Defeat but promising signs for young Dockers

South Park Reigate 2 Newhaven 1, FA Cup Extra Preliminary Round, Saturday 2^nd August 2025

What a difference 12-months makes.

This time last year, the Dockers went into the new season among the favourites for promotion having brought in a string of high-profile (for the level) names.

Alas, for one reason or another, it was an experiment that went wrong quite quickly, and one that has prompted a complete rethink on how best to approach the new campaign.

Fast forward a year, and we enter the 2025/26 season with rather less of an idea of quite what to expect.

To describe the current squad as youthful is probably understating things. Aside from Lee Robinson and (the currently injured) Bailie Rogers, the next most senior member of the team in terms of experience is Ryan Blunt, at the age of just 20!

Unusually, this season’s curtain raiser was an FA Cup match rather than the traditional league encounter, with the Dockers travelling to Surrey to take on higher division South Park Reigate in the Extra Preliminary Round.

It was at this stage of the same competition last year that it first became apparent that Newhaven’s on-paper title-challenging squad may not quite be what we'd hoped, as we were humbled 5-1 at division rivals Horsham YMCA. A score-line that actually somewhat flattered us.

All we could do was hope for not such an ignominious exit from the competition this time around.

Far from it. In fact, while they may have lost, the (mostly) young Dockers came through yesterday’s 90-minutes with nothing but credit to their names, as for the most part they more than matched, and definitely outworked, their higher-level opponents.

From the moment Tariq Vincent pulled a long shot-wide in the opening couple of minutes, Newhaven made clear that they were prepared to go toe-to-toe with South Park, in what was a largely even contest.

The hosts arguably missed the best of the early chances, shooting over from close-range in the 8^th minute, then hitting the post in the 22^nd before Tarun Rohilla produced a brilliant last-ditch tackle to deny a certain goal, but the Dockers carried a threat throughout; particularly from Pacey Bean’s dangerous set-piece deliveries.

In the 26^th minute, the Dockers were denied the first of what should have been two penalties in the space of a few minutes. (It’s fair to say the ref did not cover himself in glory in this match, but I’m not going to list even a few of his many mistakes – for both sides – as this would end up being the longest blog post I’ve ever written otherwise; probably longer than some of my books!).

In fairness, I can understand why the first appeal wasn’t given. Although the ball undoubtedly struck a South Park defender’s hand, and his arms were raised, there wasn’t much distance between shot and contact so, grudgingly, I’ll concede that one.

There was nothing to concede about the second appeal, though. A more stonewall penalty you will never see as Ryan Blunt was clearly caught late inside the area. It says much when even the South Park subs who were warming up near me couldn’t believe it hadn’t been given.

Five minutes before the interval, Roman Chiosa made the first of what would be a string of fine saves to keep Newhaven level.

A couple of minutes later, another dangerous delivery from Bean narrowly evaded a raft of onrushing attackers, when surely just a touch would have been enough to cause the South Park goalie a serious problem.

Reaching half-time goalless, there was little doubt that the Dockers felt hugely aggrieved at not having been given at least a chance to take the lead from 12-yards.

Bafflingly, we were afforded that chance just a minute after the restart. Lee Robinson was brushed off the ball in the area, and the ref had little hesitation in pointing to the spot, for what was definitely the weakest of our three appeals.

It was Robinson himself who took the penalty, but his shot was off-target and the score remained goalless.

On the hour, Chiosa made his second great save of the afternoon, from a well-struck dipping volley from the edge of the area, before the hosts were lucky not to be reduced to ten men, when their centre back avoided being shown a second yellow card for a clear yellow card offense.

Five minutes later, the Dockers took a lead that few watching the game would have begrudged them.

Elliot Bresciani did well to nod a Bean corner into the path of Ezra Roeg on the edge of the area, and the winger made no mistake, firing the ball first time into the net, via a slight deflection.

A cup upset was on the cards.

It was at this point the Dockers inexperience perhaps started to show for the first time in the afternoon, as they began to drop deeper and deeper, despite the management’s pleas for them to keep pushing up.

Just five minutes after taking the lead, South Park were level through a penalty of their own, Bresciani clipping their forward as he burst into the box.

Dan Moody made no mistake from the spot, slotting low into the bottom corner.

The Dockers were now starting to look a little leggy, as their previous exertions began to show. South Park pushed for a winner with the Dockers perhaps feeling their best hope was to take the game to a replay at Fort Road.

Three-times Chiosa was called into action to deny South Park the lead.

However, just as it looked as though the youthful Dockers had done enough to earn a well-deserved replay, in the third minute of injury-time the ball fell fortunately to Shamal Edwards after a spot of penalty area pin-ball and he made no mistake from six yards out.

It was a heartbreaking way to lose the game, but should take nothing away from the performance the boys put in for much of the match.

Their work ethic was simply phenomenal, and if they can replicate that level for much of the coming season, they’ll be more than alright.

The first of our two roads to Wembley may have ended at the first hurdle (there is still the Vase to come) but the season starts in earnest next Saturday when Roffey visit Fort Road for the first league match of the season. We then travel to Crawley Down Gatwick on Tuesday (12^th August) and Little Common (19^th August).

Let’s hope our young guns can get some early points on the board.

Come On You Dockers!

My man of the match (aka, the controversial part): Roman Chiosa. There were plenty of great performances all over the pitch, but Chiosa's string of five saves give him the nod from me.