ball not making much contact with the grass in the closing stages, but it was Newhaven who ultimately progressed into the semi-finals, where a match against either Loxwood or Dorking Wanderers Reserves awaits.  

You have to feel that this was big game to win. One that proves that Newhaven can stick-in and win ugly when they need to… even when they’re not at their best for the entire 90 minutes. Hopefully it’s a result that will stand the Dockers in good stead as the season reaches squeaky-bum time.

That makes it three wins in a row for Newhaven. You can find out whether they can make it four by getting down to Fort Road on Saturday, when bottom-of-the-table Roffey are the visitors. Less than 48 hours later, the Dockers will be in action again, this time at the Withdean Stadium against AFC Varndeanians. Your presence at either game (or, even better, both) will be much appreciated!

Come On You Dockers!

My man of the match (aka, the controversial part): Henry Watson. The lynch-pin on whom the Docker’s much-improved second-half was based. Watson constantly drove his team on, leading by example, and was absolutely everywhere in the closing stages, doing his bit and more to ensure that Newhaven got over the line!