Superb second-half sets-up stunning victory

 Newhaven 3 Haywards Heath 2, SCFL Premier Division match #15

After a relatively kind start to the league season fixture-wise, the Dockers are currently in a run of fixtures that you can’t help but feel will really shape the season, with matches against fellow promotion contenders coming thick and fast.

Yesterday’s visit of Haywards Heath was arguably the toughest-looking match on paper that Newhaven have had to date.

Having been surprisingly relegated from the Isthmian league last season, Heath were many people’s tips for this year’s title. And while their early-season form has been mixed, a recent change in manager, along with a couple of big-name signings, have ignited belief that, despite their current seventh-place position, Haywards Heath remain the team to beat.

Judging by the early exchanges of yesterday’s game they certainly looked like it.

The visitors took lead after less than a minute. Charlie Pitcher did well down the left and his low-cross was turned in at the far post by JJ Minty.

Newhaven were shell-shocked.

For the next few minutes, the visitors looked like creating an opportunity whenever they went forward. A long afternoon appeared on the cards.

Fortunately, within ten minutes the Dockers got a goal which settled them.

A few seasons ago, an Alfie Rogers free-kick from just outside the area was almost a guaranteed goal. That hasn’t necessarily been the case in the past two seasons. Fortunately, yesterday was the day Newhaven’s talisman rediscovered his set-piece form, curling a low effort into the bottom corner past the outstretched arm of Heath keeper Alfie Jones (hmmm that name sounds familiar somehow? Click on it to find out why 😉).

The goal settled the Dockers and knocked Heath off their stride somewhat. As good as they looked going forwards, there did appear to be some frailties in their defensive line. Ones Newhaven were keen to exploit.

It was the Dockers who next went closest to scoring, when Josh Tuck’s header from a corner went inches wide of the post. Bailie Rogers then headed over from another corner as the hosts pushed to get themselves in front.

Then disaster struck. On the half-hour mark, having worked so hard to get a foothold in the game, The Dockers needlessly gave Heath a goal. Tuck and young keeper Dan Gibson got into a mess trying to play their way out from the back, Gibson was dispossessed and Minty had the simple task of tapping into an open goal to put the visitors back in front.

Once again, momentum in the game completely swung. Haywards Heath had rediscovered their early verve. Newhaven were hanging on.

Were it not for a fingertip save from Gibson, and a truly astonishing miss from Pitcher, the game could have been dead and buried by half-time.

Newhaven needed to get to half-time just the solitary goal behind. They managed it. Just.

Now I’ve heard several reports that there may have been some shouting – possibly even some coarse language – used during the interval in a bid to motivate the Dockers.

Whatever was said clearly worked. As the did the two half-time substitutions – Max Vardy and Ryan Warwick being introduced – and the change in shape.

Newhaven came out firing at the start of the second-half.

In the 52nd minute, Alfie went close to grabbing a second, stepping inside only to see his low shot deflected just wide.

It didn’t matter. From the resulting corner, Heath failed to clear their lines and Vardy arrived at the far post to tap the Dockers level.

Suddenly, the atmosphere inside Fort Road was electric. For the first time in the match, Haywards Heath’s band of singing fans (who went a large way to creating a good atmosphere, it has to be said) fell silent. There was overwhelming positivity emanating from the Fort Road stands, and the players responded brilliantly to it.

Newhaven were now starting to see more of the ball and pushing the visitors further and further back.

That said, they still looked a threat on the break and Gibson did well to smother another shot when a visiting player broke through one-on-one.

With 20 minutes left, came a potentially game-changing moment. Alfie Rogers was sin-binned for apparently throwing the ball away – even though a Haywards Heath player appeared to have smacked it out of his hands.

With the Dockers down to ten for ten minutes, surely it was all about hanging on until we were back to our full compliment of players.

Or not.

Rogers had barely sat down on the bench when Lee Robinson did really well to hold up the ball, lay it into the path of Warwick, who did the rest, unleashing a rocket from 25 yards that undoubtedly matched the one the players had been given at half-time. You’ll want to keep your eye on our social media channels for that one!

With just under 20 minutes of normal time remaining – it was closer to half-an-hour by the time an extortionate amount of injury time had been played – the game was far from done. And, remember, Newhaven were still a player down for the next nine or so minutes.

Yet, one good chance aside, that Gibson once again did really well to save, the visitors never really looked like scoring.

In fact, once the Dockers were back to 11, they looked fairly comfortable. 

Indeed- it was the hosts who had the two best chanced late on. Lee Robinson unluckily lobbed an effort just wide, before Luca Page was just off target after running with the ball from inside his own half.

With the rain absolutely lashing down, the referee finally brought a halt to proceedings just before the 100^th minute. The Dockers players left the pitch to a rapturous ovation from the stands, having fully deserved the three-points against what are, it has to be said, a very good team.

It’s up to second now for the Dockers and, if they can find a way to replicate the second-half performance on a regular basis, then there’s little doubt that we’ll be there or thereabouts come May.

It’s a break from league action next weekend as we welcome Deal Town from the SCEFL Premier in the Second Round of the FA Vase. The final of which is, of course, held at Wembley…

It’s back to league action the following week, with ANOTHER home match, this time against Horsham YMCA, before we finish the month with two mammoth league encounters with the teams currently either side of us in the league: Steyning (away) and Crowborough (home).

A season-defining month could well be on the cards.

Your support at all these games would be massively appreciated.

Come On You Dockers.

My man of the match (aka, the controversial part): The team. This time last week I couldn’t decide due to the fact everyone had had an off game. This week, it’s for the exact opposite reason. Everyone was fantastic (especially in the second half), from Gibson making important saves in goal, to Lee Robinson’s tireless work up front, to the management team getting every decision spot-on. A cop-out, I know (but I don’t care). This was the epitome of a team performance.

After the match, Reuben spoke to one of the team’s many heroes, Ryan Blunt, regarding his thoughts on the game…