Dockers cruise past outclassed Shoreham

Newhaven 5 Shoreham 1, SCFL Premier Division match #30

The Dockers welcomed Shoreham to Fort Road yesterday afternoon, looking for their third consecutive league victory.

With Shoreham struggling near the foot of the table, and on a poor run of form, the signs were good that Newhaven could keep their current run going.

The team’s recent run of results also hinted at their being a decent chance that Newhaven would claim three more points.

In their previous 14 games the Dockers had won three in a row, lost three in a row, won another three in a row, lost another three in a row and were currently on a two-match winning run. Could they make the unusual pattern continue?

The answer to that question was abundantly clear from the outset as Newhaven largely dominated form start to finish.

The hosts took the lead just before the quarter-of-an-hour mark as two Robinson brothers combined yet again towards a Newhaven goal. This time it was the combination of Ian and Lee that paved the way to glory, with Ian sending in a great cross that was well finished by the head of Lee.

Shoreham then had a couple of half chances to hit back in what was probably their best 15-minute spell of the game, but twice fired off target from dangerous positions.

By the time Newhaven doubled their lead three minutes before half-time, it had become a matter of not if we would score another, but when.

Lee Robinson (twice), Alfie Rogers and Emmanuel Abudiore were all denied by decent saves from the Shoreham keeper, who was solely responsible for the final score-line not being far higher, while Jake Robinson shot just over with a rasping volley from the edge of the area.

It was Henry Watson who eventually grabbed the second, and it was no more than the centre back deserved. He’d spent much of the match marauding forward, often carrying the ball 40 or more yards up the pitch past Shoreham’s passive midfield.

Taking a quick throw-in, Watson exchanged passes with Alfie Rogers before driving into the area and calmly placing the ball into the corner.

The lead already looked comfortable for the Dockers, but had it not been for some heroics from Jonny Barnes-Galloway, their lead could easily have been reduced by the break.

The young keeper made what can only be described as an outstanding double save on the stroke of half-time, before saving a third effort just for good measure, as the visitors looked for a way back into the game.

That route was firmly closed six minutes into the second-half. Abudiore received the ball short from a corner before cutting inside and unleashing a rocket of a shot past the for once helpless Shoreham goalkeeper.

Still the chances continued to flow. Henry Watson went close with a header from a corner, before Lee Robinson should have scored after sent clean through by Charlie Connell, only to scuff his effort wide.

With 25 minutes left, Newhaven did finally make it four as Connell carried the ball Watson-like up-field, made the most of a kind deflection in the area, and finished with aplomb to net himself a well-deserved goal.

Shoreham had offered little going forward in the second-half, although Barnes-Galloway was once again called into action with 20 minutes of normal time remaining, tipping over a well-hit strike from the edge of the area.

Newhaven then made a flurry of substitutions, which stilted their rhythm somewhat, although Corey Smart did go close to adding a fifth, shooting just wide from outside the area.

A fifth goal still seemed likely, though, and it duly arrived four minutes from time. Lee Robinson finishing well following a neat touch in the area.

With time almost up, Shoreham got a late consolation when a fizzing low cross was turned past Barnes-Galloway by the otherwise imperious Watson.

The final whistle sounded soon after, with the Dockers perhaps slightly disappointed to have only found the back of the net five times, and certainly frustrated about conceding a late goal to deny them an all-too rare clean sheet.

So the three-game win/lose pattern continues. Hopefully we can break it next week and go for an unprecedented (this season anyway) fourth win on the bounce, as we make the long trip to Pagham. It won’t be easy, though, with Pagham on a decent run of form themselves. One that has seen them record victories over play-off chasing Roffey and Eastbourne United in recent weeks.

We’re back at Fort Road on 22^nd March when Wick are the visitors, before finishing the month with the rearranged trip to Little Common on 29^th March.

Your support an any of these games will be much appreciated.

Come On You Dockers!

My man of the match (aka, the controversial part): Henry Watson. From the moment the centre-back waltzed three-quarters of the way up the pitch in the fifth minute, it was clear Watson was in the mood yesterday. Now looking fully back to fitness after an ACL injury, I still haven’t seen many – if any – better defenders at this level.Johnny Barnes-Galloway. Again there were a few strong contenders for the award, but the young GK gets the nod for me. His unreal save just before we retook the lead was practically as good as a goal, while his all-round game belies his tender years. Very impressive!