Advantage Broadbridge Heath, but it’s far from over yet

Broadbridge Heath 1 Newhaven 1, SCFL Premier Division match #32

While this afternoon’s clash between the top two sides in the SCFL Premier Division was far from a definitive title decider – third-placed Crawley Down Gatwick will still have something to say about that – a defeat for Newhaven would probably have all but eliminated them from the race.

With Heath grabbing a late winner at Loxwood in midweek to move ahead of the Dockers by one-point with a game in hand, the destiny of the title is now fully in The Bear’s hands.

Even a win for the Dockers in West Sussex this afternoon would not have changed that fact. Even had Newhaven won this huge encounter, they would still have been reliant on other teams doing them a favour as the season reaches its final stretch.

Having played each other twice already this season – and having won one game apiece; Heath in the league, Newhaven in the Cup – the scene was set for an enthralling, not to mention hugely nerve-wracking, afternoon of football. For both sets of supporters in what was a decent-sized crowd; once again Newhaven fans travelled in numbers – which was great to see.

After a fairly cagey opening period, it was the Dockers who carved out the first decent opportunity of the afternoon. Harry Reed found space in the area but could only send his low effort just wide of the far post.

From that moment on, though, Heath gradually began to grab control of the match; their direct style causing the Dockers a number of problems.

Were it not for a frankly unbelievable save from Jake Buss, The Bears would have been 1-0 up inside the opening 15 minutes. Even now, I’m still not quite sure how the Dockers custodian managed to scramble his way across the goal in time to keep the Heath player’s admittedly scuffed shot from crossing the line.

A few minutes later, the Docker’s defence were indebted to the woodwork for keeping the scores level; a glancing header beating Buss but striking the angle of the goal.

Newhaven were finding it difficult to get going, unable to string more than three or four consecutive passes together. While it would be remiss to say that the hosts were absolutely peppering the Newhaven goal with shots, they certainly looked the more likely side to open the scoring.

With half-time approaching, Newhaven getting to the interval with the scores level would have been something of a morale-boost for the visiting side.

As it was, they would actually reach the interval in-front.

For one of the first times in the match, the Dockers put together a decent passing move which culminated with Reed being fouled out wide.

From the free-kick, Lukas Franzen-Jones floated a quite delicious ball onto the head of Jack Meeres who made no mistake to give the Dockers the lead. A real smash and grab at the end of the half.

It’s fair to say that Broadbridge Heath would have been hugely disappointed to concede – and not just because they’d been the better side. Heath are a big side and will undoubtedly feel annoyed to have conceded from a set-piece when they enjoyed a sizable height advantage over their opponents.

Within minutes of the restart, the Dockers should have had a second. Again it was a brilliant Franzen-Jones set-piece that caused the problems. This time from a corner. However, not one Newhaven player seemed to read the flight of the ball, and it evaded everyone when all it would have needed was the slightest touch to take it over the line and into the net. It almost ended up in there anyway direct from the corner.

From there, the familiar pattern of the first-half emerged. It was cagey, nervy and while neither side was creating an awful lot, it was The Bears who were looking the more threatening.

As they had done in the latter stages of the cup match of a few weeks ago, the hosts began to serve up an aerial bombardment, with crosses and long-throws continually being pumped into the Newhaven area.

For the most part, though, the Dockers defence held firm. The centre back trio of Meeres, Henry Watson and Bailie Rogers more often than not doing enough to keep the ball away from the danger zone.

In truth, it always felt like Newhaven would need another goal to make sure of the three-points. And so it proved. With ten-minutes left, the Dockers failed to clear their lines from a long-throw and Heath’s Jamie Taylor stooped low to steer a well-placed header into the corner of the net.

Now it was hard to know whether either team would decide to stick or twist. A draw would undoubtedly be a better result for the Bears than it was for the Dockers. But, as mentioned earlier, a win would almost have certainly eliminated their rivals from the title race.

For the Dockers meanwhile, a win would certainly be preferable over a draw – but a loss would be unthinkable. Was it worth the gamble?

With the 90-minutes almost up, a rash two-footed challenge from Heath skipper Ryan Brackpool led to him receiving a straight red card. A challenge that will now cost Heath's towering captain a three-match ban.

With around five-minutes of injury-time still to play, Newhaven decided to gamble and threw on a couple of attacking subs. It was a gamble that so nearly paid off. Twice.

First Lee Robinson’s instinctive effort was charged down by someone in the midst of a goalmouth scramble – whether that someone was wearing a red or blue shirt it was impossible to say.

Then, the Dockers came within a whisker of snatching a vital three-points. Watson strode forward, wasn’t closed down and unleashed a thunderbolt of a strike that cannoned off the crossbar and out of reach of all the waiting Dockers players. It really was some effort. An inch lower and Newhaven would have been celebrating a vital three-points.

In fairness, it would have been harsh on the hosts. But, then, who cares about fairness at this stage of the season?

It was to be the last opportunity of the match. A draw means it’s definitely now Advantage Broadbridge Heath in the title race. However, a win for Crawley Down at Little Common has now catapulted them well and truly back into contention, too.

Yet, with all three teams facing tricky games between now and the end of the season, there’s still almost certain to be some twists and turns to come in this exciting title race.

Yes, it’s Advantage Broadridge Heath. But it’s far from Game, Set and Match just yet!

The Dockers have a week off next week and aren’t back in action until the 21^st March, when we head to Steyning for the semi-final of the Peter Bentley Cup where Loxwood are the opponents.

The next league action takes place on 25^th March when we travel to Hassocks. With Crawley Down and Broadbridge Heath both in league action before then, some of those aforementioned twists and turns may have already taken place. Let’s hope so!

Come On You Dockers!

My man of the match (aka, the controversial part): Jake Buss. His first-half save really did have to be seen to be believed, while the skipper’s distribution and handling was top-notch all afternoon. He could do nothing to stop The Bears equaliser.