#COYD - Come on You Dockers

Westfield 3 Newhaven 4, Sussex Senior Cup First Round, Tuesday 8 th September 2026 Following two league defeats on the trot, Newhaven travelled to Westfield on Tuesday night for a match in the opening round of the Sussex Senior Cup. In need of a confidence-boosting win, the Dockers fielded a strong (although far from full-strength) starting line-up against their lower division opponents, who have made a consistently inconsistent start to the season; winning two, losing two and drawing two of their opening six matches. However, any Newhaven fans hoping for a comfortable night watching the team play their way back into some degree of form were to have their hopes swiftly dashed as Westfield made a strong start to the match. The hosts were ahead within five minutes, as Jonny Barnes-Galloway could only parry a fiercely struck shot, leaving George Murphy with the simple task of tapping home from close-range. Tyler Capon and Lee Robinson both missed tricky half-chances to equalise f...

Newhaven 0 Worthing 3, Sussex Senior Cup Round 3, Tuesday 18 th November 2025 Newhaven faced one of their biggest matches in many-a-year last night when they welcomed National League South side Worthing to Fort Road in the Sussex Senior Cup. For the past few seasons, Worthing have consistently been Sussex’s top-performing non-league side, with aspirations of eventually making the jump to full professional level. This was always going to be a monumental test for a very young Dockers side; even more so given the strong starting 11 the visitors fielded, and the electric run of form they are currently on. Let’s make no bones about it, Worthing are a good side. A very good side. Right from kick-off that much was clear to see. Their speed of movement and thought - both on and off the ball - made it seem like, whether defending or attacking, they always had an extra player on the park. There’s a reason the Rebels are currently, and have for the past few seasons been, challenging for ...

Newhaven 5 Seaford Town 1, Sussex Senior Challenge Cup Round Two, Tuesday 7 th October 2025 Local derbies are hard enough. Local derbies when you’re coming off the back of a heavy defeat, while your opponents have plundered 10 goals in their last two games are harder still. Yet that was the challenge facing Newhaven last night as neighbours Seaford visited Fort Road in a cup competition for the second time this season. In the last meeting between the two sides back in early September, Newhaven breezed past ‘The Harriers’ 2-0 in the Peter Bentley Cup. Since that meeting, though, Seaford’s form has improved and they came into the game with four wins from seven games in all competitions. Indeed, this confidence was on show in the early stages last night as Seaford showed their willingness to go toe-to-toe with the Dockers. While Newhaven were certainly producing the tidier, more eye-catching football, it was the visitors who created the better chances; the best of the early one...

Newhaven 2 Forest Row 0, Sussex Senior Cup Round 1, Tuesday 9 th September 2025 The first in a run of three consecutive cup matches took place last night with Forest Row’s visit to Fort Road in the opening round of the Sussex Senior Cup. Newly promoted Forest Row have enjoyed a positive start at a higher level, although did arrive in Newhaven on the back of a hefty defeat to title favourites Haywards Heath on Saturday. With the Dockers missing a few key players, this was arguably Newhaven’s toughest test so far this season. A real test to see exactly where we are at. Having scraped to three points on Saturday after a largely unconvincing performance at struggling Wick, it was almost certain a similar showing would get punished last night. Fortunately, last night saw a much-improved Dockers performance. Arguably their finest of the campaign so far. It was without doubt the best game to watch involving Newhaven this year as well, with both teams looking to play good football, ...

Newhaven 1 East Grinstead 1, East Grinstead win 7-6 on penalties, Sussex Senior Cup Round 2 Newhaven hosted higher division opponents East Grinstead last night in the second round of the Sussex Senior Cup. With injuries still playing havoc with the Dockers early season form, a midweek cup match against a team from a higher league, in a competition that we're unlikely to win, was probably the last thing Newhaven wanted. East Grinstead currently sit in 13 th place in the Isthmian South East Division having taken 8 points from as many games. Yet despite the odds of victory seemingly stacked in East Grinstead’s favour, Newhaven arguably produced their best performance of the season to push their visitors to the very limit. It was the Dockers who created the first clear opening of the game when Lee Robinson was played through on goal eight-minutes in, only to see his effort bounce off the post. Chances were few and far between in what was a largely cagey opening 45 minutes, w...

Billingshurst 2 Newhaven 3, Sussex Senior Cup Round 1 Newhaven’s injury-ravaged squad were back on the road last night for a tricky-looking Sussex Senior Cup first round match against lower-division Billingshurst. Billingshurst have started the season well, having tasted defeat just once in their opening seven league matches and currently sitting third in the SCFL Division One. It was an unfamiliar Newhaven line-up (unfamiliar through necessity as opposed to choice) that actually settled into the game more quickly, dominating the ball in the early stages without ever really threatening the opponent’s goal too often. Yet despite the lack of clear opportunities, it still came as no real surprise when the Dockers took the lead just after the 20-minute mark. Luca Page did well to work himself some space down the left, and his low shot from the edge of the area was diverted into the net by Lee Robinson. At this point, a fairly comfortable evening appeared on the cards as Billingshur...

Newhaven 0 Chichester City 5, SCFA Senior Cup Round 2 Newhaven crashed out of the Sussex Senior Cup last night as they were well beaten by a very good, higher-division Chichester City side. In fairness, this competition is unlikely to feature as a major priority for either team this season, with both sides fielding changes from their last league match. The Dockers made four changes from the team that beat Eastbourne United on Saturday , with Lee Robinson, Harry Reed, Josh Tuck and Toby Reeder all absent from a starting 11 that saw 18-year-old Rio Connelly make his first senior start for the club. Chichester City are currently flying high in the Isthmian South East Division, having tasted defeat just once in their opening seven games to sit third in the table, with a game in hand on both teams above them. It always looked like it was going to be a tough night’s work for the Dockers. And that’s exactly what it proved to be. Chichester’s class – and extra pace, especially in att...

Whitehawk 1 Newhaven 2, SCFA Senior Cup Round Two It had started to seem like Newhaven simply weren’t destined to visit Whitehawk’s Enclosed Ground this season.  First, back in July, a pre-season friendly there had to be cancelled due to the weather being too hot. Then, last week’s Sussex Senior Cup meeting was postponed due to a waterlogged pitch. Thankfully, it was to be a case of third-time lucky, as no further climatic conditions contrived to call-off a meeting between the two sides this time around. Whitehawk are arguably Sussex football’s form team this season. They are currently just three points off the summit of the higher-level Isthmian League South-East Division, having lost just once and conceded a meagre eight goals in 14 league games. No matter what way you examined it, this was going to be an extremely tough game for the Dockers. Yet, make no bones about it, it is in this very division that (fingers-crossed) Newhaven hope to be plying their trade next seaso...

  Newhaven 7 Mile Oak 0, SCFA Senior Cup Round One It’s probably fair to say that the SCFA Senior Cup isn’t too high on the list of Newhaven’s top priorities this season. When it comes to what the club are hoping to achieve this year, there are undoubtedly far bigger fish to fry. However, that’s not to say that it’s a competition they won’t want to progress in as far as possible. After all, it provides a fantastic opportunity for the management team to provide valuable competitive playing minutes to new arrivals, young players and those on their way back from injuries. What's more, winning is a good habit to get into!  Last night’s first round match at home to Mile Oak saw the Dockers make six changes from the side that had started Saturday’s d isappointing loss to Broadbridge Heath (not all of them enforced). Billy Barker and new Japanese signing Riota Nakamura both made their first appearances of the season, Ryan Blunt made only his second start, while Bailie Roge...