Penalty joy as Dockers progress in the Vase

Newhaven 1 Sporting Bengal United 1 (Newhaven win 4-2 on penalties), FA Vase Round 1

I’ve never made any secret of my enjoyment of the FA Vase.

It’s a competition that offers teams at this level a realistic chance of a shot at Wembley, as proven by fellow Sussex club Littlehampton a couple of years ago; while near neighbours Peacehaven enjoyed a run to the quarter-finals last time out.

Alas, it’s also a competition that Newhaven have struggled in during the past two seasons, having failed to make it out of the preliminary stages.

Have successfully navigated the preliminaries this year by beating Rusthall, their reward was a tricky looking home tie against Sporting Bengal United. A team currently sitting third in the Essex Senior league – a division equivalent in level to our own.

After a typically cagey opening between two teams with little knowledge of each other, Newhaven felt they should have had a penalty in the 11^th minute when Demas Ramsis appeared to be caught by the Bengal keeper having reached the ball slightly ahead of him, only for the ref – and his assistant – to wave the appeals away.

Four minutes later, the Dockers created the first real opening of the match. Ramsis heading Ryan Warwick’s cross narrowly over the bar.

In the 22^nd minute, though, Newhaven’s positive start was rewarded with the opening goal. Harry Reed left his marker with twisted blood as he did brilliantly down the right. His cross landed at the feet of the returning Callum Edwards, who may not have got the cleanest strike away, but did enough to send Newhaven into a deserved lead.

Sporting Bengal responded well, however, and were it not for a superb Jake Buss save, would have found themselves level less than five minutes later.

With the Dockers clearly content to get to the interval ahead, it looked as though this was exactly what would happen. Then, right on half-time, Sporting looked to have equalised, only for the as ever outstanding Ryan Blunt to brilliantly hack a goalbound effort off the line.

Newhaven came out for the start of the second-half looking to put the game to bed. And, in the opening ten minutes of the second-half, they really should have done so.

Warwick forced a double save from the Sporting goalkeeper, before the same player saw a curling effort crash off the crossbar. Lee Robinson – on for the injured Ramsis – could only wastefully blaze the rebound over the crossbar.

There was a feeling that these chances could come back to haunt the Dockers… and so it proved.

Just two minutes after Robinson’s missed opportunity, Sporting Bengal made them pay. Buss did brilliantly to stop the first effort, but could do little to prevent the follow-up from hitting the back of the net.

Less than a minute later, the Dockers could have regained the lead. Once again, though, they were guilty of profligate finishing, with Edwards this time clearing the crossbar when well placed.

With 25 minutes remaining, came what many felt would be the defining moment of the match. A nasty-looking injury to Buss, meant that legendary veteran striker Ryan Walton would be required to perform a fairly lengthy stint between the sticks. Fingers-crossed Buss' injury isn't as bad as feared!

Bengal sensed blood and, understandably, began looking to test Walton at every conceivable opportunity.

The makeshift goalkeeper, though, stood firm. Dealing confidently with every ball into the box, and making a couple of superb saves that Buss himself would have been more than proud of.

With both teams looking to avoid the lottery of penalties, the game began to swing from end to end.

As the game entered its first minute of injury time, Edwards saw another effort well charged down from just inside the penalty area, when he seemed well placed to score.

Moments later, Walton produced another fine save to pluck a deflected effort away from the top corner.

Thirteen minutes of injury-time could not separate the two sides, though, and the game headed to penalties. Arguably not what the Dockers will have wanted with a striker in goal.

However, they were handed an immediate boost in the shoot-out when Bengal blasted their first penalty wide of the target.

Walton then showed his prowess at the other end of the pitch by confidently dispatching Newhaven’s first penalty, before Sporting responded in kind.

Lee Robinson then confidently made it two for two for the Dockers, before Sporting’s next penalty taker cleared the crossbar with an effort a rugby kicker (possibly not where they’re actually called… who cares!) would have been proud of.

Toby Reeder kept up Newhaven’s 100 per cent record from the spot (just), to make it 3-1 after three penalties apiece and place the Dockers firmly in control. 

Sporting scored to keep the tie just about alive, leaving it for Ian Robinson to absolutely hammer his spot kick home and send Newhaven into the Second Round Proper of the Vase.

In fairness, it was a nip and tuck game that could have easily gone either way; both teams had decent claims to state they deserved victory. Ultimately (thankfully) it was the Dockers who prevailed and who find themselves in the hat for Monday lunchtime’s draw. Keep an eye on our social media channels to discover who we get.

This was the second of five consecutive home games for Newhaven. Next Saturday, sees the third, as we take on fifth-placed Hassocks in a crucial league game. After that comes a midweek Peter Bentley Cup match against Pagham, before the run-of -five home games (Vase draw dependant) concludes with another tough-looking league clash with Haywards Heath on 4^th November.

Your support at any – or, even better, all – of these fixtures will be much appreciated. We hope to see you at Fort Road.

Come On You Dockers!  

My man of the match (aka, the controversial part): Rob Malila. This was tough – and will split opinion. The award could just as easily have gone to Ryan Blunt or Ryan Warwick, who were both superb; while Ryan Walton was equally heroic in his brief cameo. Buss also made a number of good saves that got have seen him get the nod. For me, though, Malila was brilliant from start to finish. Centre back is arguably not his favoured position, but you wouldn’t have known it on this performance; solid throughout, a threat carrying the ball out of defence; a very good performance.

After the match, Reuben caught up with the man who was definitely the hero of the match, Ryan Walton, to discuss his goalkeeping heroics.