Newhaven 1 Bexhill 4, SCFL Premier Division match #10,
Sunday 4th October 2026
Newhaven 1 Guernsey 3, SCFL Premier Division match #11, Tuesday 6th
October
Two home games in the space of just over 48-hours gave the
Dockers a great chance to kick-start their new season after a run of
indifferent form.
Instead, with no points coming from either of those two games, it’s now starting to look like what many had hoped to be a blip after a highly promising start to the season, may actually be something a little more serious.
On Sunday afternoon, we entertained Bexhill United in what
was the final part of the SCFL Groundhop Weekend. In front of a healthy crowd
of just under 400, though, Newhaven failed to ever really awaken from their
Sunday slumber.
By the time I arrived at the ground (I was 15-minutes late
due to my youngest’s own match that lunchtime) we were already a goal behind. ‘Calamitous
defending’ was a description muttered to me a number of times as I made my way
to my vantage point. Not for the first time this season, it has to be said.
No sooner had I reached my preferred standing area were we
two behind. Despite lying on the floor, former Docker Jack Shonk still managed
to thread the ball through to Ash Latuske, who rounded Fraser Trigwell before
tapping into an empty net.
Within minutes, things could have gotten even worse for the
hosts who were looking totally bereft of confidence, when Jack Mison hit the
crossbar, with a brilliantly struck effort from outside the area.
With 10 minutes to go until half-time, the Dockers finally
started to show some signs of life. Ezra Roeg hit the post with a diving header,
before Joe Radley-Martin forced the keeper into a rare save.
That seemed to give the men in red some impetus going into
the second-half. Newhaven were far livelier in the opening 15-minutes post
restart. Radley-Martin forced the Bexhill keeper into a brilliant save, while
Reece Bickerton and Max Vardy also had chances to get us back into the game.
However, when Bexhill were awarded a penalty midway through
the half, duly converted by Shonk, the game was up.
Lee Robinson did pull a goal back, firing in off the bar
from Radley-Martin’s low free-kick, but there was never at any point any suggestion
than an unlikely comeback was on the cards.
Deep in injury-time, Bexhill put a touch of gloss on the
scoreline, as Jack Samways converted following a well-worked break-away.
It was a highly disappointing end to what had, on the whole, been a highly disappointing performance.
We didn’t have to wait long to get an opportunity to turn
things around, however, with Channel Islanders Guernsey visiting Fort Road last night.
It’s fair to say we don’t have the best record against Guernsey, having lost heavily to them twice in the league last season, and exited the FA Vase to them already this season.
Our cause wasn’t helped by a whole raft of new injuries,
illnesses and absences which left our already threadbare squad well and truly down
to its bare bones. It was very much a case of trying to squeeze square pegs
into round holes.
That said, Newhaven started the game brilliantly, and could
have already been 2-0 up before Robbo opened the scoring in the sixth minute,
heading home Thomas Sekyere’s own headed effort.
More chances followed soon after, and for a while it looked
like the Dockers would run riot.
When Guernsey were temporarily reduced to ten men in the 20th
minute courtesy of the sin bin, it appeared we would get the ideal opportunity
to ram home the advantage we’d already given ourselves. However, the visitors
managed this ten-minute spell superbly, truly taking the sting out of the game,
and Newhaven never really regained their flow.
On 34 minutes, Sekyere missed a decent opportunity
to double the advantage firing over after fine work from Ezra Roeg down the
left.
And within a minute, Guernsey were level. Sam Murray poking home
from inside the six-yard box. Not great defensively.
This goal, against the run of play, seemed to shatter
Newhaven’s already brittle confidence.
By half-time the visitors were in front. Another goal from
inside the six-yard box, this time headed into the net by George Goubert.
When Guernsey then added a third shortly after the restart
(honestly, I’ve seen it back this morning and still don’t know how it’s gone
it) there was to be no coming back.
By this time, we’d lost yet another key player to injury –
Radley-Martin with a hamstring strain. Surely our luck on this front has to
turn at some point, at least.
There could be no questions asked regarding the work-rate
and desire of the players last night, that was evident for all to see. Guernsey
were just stronger from the 30th minute on, with Newhaven barely
threatening after the interval.
So it’s six league defeats in seven games for the Dockers;
which makes for painful reading.
There are some mitigating circumstances, of course. Injuries
and other absences are not helping the cause one bit. There was just one
recognised centre-back in last night’s 16-man squad, and players were playing
out of position (through necessity) across the park. Confidence is also undeniably
low; a fact that could be seen with the way the game swung so dramatically following
the equaliser.
A win – a run of wins, in fact – is desperately needed.
Thankfully, we now have a ten-day break before our next game
away to Pagham on 17th October. Hopefully, this will give some of
the aforementioned injured players a chance to recover, and give the management team a chance to work on some of our shortcomings in training sessions.
After Pagham, we then face a flurry of games in late
October, playing Crawley Down twice in different cup competitions – one at
home; one away – alongside league games against Lingfield (away) and Midhurst and Easebourne
(home).
You get the feeling that we’re entering a real crunch point of
our season. Your support in helping the boys turn the corner could prove vital.
Come On You Dockers!
My man of the match (aka, the controversial part): Lee Robinson. This is a combined award for both games. A goal in each only tells some of the story. Even at the age of 37, Robbo’s commitment simply cannot be questioned. This was perfectly illustrated last night by his willingness to chase a defender 60-yards up the pitch in injury time, in what was by then already a lost cause. A great role-model for his younger teammates.
While I’ve got your attention, my debut crime fiction 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
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