Having bounced back to winning ways with a win at Lancing seven days ago, Newhaven hoped to keep the run going with a match against another team at the wrong end of the table yesterday.
However, as is often the case when we seem to face strugglers, Lingfield had played themselves into a bit of form last weekend, winning 2-1 against play-off contenders Bexhill United.
And it was the visitors who made the perfect start yesterday afternoon, taking the lead inside the opening minute.
Needless to say, we only had ourselves to blame, as a loose pass was seized upon by Deven Reid-Solanki and the skillful winger made no mistake, driving forward before finding the bottom corner with a calm finish.
Reid-Solanki was to cause us numerous problems throughout the afternoon, giving one of the best individual performances I’ve seen from an opposition player at Fort Road. Fortunately, though, he was just about all the Lingers had in their armoury, and Newhaven soon began to get back on top.
Three times in the space of as many minutes Lee Robinson missed decent opportunities to get us back on level terms as we began to seize control of the match.
The equaliser finally arrived just before the 20-minute mark, and it came from an unlikely source. Not only did it come from a corner – an area I don’t remember us scoring too often from this season (yesterday aside) – but it came direct from the corner, with Ryan Blunt’s cross curling straight in.
Surely it was now only a matter of time before the Dockers hit the front.
However, despite numerous chances, the Lingfield goal continued to lead a charmed life, and four minutes before half-time it was the visitors who stunned everyone when they retook the lead.
No prizes for guessing the scorer, as Reid-Solanki took full advantage of the Dockers backline falling asleep at a throw-in (it should have been ours, but that’s beside the point) to cut in and grab his second of the game.
Trailing at half-time; no-one was quite sure how.
I’m sure the half-time team-talk focussed mainly on making sure we finished our chances, to stop making basic errors and try to stop Reid-Solanki getting the ball.
Whatever was said clearly worked. Within ten minutes of the restart Newhaven were ahead – with both goals coming from corners.
We’d already missed two presentable chances when Harry Hammond rose highest in a crowd of players to head home from inside the six-yard box. Minutes later, Lee Robinson reacted quickest to turn in Leo Charman’s header.
The Dockers then had a big shout for a penalty turned down when Noah Hoffman was bundled over in the area, before Ezra Roeg’s header (from yet another corner) was cleared off the line.
More chances came and went as the Dockers looked to build on their lead. With 20-minutes on the clock, a second huge shout for a penalty was waved away when Roeg went to ground, before a minute later we finally had one; this time for handball.
Roeg drilled the ball in off the post to give us some much needed (and much deserved) breathing space.
To make matters worse for Lingfield, they were then temporarily reduced to ten men courtesy of the sin-bin. Unfortunately for us, it wasn’t Reid-Solanki who was dismissed and he continued to cause us problems. Richmond Osei bravely blocked away a fiercely struck effort from the winger as the Lingers looked for an unlikely route back into the game.
The Dockers made the game safe with ten minutes remaining when Arthur Rawlingson, who had only been on the pitch for barely a minute, lashed home a brilliant finish with his first touch of the match.
I say safe – safer would probably be a better word.
For within a minute, Lingfield were awarded a penalty as (surprise, surprise) Reid-Solanki was brought down in the area.
He didn’t take the penalty, though (a decision he seemed to take with good grace) as perennial-scorer-against-us Conor Wilford stepped up to bring Lingfield back to within two.
Still the scoring wasn’t finished, though. With three minutes remaining Roeg tormented their right side for the umpteenth time in the half, before pulling the ball back for Blunt who finished first time to surely this time make the game safe.
So a 6-3 win for the Dockers; it should have been more, and even now I have no idea how we managed to concede three in a game in which we’d been so dominant. That said, you can’t deny we’re not entertaining to watch!
This was the first of four home matches in a row for us. Next Saturday we host Pagham, a team currently on a great run of form, with just one defeat in their last 11 games (in all competitions).
On Tuesday 18th we face a huge match against National League South side Worthing in the County Cup, in what is sure to be an exciting evening at Fort Road.
Our run of home fixtures culminates with a local derby against Seaford; their third visit to Fort Road this season, but first in the league.
An exciting few weeks lay ahead. We home to see you at as many of the games as possible.
Come On You Dockers!
My man of the match (aka, the controversial part): Ezra Roeg. Just pips Ryan Blunt to the award on the basis of his brilliant second-half performance. Terrorised the Lingfield right flank time and time again with his direct running, and grabbed deserved goal and assist.
