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 the space of a minute – both through
headers from corners. First Owen Muller hit the bar, before his centre-back
partner Robbie Keith hit the post with a diving effort.
Yet, in spite of these two chances, Newhaven were struggling
to create much – if anything – from open play. Despite the hosts seeing far more of
the ball, it was the visitors who looked to possess the bigger threat with the
ball over the top.
With half-an-hour played, Spelthorne felt they should have
had a penalty when a long ball released their striker. He took the ball round
Buss, before going to ground adamant that the Newhaven goalkeeper had clipped him.
I must admit, I felt sure the ref was going to blow for a
penalty, only for his assistant to immediately shake his head and
motion that the man in blue had dived; culminating in no penalty being awarded and
the visiting player being booked. It was a let off!
That said, the Dockers will have felt some justice in this decision, as
just prior to the ball being played forward it had clearly crossed the line for
a goal-kick. Well clear to most people…
Look, I’m not going to bash the officials. Without them
there is no game. Suffice to say if you were there yesterday, you know what I’m
referring to… If you weren’t, be thankful.
Ten minutes later Spelthorne’s despair turned to joy.
Another long ball over the top sent Jamie Fuller scampering free, and his
dinked finish over Buss gave Spelthorne the lead. The first time Newhaven have
been behind this season. Was Newhaven’s long Preliminary Round jinx set to strike again?
No, it very much wasn't.
As it was, this goal served to be the wake-up call the hosts
needed.
By half-time they were level. Callum Connor was clumsily
bundled over in the area for a penalty. Up stepped Alfie Rogers and into then
net went the ball.
Parity at the break seemed just about right. Yes, Newhaven
had struck the frame of the goal twice but, aside from that – and the penalty –
they hadn’t really looked like scoring from open play.
My how this changed in the second-half. Exactly what was
said in the home changing room at half-time will probably never be shared with
outsiders. It’s safe to say, though, that whatever it was worked.
The Docker’s came out a completely different team in the second-half. The midfield duo of Ryan Warwick and Ryan Blunt – henceforth known as the Two Ryans – began to dictate the tempo of the game, completely dominating the midfield.
And from that platform, the Dockers went on the rampage.
It took just eight minutes from the restart for Newhaven to
get themselves in front.
Connor did brilliantly to win the ball in midfield and surge
into the area before pulling the ball across for Ian Robinson to lash home his
first in what was to become some afternoon for the left-winger.
Just after the hour mark, the Dockers were afforded some
breathing room. Blunt’s ball into the box found Robinson in acres of space, and
he turned and powered the ball past the Spelthorne goalkeeper to put Newhaven
3-1 up.
Suddenly, Spelthorne looked rattled. Their players were
arguing with each other and (most of) those watching just started to get the sense that one
more goal would be enough to put the game to bed.
That fourth goal wasn’t long in arriving. Once again, Little
Robbo was involved.
Warwick’s sublime ball over the top sent the winger through on goal, and although the Spelly keeper denied him his
hat-trick (for now) Connor lofted home the rebound, which seemed to hang and spin
in the air for an age before finally hitting the back of the net.
Robinson didn’t have to wait too long to secure his
hat-trick. With 15 minutes left to play, good work from Bailie Rogers down the
left culminated with brother Alfie laying the ball back into the path of
Robinson who gleefully dispatched the ball for his hat-trick.
He now becomes the second Dockers player to bag a hattie in
the FA Cup already this season, after Callum Edwards’ treble sunk Little Common
in the previous round. If we keep doing that in every round than we’re bound to
win it, right?
Anyway, Newhaven’s scoring hadn’t finished yet. And neither
had Robinsons. With 11 minutes still to play, the winger grabbed his fourth of
the match – of the half! – latching onto substitute Sean Stephenson’s through
ball before beating the shellshocked Spelly keeper.
Spelthorne did threaten to get one goal back, only for Buss
to deny the visitors a late consolation with a good save.
It was the Dockers, though, who rounded off the scoring with
a couple of minutes remaining. Spelthorne, it has to be said, seemed to largely
have downed tools by this point. Stephenson was again the architect of the
goal, bursting through the middle and seeming to certain to score himself,
before playing a sublime reverse pass into the path of Alfie Rogers who had the
simple task of nabbing Newhaven’s seventh from close-range.
The Preliminary Round hoo-doo had been well and truly broken,
thanks to one of the best 45-minute team displays I’ve seen for a while.
Yes, we had big wins last season. But this seemed different somehow.
Spelthorne were no mugs. They could have easily gone into half-time in the lead.
Yet the tantalising football produced by the Dockers in the second-half simply
blew them away. Long may it continue.
For the first time in 61 years, the Dockers will wait to
have their number pulled off the hat in the First Round Qualifying draw. Exciting
times at Fort Road.
Hopefully, Newhaven can take this form into Tuesday night’s
RUR Cup match at the Crouch, where they will be looking to avenge a pre-season
defeat against local rivals Seaford Town.
We then have a league match on Friday evening when Little
Common visit Fort Road for the second time this month, before rounding off the
Bank Holiday weekend with a trip to the Withdean Stadium on Monday for an 11am
kick-off against AFC Varndeanians.
It would be great to see you at as many of these games as possible.
Come On You Dockers!
My man of the match (aka, the controversial part): Ian Robinson. An unlikely candidate at half-time, but take nothing away from Little Robbo’s explosive second-half salvo, which saw him score four goals and be involved in the other two. 45-minutes don’t come much better,
After the game, Reuben caught up with Ian Robinson in an attempt to find out what was said in the changing room at half-time…
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