508 and out for legendary duo

Newhaven 2 Petersfield Town 1, SCFL Premier Division match #22

Nothing lasts for ever. All good things must come to an end.... Use whatever cliché you want, they are all, unfortunately, true.

As I’m sure every man and his dog already knows, after more than ten years and 508 games, Saturday's home match against Petersfield Town marked the final time Andy Cook and Sean Breach will be in charge of the Dockers men’s team (although Cooky continues in his role as the women’s team manager).

The term legend is bandied about far too often these days. But there can be little doubt that both Breachy and Cooky are, and will forever be, club legends.

Their role in transforming Newhaven from a team in the doldrums to one of the most consistent and best-supported teams in the county league cannot be ignored. And as could be witnessed by the many messages that came pouring in via our Twitter feeds in the wake of their resignation announcement (from those outside the club as well as within), they are held in similarly high esteem throughout Sussex.

Gaffas, you leave with your held high. Thank you for everything you’ve done for the club.

On an emotional afternoon at Fort Road, we welcomed division newcomers Petersfield to Fort Road for the first time. Huge credit here must also go to our visitors who took part in a much-deserved guard of honour for our managers prior to kick-off, while the Dockers players also made an on-pitch presentation to their departing managers before the game got underway.

With everything that was going on off the pitch, it was at hard times to focus on the game itself, but there’s little doubt that everyone at Fort Road, at least those who weren’t of a Petersfield persuasion, was desperate for a victory to see the managers deservedly go out on a high.

Doing so would not be easy. It’s be fair to say that we haven’t exactly been in the best of form in the past few weeks, while Petersfield had suffered just one league defeat since we beat them at their place in the middle of September, propelling themselves right into the play-off mix in the process.

However, in something of a quirk of fate, Newhaven were arguably able to name their strongest squad of the season, with Henry Watson starting, and Josh Tuck and Ian Robinson both named among the subs.

After a cagey opening in biting cold temperatures, it was the Dockers who drew first blood. With 22 minutes on the clock, Lee Robinson was wiped out when through on goal, leaving the ref with no choice but to point at the spot. It was Lee himself who stepped up to take the resulting penalty, and he made no mistake from 12-yards, sending the keeper the wrong way to the approval of the majority of the crowd of 402.

Petersfield responded well to the setback, and the Dockers rode their luck at times as the visitors pushed for an equaliser; including their striker somehow skying over the bar from inside the six-yard box with the goal at his mercy.

Three minutes before half-time, they got the equaliser they probably deserved. A well-worked move down the right sent Liam Kimber away and he finished calmly to send the teams in level at the break.

If Petersfield had just about shaded the first-half, there is no doubt that Newhaven bossed the second. Were it not for a string of fine saves from their keeper, the eventual margin of victory would undoubtedly have been far greater.

Within five minutes of the restart, the Dockers went close to regaining the lead when the impressive Ben Royall couldn’t quite get enough purchase on a diving header.

The Petersfield keeper then made a fine stop to deny Jake Robinson as he burst through on goal, before he made another brilliant save to deny Tarun Rohilla as the Dockers cranked up the pressure.

With 17 minutes left, Newhaven finally made the breakthrough they’d been searching for. Once again it came via the penalty spot after Lee Robinson was fouled, although had the ref allowed play to continue for just two seconds longer, Jake had the ball in the net anyway.

Thankfully, it didn’t matter as Jake this time took on the responsibility from 12-yards, and he smashed the ball into the top corner to restore the lead.

Five minutes later, The Rams almost drew level, when an effort from edge of the box rebounded back off the bar.

Lee Robinson then hit the bar for the Dockers as the hosts looked to make the game safe.

With five minutes remaining, came another poignant moment on an afternoon full of them, as Ian Robinson made his return from an ACL injury almost a year to the day after he'd suffered the injury. A huge roar greeted the popular winger’s return. Fun fact – Ian’s introduction meant it was the second time in the co-manager’s ten-year tenure that three brothers had shared the pitch, after the Rogers siblings Bailie, Alfie and Herbie had done so at Billingshurst a couple of seasons ago.

With the match deep into injury time, Jake Robinson was once again denied by a good save, but ultimately it wasn’t to matter as after eight minutes of added-on time (no idea where they came from) the final whistle finally sounded to bring the curtain down on Cooky and Breachy’s reign in the perfect way. With three-points on the board.

So after 508 games, 289 wins and 84 draws it’s very much the end of an era at Fort Road.

But, to coin another cliché, the show must go on.

A new manager will be announced in due course; keep your eyes peeled on our socials for news of that appointment.

It’s undoubtedly going to feel a little strange for everyone when we visit Eastbourne United in the RUR Cup semi-final next Tuesday evening (14^th January) with a new manager at the helm for the first time in more than a decade, but I’m sure the players will be looking to give whoever that happens to be the perfect start.

For now, though, all that is left for me to do is thank the managers for one final time for their efforts over the last ten years, whilst equally looking forward to what the future holds.

Come On You Dockers!

My man of the match (aka, the controversial part): Ben Royall. Really impressive performance from the young left-back, who was a constant threat going forward and defended dependably too.