Depleted Dockers comfortably defeated by United

Newhaven 0 Eastbourne United 1, SCFL Premier Division match #9

It’s fair to say that the 2024/25 season hasn’t exactly gone to plan for the Dockers thus far.

With the season not even yet two-months old, a crippling injury list has seen Newhaven already use a staggering 39 different players in just 14 matches.

It’s testament to everyone involved behind the scenes that the Dockers have managed to stay largely competitive in the opening weeks of the season, as unfamiliar 11s take to the field, many of whom have never played with each other – they quite often haven't even met each other – prior to kick-off.

And following last night’s home-match against Eastbourne United there seems no sign of the injury crisis abating, with both Harry Reed and Jake Robinson departing the action before half-time with knee injuries.

Even the management bench was depleted last night, with Sean Breach, Andy Cook and Tony Coade all absent from the dug-out.

Seriously, whoever’s been running over those black cats can you stop now, please!

After a slow start to the campaign, Eastbourne United have (typically) picked up form in recent weeks, arriving at Fort Road (a ground they are well used to this season having used it as a temporary home while The Oval is renovated) on the back of three straight victories in all competitions.

However, the Dockers almost made the perfect start to the match as Jake Robinson was denied by United’s keeper in the very first minute. Moments later, a ball into the box was just too high for Lee Robinson to be able to direct his header on target.

Unfortunately, that was to be as good as it got for Newhaven all evening.

The rest of the first-half was completely controlled by a rejuvenated Eastbourne United. 

The visitors thought they’d taken the lead in the 12th minute. Jake Buss brilliantly kept out the first effort before the ball was turned home after a mini-scramble. However, the linesman had already flagged to say the ball had gone behind for a corner, so the hosts survived. For now.

Moments later, United worked themselves into a decent position, only for their striker to blaze wastefully over.

Some more wayward finishing let the Dockers off the hook on a couple more occasions, but there was a seeming inevitability that a goal was coming.

It duly arrived ten-minutes before half-time. Not for the first time this season, a long ball through the middle wasn’t dealt with, and Trevor McCreadie raced through to score.

United then hit the cross-bar on the stroke of half-time, with the Dockers posing very little threat at the other end.

That said, the visitors may have been slightly fortunate to get to the break with 11-men still on the pitch, following a late lunge of Bailie Rogers which left the left-back writhing on the floor. Fortunately, he was able to continue and not add to the Fort Road A&E department. Or the changing room as it used to be called.

The second-half was full of lots of huff and puff from the Newhaven players, absolutely no one could fault the effort of any of the lads involved, but the truth is that we never really looked like scoring. Eastbourne United were more than happy to stick with what they had and were well drilled enough to cope with anything Newhaven had to offer.

Even when the visitors were temporarily dismissed to ten men in the 75th minute courtesy of the sin-bin, it was hard to tell Newhaven were playing with a man more for the next ten minutes.

Aside from one speculative long-range effort from debutant Ollie Munt, that was pushed away by the United keeper, I can’t remember any other shots on target in the second-half. From either team.

The Dockers pushed for an equaliser in the closing stages, throwing men forward and trying to go slightly more direct, but United’s backline never really looked like being breached.

There’s more league action coming up at Fort Road on Saturday, as midtable Midhurst and Easebourne make the long trip down.

Given the two injuries last night, it would take a brave man to bet against us using our 40th different player at some point during the match. It’s certainly been a crazy start to the season!

We really hope to see you there on Saturday. Oh, and if you are coming, bring your boots. You might just get a game!

Come On You Dockers!

 My man of the match (aka, the controversial part): Kwabena Osei. The centre-back has looked solid since baking his debut at Petersfield a couple of weeks ago, and without his physical presence last night we may have been staring at a bigger defeat.