Play-off final here we come!!!!

Crowborough Athletic 1 Newhaven 1 (Newhaven win 5-3 on penalties), SCFL Premier Division Play-off semi-final

Sometimes I love watching football.

Sometimes I absolutely hate watching football.

It’s not unusual (it’s fairly common, in fact) for me to feel both of these contrasting emotions at the exact same time.

Last night’s game was very much one of those occasions.

A Tuesday-night trip to Crowborough was never going to be easy. Especially on the back of a mixed run of form and two back-to-back heavy defeats.

From our two league games against The Crows (almost three seeing as one game was abandoned after 80 minutes - we don't like to talk about that, though) it was clear there was very little to separate the two sides. The Dockers will have known exactly what to expect. A physical game with lots of balls being pumped high into the box.

Tiki-taka certainly hasn’t made its way to North Sussex just yet.

After Saturday’s disappointment at Hassocks, Newhaven needed a fast start to banish any memories that may have been lingering from that defeat.

We got it. Newhaven started the game by far the brighter of the two teams, and created the first chance inside the opening two minutes. Alfie Rogers’ Crossfield ball found Rob Malila, but he could only shoot over from a difficult angle.

In the early exchanges, Newhaven coped well with The Crow’s aerial bombardment and continued to enjoy most of the early pressure.

Ryan Warwick, making a timely return from injury, had a snapshot deflected just wide in the 20^th minutes as the Dockers continued to press. From the resulting corner, Crowborough could only half clear their lines, the ball fell to Robbie Keith and his half-volley seemed to take an age before it bounced off the far post and crossed the line to give Newhaven a deserved early lead.

Malila then had another half chance, but his header went over.

With half-an-hour gone, bar a couple of set-pieces, Crowborough had barely threatened. However, on 32 minutes they were level. A scramble in the area was eventually turned home from close-range by Will Puffette, despite protests that Jake Buss had the ball in his hands.

It was to be the last significant goalmouth action of the first-half, as both teams seemed content not to give anything away before half-time and thereby spent the remaining 15-minutes cancelling each other out.

The second-half brought about a very different game from the first as Crowborough’s direct style started to cause Newhaven some real problems. 

The Crows started to win the second balls with far more regularity than they had in the first, and began to succeed in pegging the Dockers back for lengthy periods.

Twice in the opening five minutes of the restart, the hosts squandered chances to take the lead. First, Newhaven somehow survived an almighty goalmouth scramble as the Crows failed to force the ball over the line. Then, Jake Buss made the first of what was to become numerous fine saves, to keep the scores level.

To be honest, for quite a while, not an awful lot happened in the way of goalmouth action. However, with the game largely being played in Crowborough’s attacking half, Newhaven’s defence, marshalled brilliantly by Keith, was having to dig deep to keep Athletic at bay.

With just over ten minutes left to play, Keith made a brilliant last-ditch tackle to deny a Crowborough player what looked to be a certain tap-in, before minutes later Bailie Rogers shot wide from long-range, picking up an injury in the process.

With the prospect of penalties looming, the pendulum began to swing very much in Crowborough’s favour.

The last five or six minutes was like the Alamo as The Crows threw absolutely everything at Newhaven in an attempt to find a winner in normal time.

Step forward Mr Jake Buss who in injury-time made three frankly unbelievable saves (the first of which mere words could never do justice to) to ensure Newhaven took the game to the lottery of a penalty shoot-out.

With nerves jangling all around the ground, leaving many in the crowd unable to watch (I would have been one of them were it not for having to update Twitter with what was happening!) it was the Newhaven penalty takers who kept their cool.

Alfie Rogers and Lee Robinson confidently scored our first two penalties, with The Crows responding in kind (although there was a huge slice of luck on the second with their player slipping as he kicked it).

Ryan Warwick audaciously crashed his penalty into the top corner, before Buss saved The Crows third penalty (I’m not sure it would have crossed the line anyway, so woefully was it hit).

Luke Donaldson hammered home our advantage, while Crowborough kept the game alive by scoring their fourth, leaving it to Callum Edwards for a chance to win it. Cal was the coolest man at the ground as he nonchalantly sent the keeper the wrong way from a two-step run-up to send the Dockers fans wild.

It was harsh on Crowborough (it’s a horrible way to lose – although, conversely, a brilliant way to win) who will still be wondering this morning quite how Buss had stopped them from winning the match in injury-time.

Still, it doesn’t matter how you win these games, just so long as you do!

So we move onto Sunday. A trip to Eastbourne Town for a place in unchartered territory. The South East Division of the Isthmian League. A higher level than what the Dockers have ever played at before.

Standing in their way, though, is a Town team who have been on a scarcely unbelievable run since the turn of the year. Since New Years Day they have won 14 of their 16 league games, losing just once. That includes a big win over us back in February.

Town will undoubtedly start the game as hot favourites, but don’t rule out the Dockers. There's more than enough talent in this squad to beat anyone in a one-off game.

We’re 90 minutes from capping off a brilliant season in the best way possible. Keep the belief, get to The Saffrons on Sunday afternoon (3pm kick-off) and help roar the boys over the line.

Let’s do this.

Come On You Dockers!

My man of the match (aka, the controversial part): Jake Buss. Not sure this will be that controversial, to be honest. For much of the match, Robbie Keith looked a shoo-in for this award, but Buss’ string of saves in injury-time are the sole reason that we are still in with a chance of promotion. Keep your eyes peeled on our social channels for the Veo footage. It’ll be worth it!