A Gritty but much-needed three points

Newhaven 2 Forest Row 1, SCFL Premier Division match #8, Saturday 19^th September 2026

Having visited the league leaders last weekend, it was a home match against the team at the opposite end of the table which awaited the Dockers this time out.

On the back of three consecutive league defeats, following a four-match unbeaten start to the season, Newhaven were desperately looking for three-points to get their season back on schedule.

In theory, a home match against bottom side Forest Row – a side we’ve already beaten in the FA Cup this season – should have been the ideal match in which to rediscover some form.

But in a case of what seems to happen quite often to us, the previously winless Row picked up their league win of the season on Monday night (having progressed in the FA Vase a week earlier), meaning they actually entered this match on a better run of form than we did.

Nevertheless, it was Newhaven who made much of the early running, albeit without really dominating proceedings.

Ezra Roeg lofted an early chance wide of the post, before Tyler Capon prodded wide from close-range after good hold-up play from Billy Oliver.

That was to be the luckless Capon’s last involvement in the game, as he limped off injured soon after, having only recently recovered from his previous setback. Here’s hoping it’s nothing too serious and he's back in a red shirt soon.

The impressive Harvey Wheeler was then denied his first goal for the Dockers when his attempted back-heeled flick was cleared off the line.

Row, though, had shown glimpses of threat on the break, and ten minutes before half-time they should really have been ahead. Their number seven blasting wastefully over from the edge of the six-yard book after good work down the left.

Wheeler then fashioned a half-chance for Oliver which the Row goalkeeper just about managed to smother.

With the game looking poised for a goalless first-half, the breakthrough finally arrived four-minutes before the interval.

A superb Ash Wadhams cross was finished off by an equally good header from Billy Oliver (the quality of which may have been somewhat understated on Twitter; although in fairness it wasn’t from the edge of the area either 😉).

One-up at the break, Newhaven were undoubtedly deservedly ahead, although it had been far from a vintage performance. But there could be little debate regarding the fact that they’d looked fairly comfortable.

That wasn’t the case two minutes after the restart. A good move down the Row right culminated with a low cross into the box that was reached by Cameron Lawson ahead of Fraser Trigwell, and he poked the visitor’s level. It really was a goal from nothing, and one that to some extent changed the complexion of the game.

It’s not like Forest Row suddenly became the better, more threatening, team. They didn’t. But the Dockers suddenly looked decidedly more anxious than they had done at any time up to that point.

There was no immediate response, with chances for both sides hard to come by.

With 25 minutes left, came the game’s decisive moment. Former Forest Row player Matt Feeney-Hill was caught by a lazy dangled leg in the penalty area, and a spot-kick was duly awarded in spite of the visitor’s protestations. I think it's fair to say that neither side ended the game particularly enamoured with the ref who seemed to be in a very whistle-happy mood.

Ezra Roeg made no mistake from 12-yards, blasting the ball into the back of the net to restore Newhaven’s lead.

When Forest Row were then temporarily reduced to ten men for ten minutes (well, closer to eight, actually) courtesy of the sin bin a few minutes later, it was hoped that the Dockers could make the extra man count and put the game to bed.

In fact, Row probably enjoyed their most enterprising eight-minute spell of the match while a man-down, pushing the Dockers back, albeit without ever managing to fashion any clear opportunities on goal.

In truth, there was very little for either side to get excited about in the closing stages, with neither side really looking like scoring. Thomas Sekyere briefly brought the crowd to life with a waltzing run which ended with a shot that was blocked at the near post, then narrowly avoided falling at the feet of Reece Bickerton at the far post, but that was pretty much it.

In fairness, Newhaven looked like a team intent on getting a much-needed three-points by any means necessary. And that’s exactly what they did, holding out to get their first league victory since late August.

Hopefully, it will give the lads that much-needed extra dose of confidence as we enter into a couple of weeks of very tricky-looking fixtures.

Next Saturday we travel to play-off contenders Roffey (who play at Horsham FC), before heading back to Horsham FC on Tuesday 29^th September to play the actual Horsham FC (the National League South team) in the County Cup. Fun!

We then host Bexhill United the following Sunday (yes SUNDAY) in what is a 14:45 kick-off as part of the SCFL Groundhop weekend, before entertaining Guernsey at Fort Road for the second time this season on Tuesday 6^th October.

A busy period, but one which it would be good to get through with a few more points on the board.

Your support in making that happen could be invaluable.

Come On You Dockers!

My man of the match (aka, the controversial part): Matt Gunn. From raking 50-yards cross-field passes, to winning every header that came his way, Gunn was the central piece of a well-drilled defence that kept chances from Row to a minimum. Special mention to Harvey Wheeler, who was also very good at right back.

While I’ve got your attention, my debut adult novel, Snapped is now available to download on Kindle. You can check it out here: Snapped eBook : Fuller, David: Amazon.co.uk: Kindle Store