A comfortable win for inconsistent Dockers

 Newhaven 3 Lancing 0, SCFL Premier Division match #30, Saturday 28th February 2026

It says much about the Docker’s current form that since the turn of the year (cup-games aside) we haven’t yet managed to win back-to-back games.

The flip-side of that, though, is that we haven’t lost two on the spin either.

So having lost last weekend, we were due a win this weekend, right? (Or a draw at the very least).

With bottom-placed Lancing the visitors to Fort Road, confidence was high that we’d once again be able to bounce back from defeat last weekend.

However, many of the Fort Road faithful who have followed Newhaven for a few seasons or more will have been only too aware that we’re not adverse to slipping on the odd banana skin when it comes to facing struggling teams. Nothing would be taken for granted.

Having failed to score in their past four matches, Lancing have signed a few new players in recent weeks to try and assist in their struggles in front of goal.

After 20 minutes of yesterday’s fixture, there was little to suggest they would be breaking their recent goalscoring duck anytime soon.

It was the Dockers who, perhaps unsurprisingly, dominated much of the early stages, forcing a succession of corners but unable to do much with them.

From open play, though, Newhaven were looking as blunt as their visitors, with only one effort in the opening quarter-of-an-hour forcing the Lancing keeper into meaningful action. That effort came from Rudi Jones, whose shot following an enterprising run forward was pushed away routinely enough.

As has often been the case this season, though, it is when we are looking comfortable that we tend to be at our most fragile.

Around the midway point of the first-half, Lancing began to get a foothold in the game; more through our own sloppiness than anything else.

It was the visitors who actually created perhaps the two best openings in the first half-an-hour. First through a thankfully weak shot that was straight at Jonny Barnes-Galloway, and then from Alex Laing, who got clean through only to be denied by a fine Barnes-Galloway slide tackle than any centre back would have been proud of.

Elliott Bresciani then hit the post for the Dockers, but the truth was that despite seeing plenty of the ball, chances were few and far between.

This started to change with a formation tweak towards the end of the first-half which enabled the Dockers to look more of a threat on the attack.

Teddy Wood was denied by a last-ditch tackle after perhaps taking a second too long to get a shot away, before two minutes later, with the interval fast approaching, we took the lead.

Another good forward run from Jones led to Lee Robinson receiving the ball in the area, he laid it off to Billy Oliver who made to mistake with a brilliant finish from the edge of the box that bounced in off the post.

The ideal time to score in game that had started to look like it had the potential of being a frustrating afternoon.

A goal up at the break, Newhaven started the second-half with much more confidence, playing at a quicker pace and starting to really test the Lancing backline.

Robbo went close within seconds of the restart, but his goal-bound shot was deflected just wide.

Seconds later, the referee waved away strong appeals for a penalty when Wood looked to have been bundled over in the box.

Actually, while on the subject of the officials, I must say that I have nothing but praise for all three of them yesterday who were superb; especially the ref who seemed prepared to let the game flow, and reffed using common sense (a feature that appears severely lacking in some of the refs in this league!). Credit where it’s due, well-done guys.

Newhaven continued to pour forward, and a second goal seemed inevitable.

It duly arrived in the 55^th minute when the Lancing keeper could only divert Oliver’s cross into the path of Ezra Roeg, and the winger made no mistake from close-range.

Five minutes later it was three, and the points were all but wrapped up.

Wood nicked the ball inside our own half, Tom Howard-Bold latched onto the loose ball before playing a perfect through pass to Roeg who kept his composure to grab his second of the game.

Lancing continued to show plenty of heart and endeavour but in fairness they never really looked likely to get back into the game. The one time they did get though, the assistant’s flag was up immediately, and the chance was wayward anyway.

Barnes-Galloway spent much of the half as a virtual spectator, and while Newhaven didn’t exactly pepper the Lancing goal with chances, it was the Dockers who continued to look the team most likely to score.

So all in all a decent performance from the men in red, and a deserved three-points.

With no game next weekend, we’ll have to wait two weeks to see if we can back that win up with another one for the first time in 2026, when we make the long trip to Pagham.

We then have another lengthy away game, on Wednesday 18^th March when we travel to another struggling side, Lingfield, who play at Whyteleafe.

We’re back at Fort Road on 28^th March when out-of-sorts Forest Row are our visitors. Let’s hope we can find some consistency in these games, and go on a run that will put us in the best of shape before we play Steyning in the Peter Bentley Cup final a few days later.

Your support at any of these games would be much appreciated.

Come On You Dockers!

My man of the match (aka, the controversial part): Teddy Wood. He was simply everywhere, causing bundles of trouble for the Lancing defence out wide and through the middle. Special mention for Rudi Jones who could easily have gotten the nod, and enjoyed  his best game in a Newhaven shirt to date.