Dockers find visitors too much to Deal with

Newhaven 1 Deal Town 4, FA Vase Round 2

The road to Wembley is over for another season.

I’ve made no secret of my personal desire to see Newhaven have a run in the FA Vase one day. 

Alas, that day is still yet to arrive. 

And, in fairness, it never really looked like arriving yesterday, as SCEFL side Deal Town comprehensively outplayed the off-key Dockers.

There were shades of last week’s match against Haywards Heath in the early exchanges of yesterday’s encounter, as Newhaven were slow out of the blocks, allowing their opponents to get on top right from the get-go.

Unfortunately, unlike last week, where Newhaven wrestled back control the longer the game went on, they never really threatened to do so against Deal.

The visitors had already gone close on a couple of occasions when they eventually took the lead in the 21^st minute through a Ben Chapman header.

The Kent side had made no secret of the fact they weren’t scared of getting the ball into the box at every opportunity and the truth is we struggled to compete aerially throughout the match.

In fairness, there may have been a hand in Robbie Keith’s back that would maybe have been penalised on another day, but it was hard – actually, impossible – to argue that the visitors weren’t worthy of their lead.

The Dockers tried to hit back and Josh Tuck headed a half-chance over from a corner just before the half-hour mark.

However, when the same player succumbed to a niggly injury a few minutes later, Newhaven’s already tough-looking afternoon started to look a lot tougher. The one thing you certainly don’t want to see against a team obviously so proficient in the air is one of your centre-backs – and one of the team’s best headers of the ball – going off.

Within five minutes, Deal had doubled their lead. Once again, the goal came from a header; this time courtesy of Tom Chapman.

Some brilliant play down the left led to a peach of a cross being delivered that was met by an equally good header. To be honest, from where I – and a few others were standing – it looked as though the ball might have gone out of play in the build-up, but the assistant (who admittedly had a better vantage point than me) waved play on, and Newhaven were facing an uphill struggle.

Shortly before half-time, Alfie Rogers went close with a good effort from just inside the area, before Paul Woods then tipped a Deal shot that had looked destined for the top corner over the bar.

Not for the first time this season, Dockers fans hoped that some half-time words of wisdom from the coaching staff would see the boys deliver a stirring second half. 

Alas, they can't do it every week. Just 17-seconds into the second-half the game was effectively up. Again, some really good build up play from Deal, this time down the right, tore Newhaven apart, culminating in Rory Smith tapping-in the visitor’s third.

When Deal added a fourth five minutes later – again through Smith – the Newhaven faithful were starting to fear the worst. Having dished out a few good hidings over the past couple of seasons, it appeared as though we may be the recepients of one here.

However, from that moment on, Newhaven did start to grow into the game; no doubt aided by Deal just slightly releasing their collective foot from the throttle.

Alfie Rogers had a close-range shot blocked following good combination play by the Robinson brothers, while Callum Edwards had a shot well saved and another deflected inches wide.

With 17 minutes remaining, the Dockers did snatch a consolation, after Bailie Rogers’ cross-shot was blocked and deflected into the path of Edwards who made no mistake from close-range.

An unlikely stirring late fightback never really felt on the cards, though. 

While sub Fin Agnihotri did force the Deal keeper into another smart save late on, Deal continued to look a threat and one feels they had another gear to go up had they really needed to.

So, all in all, a disappointing afternoon for the Dockers with too many (most in fact) players having off days. 

Even had they all been on it – as they had been in the second-half against Haywards Heath – then they probably would have still struggled to get a result. Make no mistake, Deal were decent.

Sometimes you just have to accept (no matter how much it may hurt) that you were beaten by the better side on the day. This was definitely one of those occasions.

That said, while an FA Vase run would have been great (please, one day), the main priority undoubtedly remains promotion.

Next week we have a chance to bounce back from this disappointment with a home match (yes, another one! That’s seven on the spin) against Horsham YMCA. Having drawn 1-1 there on the opening day of the season, albeit having been down to ten men for three-quarters of that match, three points is far from a foregone conclusion. However, you feel that they're essential if we want to stay among the front-runners.

Especially as the two games following that match couldn’t be much tougher, as we face the two teams currently sandwiching us in the table; third place Steyning away on 25^th November and then leaders Crowborough at Fort Road on 2^nd December.

A mightily important few weeks lay ahead. Your support, as ever, will be much appreciated.

Come On You Dockers!

My man of the match (aka, the controversial part): Too tough to choose. No one really stood out in what was an overall disappointing team performance.