Promising signs as Dockers see off Shoreham

Newhaven 6 Shoreham 1, SCFL Premier Division match #8

Having huffed and puffed their way to three points in the Loxwood heat last weekend, Newhaven went into Saturday’s fixture at home to Shoreham looking to record back-to-back league wins for the first time this season.

In theory, this match provided Newhaven the prefect opportunity to exactly this. Shoreham have found life tough following promotion last season, with just one-point to their name after their opening eight games.

However, a midweek managerial change at Middle Road will have left the Dockers wary of the new manager bounce that so many teams seem to enjoy.

Yet from the early stages, a shock result never really appeared to be on the cards here.

Right from the off, the Dockers controlled the game, albeit without looking overly threatening for most of the first-half.

While there was a fairly steady procession of shots aimed towards the Shoreham goal, most of those shots ended up going straight at the visiting ‘keeper.

Billy Barker then had a long-range effort that drifted just high-and-wide. 

Yet, after half-an-hour for all their possession and territorial advantage, the Dockers, hadn’t really created a clear-cut chance.

With Shoreham sitting deep and not really committing too many men forward, Newhaven never really appeared in any danger of being punished for failing to capitalise on their superiority; although a couple of Shoreham corners in quick succession did at least remind the Dockers that they had to maintain concentration.

Ten minutes before half-time, Newhaven got the breakthrough that they had been threatening – without really threatening; if that makes sense?

A quick free-kick sent Ian Robinson scampering down the right. When his pull back landed at the feet of Ryan Warwick, the midfielder’s shot appeared to be going in, before the slightest of touches from striker extraordinaire Lee Robinson made sure it flew past the 'keeper. 

A case of being in the right place at the right time… although Warwick may not share this view!

Half-time was reached without any further incidents occurring.

The consensus round the ground during the interval was that while the Dockers were looking fairly comfortable, a one-goal advantage was not enough for the hosts to rest on their laurels. They needed to kill off the game. The sooner the better.

Eight minutes into the second-half they appeared to go some way towards doing just that.

Not for the last time in the match, an Alfie Rogers corner caused havoc in the Shoreham defence. Owen Muller headed the ball down, and left-back Max Vardy reacted quickest to prod the Dockers into a two-goal lead.

This should have been the building-block Newhaven needed to move on to bigger and better things.

However, within sixty seconds Shoreham had a goal back. This time it was Newhaven who made a hash of dealing with a corner. The ball landed at the feet of former Docker Alex Patching who promptly reduced the arrears.

Of course, it’s never nice to concede – especially a needless, scrappy goal – but if anyone was going to score for Shoreham I’m glad it was ‘Patch’, who remains a popular figure at Fort Road following his goalscoring exploits in the Under 18s and 23s last season.

Fortunately, it didn’t take Newhaven long to re-establish some daylight between themselves and their opponents.

Just five minutes, in fact. More sloppy marking, again from a corner, gave Vardy the opportunity to steal in and add his second of the afternoon with an instinctive finish. The left-back was suddenly on a hat-trick!

The goal knocked the stuffing out of Shoreham and the Dockers were suddenly looking rampant.

On 67 minutes, a marauding run from centre-back Robbie Keith culminated with him laying the ball off to Rogers who finished calmly to end the game as a contest.

Eight minutes later, Keith got himself on the scoresheet, Again Shoreham’s marking from a corner left much to be desired, and Keith took full advantage to head Newhaven 5-1 ahead.

With time running out, Vardy twice went close to grabbing the hat-trick he really did deserve. Only two brave blocks from the Shoreham rear-guard denied the full-back his moment of glory.

Deep in injury time, Patching had a fierce shot from the edge of the area well turned over the bar by Jake Buss – who enjoyed one his quieter 90-minutes of the season.

From the ensuing corner, Shoreham had penalty appeals waved away, Newhaven broke forward quickly, and Rogers teed up 17-year-old debutant Lincoln Shearing who put the icing on the cake with a composed finish.

So, overall, a promising performance from Newhaven – especially the last half-hour when they looked at their free-flowing best.

The scrappy conceded goal aside – a habit we really do need to break – it was a good afternoon’s work from the Dockers.

It was also good to see a number of youngsters involved, with teenagers George Cracknell, Rio Connelly and Lincoln Shearing all seeing some game-time off the bench; and Ryan Blunt, of course, starting.

Tougher tests no doubt await over the coming weeks, but the importance of consecutive wins is not to be sniffed at, even at this fledgling stage of the season.

On Tuesday night, we head to local rivals Saltdean United hoping to extend our winning run to three in a row. With long-time Newhaven assistant Kieran Ridley now the main man in the opposition dug-out, it promises to be an entertaining evening.

Next weekend, we travel to Kent for an FA Vase Second Round Qualifying match against SCEFL-side Rusthall, before returning to Fort Road on Tuesday 26^th September when we begin our defence of the Peter Bentley Cup against Eastbourne Town.

Your support, as ever, is much appreciated.

Come On You Dockers!

My man of the match (aka, the controversial part): Max Vardy. After a brief sojourn away from the club, Vardy has returned to Fort Road looking full of confidence and fully deserved his two goals today, being unfortunate not to grab a hat-trick.

After the match, Reuben spoke to goalscoring sensation Vards to ask for his thoughts on today’s game.