Nervy Newhaven cling-on for much-needed win

Newhaven 3 Saltdean 2, SCFL Premier Division match #5

Following Sunday afternoon’s monumental victory in the FA Vase (we’re though, who cares), and subsequent viral social media explosion (which sounds far worse than it is), it was back to the relative normality of league action last night as a fully kitted-up Saltdean visited Fort Road.

With both sides struggling for early season form, it was a game that would give each team a chance to really kick-start their season. The Tigers, given their numerous close connections to the Dockers through their manager and playing staff, will have been well aware that now is as good a time as any to be playing us.

Not that you would have known it given how the first half-an-hour of the match went.

The Dockers started rampantly, playing with the type of confidence and swagger that has so entertained the Fort Road faithful over the past three or four seasons.

They got off to the perfect start when, on just 5 minutes, Lee Robinson raced onto a perfectly-weighted through ball, rounded the keeper, and finished with typical aplomb to give Newhaven the lead.

Soon after, Jake Robinson was denied by a good diving save from the Saltdean stopper. However, it didn’t take Big Robbo (I’m persisting with it till it sticks) long to net Newhaven’s second. And it was quite some strike! Lee did well down the left, managing to shift the ball into the path of his brother just outside the area, and Jake did the rest, smashing the ball into the top corner. Unstoppable.

Two minutes later, Big Robbo thought he had a second courtesy of another scything finish, only to be controversially (and almost certainly wrongly) denied by the assistant’s flag.

Lee was consequently sin-binned for his protestations regarding the decision.

Being reduced to ten men for ten minutes didn’t seem to phase the Dockers in the slightest. No sooner had Lee reached the dugout, did Newhaven score a third. This time it was the industrious as ever Ryan Warwick latching onto a through ball, before finishing well to extend the host’s advantage.

With just 24 minutes gone, and Newhaven in full control, a cricket score looked to be on the cards.

We really should have known better.

On 35 minutes, from pretty much their first attack of the game, Saltdean pulled one back. Praise has to go to the pass which completely dissected the Dockers defence, and to the calm finish from Fraser Middleton, but there will have been huge frustration among the Newhaven players that they hadn’t reached half-time with a clean sheet still intact.

Within 60 seconds of the Saltdean goal, Newhaven twice went close to instantly resorting their three-goal-lead, as both Lee and Jake Robinson were denied in the space of a few seconds.

Yet the remaining ten-minutes of the half were spent with the Dockers looking increasingly nervous. The swagger they had been playing with prior to conceding a goal had evaporated. The Tigers sensed blood.

The second-half started in much the same vein as the first had ended, with Saltdean slowly but surely clawing their way back into the game.

Perhaps, had Jake Robinson’s fiercely struck shot in the 55^th minute found the back of the net instead of flying inches the wrong side of the post, then the remaining 35 minutes would have been far more comfortable.

Ultimately it didn’t and they weren’t.

For much of the second-half it was Saltdean who looked more likely to score. While they weren’t exactly peppering shots at the Newhaven goal, their direct style was certainly causing the Dockers a few problems.

When former Docker Alex Patching notched yet another goal against his former club with 25-minutes left, an already nervous Fort Road grew increasingly so.

The tension was palpable. Both off and on the pitch, with many wondering quite how we suddenly found ourself in this position given the opening half-an-hour.

Had The Tigers had their shooting boots on, they could – and probably should – have equalised, as two highly presentable opportunities went just wide.

At the other end, Jake Robinson went within centimetres to probably putting the game to bed, when he beat the Saltdean keeper to a bouncing ball, lofted it over his head, only to see the ball come back off the inside of the far post.

The last ten minutes were far from fun, with the Dockers increasingly hanging on to what they had and The Tigers very much in the ascendancy. In fairness, though, despite Saltdean getting into some dangerous areas, Jake Buss was rarely called into action.

With injury time underway, Saltdean won a corner. With memories of our past two league encounters all still too fresh in the memory – for the uninitiated, we’ve conceded back-to-back injury-time equalisers from set-pieces – there was a sense of foreboding around Fort Road.

Fortunately, we survived, and after an injury-time that seemed to last forever, the final whistle sounded to bring us a much-needed three points.

It may not have been convincing – certainly nowhere near as convincing as it had one point looked like being – but three points is three points. And that’s the bottom line.

Hopefully the victory will restore some much-needed confidence to the players (and the fans) as we get ready to face last season’s promotion rivals Crowborough twice in a matter of days.

First, we play host to the Crows on Saturday in the league, before travelling to Crowborough on Tuesday night in the Peter Bentley Cup.

Two tough games await (and that’s not to mention what’s coming up in September), but hopefully we can build on last night’s win. Failing that, let’s hope Crowborough forget to pack their kit.

Come On You Dockers!

My man of the match (aka, the controversial part): Ryan Warwick. He was simply everywhere last night, full of energy and fully deserved his goal. Special mention to Jake Robinson who is looking sharper with each passing match, and on another day, could have had a hat-trick.