#COYD - Come on You Dockers

AFC Varndeanians 0 Newhaven 5, SCFL Premier Division match #5 It’s been quite a strange nine days for the Dockers. Just over a week ago, they scored six second-half goals to cruise past Spelthorne in the FA Cup Preliminary Round , having fallen behind in the 40 th minute. They then followed this up with an abject display against local-rivals Seaford . Bowing out of the RUR Cup in tame fashion. Then, on Friday night, they were a kick away from suffering their first league defeat of the season, before last-gasp heroics from Jake Buss led to the long-serving goalkeeper becoming a social-media sensation. His 15-minutes of fame are still going strong! The (very) good, the (very) bad, and the (very) unlikely! Who knew what a Bank Holiday Monday morning trip to AFC Varndeanians would bring? Three points, hopefully! Yet, having failed to win away from Fort Road in their opening three matches on the road this season, such an outcome was far from a guarantee. However, from the mome...

Newhaven 1 Little Common 1, SCFL Premier Division match #4 The season may be less than a month old, but last night Little Common paid their second visit to Fort Road in just a few weeks. The original meeting – a 3-1 victory for the Dockers in the Extra Preliminary Round of the FA Cup – featured a Callum Edwards goal that was shared far and wide on social media, even ending up on the competition’s official social media feeds. Well, I think it’s safe to say that a certain strike from last night’s encounter will eclipse that footage and then some.  Jake Buss may well be about to become a social media sensation. But we’ll get to that in good time. Aside from the cup defeat to Newhaven, Common have started the season well, boasting a 100% record from their opening three league games. That confidence was on display in the early stages of last night’s match, as the visitors took the game to their hosts in the early stages. Following on from Tuesday’s humbling defeat at Seaford ,...

Seaford Town 1 Newhaven 0, RUR Cup First Round Most of you, at least those of you of a certain vintage, will have probably heard the phrase “After the Lord Mayor’s Show’ before. It’s often said following a disappointing or mundane event occurring straight after an exciting, magnificent, or triumphant event.  Therefore, Newhaven’s visit to Seaford last night can very much be described as having the feel of being ‘after the Lord Mayor’s Show’ about it. In theory, a local derby against lower division Seaford – I’m going to resist the urge to refer to them as The Harriers – should have been the ideal opportunity for the Dockers to build on their impressive performance in the FA Cup of Saturday . Especially given that our neighbours had humbled us 4-2 in our own backyard during pre-season. But that was only a friendly. Surely a competitive match would yield a different outcome. Wouldn’t it? Unfortunately (for us), Newhaven never really going at The Crouch, in the ope...

Newhaven 7 Spelthorne Sports 1, FA Cup Preliminary Round Man had yet to step foot on the Moon the last time Newhaven made it through the Preliminary Rounds of the FA Cup. It’s been 61 long years since the Dockers successfully navigated their way to the First Qualifying Round of the world’s oldest cup tournament (thanks @FACupFactfile). Standing in the way of them reaching the promised land this year was Spelthorne Sports. The Combined Counties Premier South side had started their league season, much like Newhaven, with two draws. They’d also narrowly beaten Loxwood in the previous round of the cup. Other than that, not much was known about the team from Surrey. They were to us – as I’m sure we were to them – something of an unknown quantity. The early stages of yesterday’s match reflected this, with both sides taking their time to get going as they slowly sussed one another out. It was the Dockers who produced the game’s first two chances when they hit the woodwork twice in t...

Newhaven 4 Crawley Down Gatwick 2, SCFL Premier Division match #3 After two away draws to start the league season, Newhaven were hoping that their first home game of the new SCFL campaign would bring with it a much-needed three points. Yet, in Crawley Down Gatwick, three-points were far from a guarantee. This is a team who only missed out on promotion to the Isthmian league in a play-off last season, and beat Newhaven twice enroute to finishing second. However, like the Dockers, the Anvils have not hit the ground running this time out. Their opening three matches had yielded just one win, with defeats in the other two. Both teams went into this game needing a victory to really get their season going. Last season’s meetings with Crawley Down were both quite tight, cagey affairs. Last night’s encounter was anything but. Both teams had a good chance to go ahead in the opening five minutes. First, Ryan Warwick’s goal-bound shot was deflected inches wide for the Dockers, before ...

Midhurst and Easebourne 1 Newhaven FC 1, SCFL Premier Division match #2 Newhaven made the long trip west to Midhurst this afternoon, hopeful of bagging their first league win of the fledgling season. Having picked up their first win of the campaign last weekend, courtesy of a 3-1 win over Little Common in the Extra Preliminary Round of the FA Cup (sorry, I was on holiday, hence no report on that game), the Dockers were quietly confident of extending their unbeaten start to the season. However, Midhurst's Rotherfield ground is never the easiest place to go. With a sloping pitch and a physical approach, it was Midhurst’s home form that was largely responsible for helping them keep comfortably clear of the relegation battle last term. In fact, the Dockers twice had to come from behind last season in order to secure an, at the time, vital three-points. Simply put, this was never going to be an easy game. That much became abundantly clear early on, with Midhurst’s direct style c...