Battling Newhaven Ladies seen off by Worthing

Newhaven 0 Worthing 4, Sussex Women’s Challenge Cup semi-final

Yesterday afternoon, Newhaven Ladies faced what was arguably their toughest test in what has so far been quite a remarkable season.

In addition to having won 14 of their opening 15 league matches, to lead the London & South East Regional Women's Division One South by 14 points, the ladies have also reached the Quarter-final of the League Trophy and, more impressively, the semi-final of the Sussex Women’s Challenge Cup.

Standing in the way of them reaching the final of that particular competition was a very strong Worthing side.

Two divisions higher and pushing for promotion to the National League South Premier Division (they currently sit second behind AFC Wimbledon), Worthing went into the game as overwhelming favourites.

Already battling the odds, Newhaven’s chances of causing a monumental upset weren’t helped during the warm-up, when goalkeeper Annie Hills pulled up injured with a groin problem, meaning attacking player Jamie Quinn had to deputise between the sticks.

From the off, it was clear to see that Newhaven were willing to get women behind the ball and make life as difficult as possible for their talented opponents.

Having survived the opening 15 minutes without affording the visitors too many clear goalscoring opportunities, Worthing took the lead shortly thereafter. Disappointingly for the Dockers, the goal came from a set-piece, with Newhaven switching off at a corner, allowing an unmarked Katie Young to head home from close range.

The pattern of the game continued, with Worthing seeing most of the ball and Newhaven just trying to dig-in and stay within reach of them.

With half-time approaching, the tactics were going to plan. While some wayward Worthing finishing was certainly helping Newhaven contain their opponents, credit also has to go to all of the Dockers players who were making Worthing work hard for their opportunities.

With five minutes to go before half-time, Newhaven even went close to snatching an unlikely equaliser, when the ball glanced off the back of a Worthing defender’s head and narrowly cleared her own cross-bar.

However, with the game in stoppage time at the end of the first-half, Worthing finally found a finishing touch and scored a killer second.

Again, the goal came from a set-piece. This time, Newhaven failed to clear their lines. The ball fell to Tierny Scott just inside the area and she had time and space to pick her spot and rifle the ball past the helpless Quinn.

The second-half was fairly similar to the first. Worthing seeing most of the ball and missing some presentable chances; Newhaven trying to make life as difficult as possible.

That said, it was Newhaven who created perhaps the clearest opening in the first 20-minutes of the second-half. Katie Franks being denied by a good save from the Worthing ‘keeper, before Paige Ripley could only volley a difficult chance from a tight angle over the bar.

Perhaps sensing that the game wasn’t quite done and dusted, Worthing promptly shifted through the gears and on 68 minutes scored a third. If the first two may be viewed as disappointing goals to have given away, there was little that could be done about the third, as a flowing passing move scythed through the Dockers defence, culminating in Scott grabbing her second of the afternoon.

A few more chances came and went for Worthing, as Newhaven desperately tried to stop the scoreline from spiralling out of control.

They looked to have done so until, deep into injury time, former Docker Chloe Winchester grabbed a fourth.

So it wasn’t to be for the Dockers, although there was no disgrace at all in the way they lost to an evidently very strong, organised, talented side.

Worthing now face Saltdean in the final of the competition.

It’s back-to-back trips to Dartford in the next two weeks for the Ladies as they play second-placed Dartford Reserves in a hugely important league clash next week, before facing them again in the League Trophy a week later.

Two wins here and the Dockers will be handily placed for a very exciting – and potentially extremely successful – end to the season.

They are back at Fort Road on Sunday 11^th February when Montpelier Villa (currently fourth in the table) are the visitors. Kick-off is at 2pm and, if you can, get yourself down to the ground and cheer the team on to what will hopefully be another three vital points.

Come On You Dockers!

My player of the match (aka, the controversial part): Ellie Coade. A real battling performance in the heart of midfield. Special mention also to Jamie Quinn who didn’t put a foot wrong in goal and could do nothing about the four she conceded.