Positive start continues

Midhurst and Easebourne 0 Newhaven 1, SCFL Premier Division match #5, Saturday 30^th August 2025

As the opening month of the season draws to a close, it’s fair to say that the first few games have gone as well anyone involved with Newhaven could have expected (or hoped).

After an unlucky FA Cup exit at higher division South Park to start the month, the Dockers have successfully negotiated the opening round of the FA Vase and heading to Midhurst yesterday afternoon were still unbeaten in the league.

With The Stags still without a win this season, hopes were high that the Dockers could extend their unbeaten start to the league season. However, Midhurst’s notorious slopy pitch has been one we’ve traditionally struggled to get to grips with in recent seasons, and with an inexperienced side, this was always going to be a trickier game then perhaps it appeared on paper.

Indeed, it seemed to take both teams a while to get going with very little action taking place in either goalmouth in the early exchanges.

The hosts did have the ball in the net in the tenth minute following a great finish from a tight angle, but the flag had long been raised to cut short any celebrations.

The flow of the game wasn’t exactly being helped by the amount of time it was taking the hosts to retrieve balls once they left the pitch. Let’s just say they weren’t in much of a hurry to go looking for spares. Not in the first half, at any rate.

On the half-hour, a teasing cross from Tom Howard-Bold narrowly evaded a stretching Lee Robinson, while a few minutes later Blunt could only shoot straight at the keeper having been set-up by Robbo.

Five minutes before the interval, the clearest chance of the half went the way of the hosts, as their winger got himself through one-on-one, only to be denied by Roman Chiosa.

So, goalless at the break with very little on show to get any of the watching crowd overly excited.

Thankfully, the second-half was rather more entertaining.

Within a couple of minutes of the restart, Tarun Rohilla went close with a cheeky first-time effort from range that curled about a yard over the bar.

Ezra Roeg then failed to get enough contact on a right-footed shot having done well to work space in the area, before Midhurst broke and the Dockers had Chiosa to be thankful for again as another good save kept the scores level.  

 It was at this point that, for the first time in the match, Newhaven started to gain the upper hand.

Direct running from Teddy Wood began to unsettle the home defence and draw fouls in dangerous areas. From one of these, a Howard-Bold free-kick forced the Midhurst keeper into a good save; the first time he had been called into noticeable action all afternoon.

With 28 minutes remaining, Wood then got inside the area before being barged down to give Newhaven a chance from 12-yards.

With Robbo having missed two already this season, it was left to young right-back Harry Hammond to find the net. While his initial effort was comfortably saved, the ball rebounded straight back to Hammond who made no mistake at the second time of asking.

This goal really seemed to deflate the hosts, and they struggled to make any clear chances for the remainder of the match.

Five minutes after taking the lead, Midhurst’s keeper made a brilliant double save to deny the Dockers a second, with Blunt and Robinson both being thwarted in quick succession.

Even Newhaven being reduced to ten-men for the remaining 20-minutes of the match didn’t really alter the flow of the game. Howard-Bold was giving his marching orders for the sort of 50-50 tackle that probably wasn’t even a foul 30 years ago; only a foul 20 years ago; a yellow card 10 years ago; and can now be a red depending how much fuss is made by an opposing team. 

A shame for Howard-Bold as he now misses three matches having looked really good in hist first two appearances in a Newhaven shirt.

With balls now being retrieved with rather more speed than they had been in the first half, Midhurst went increasingly more direct in their search of an equaliser, but Newhaven were coping comfortably enough with all the home side’s attacks.

In fact, despite being a man down, it was Newhaven who looked more likely to score again.

Dexter Lambert forced the Midhurst stopper into action again with a well-struck low free-kick, before deep into injury time Midhurst were themselves reduced to ten men courtesy of a sin-bin.

Moments later we should have put the game to bed. Charlie Gibson did well to break through a couple of challenges to get himself clean through on goal, only to lose composure at the vital moment and shoot wide when he should have got an effort on target at the very least.

There was still time for Midhurst to send their keeper up for a couple of late corners, but Newhaven held on to claim another three-points and a second consecutive clean-sheet.

It wasn’t pretty. It wasn’t particularly memorable. Or exciting. But three points is three points, and this was a performance that once again demonstrated the grit, determination, and team spirit that this young team seems to possess.

There’s some cup action to come on Tuesday night, when neighbours Seaford visit Fort Road in the Peter Bentley Cup. We then travel to Wick next Saturday hoping to keep our unbeaten start to the new season going.

Your support at these matches is always warmly appreciated.

Come On You Dockers!

My man of the match (aka, the controversial part): Tarun Rohilla. In a day full of gritty, hard-working performances, where no one really stood out, Rohilla’s typically robust display in the centre of the park, aided by Blunt and Howard-Bold, helped form a sturdy base from which to build. Unfortunate to be booked late on for the heinous crime of winning a header.