As was the case last year, Newhaven’s first away match of the season was away to Crawley Down Gatwick on a Tuesday evening.

And, just like 12-months ago, the Dockers travelled north having won their opening home league match by two goals to one, but having tasted defeat in the FA Cup. Although these matches had been played in a different order and the performance in the cup had been wildly different (for the better) this season.

Early last August, we had been on the wrong end of a seven-goal thriller in this fixture, but the Newhaven faithful were hoping that this time around we could start the league campaign with two victories for the first time in what seems like forever.

In the early stages last night there was little on show to hint that we’d be seeing seven goals on this occasion.

The opening 20 minutes can be filed non-descript at best, with an early Lee Robinson header over the bar all that either side was able to muster by way of chances.

Thankfully, on the 20-minute mark, the game did start to open up and opportunities finally started to arrive.

Unfortunately for us, the first two of these went Crawley Down’s way; one of which they managed to score.

Barely a minute after Roman Chiosa had made a good save to keep us level, Sam Clements was afforded too much time on the edge of the area and he dispatched the ball into the corner of the net to give the hosts the lead.

The goal came right before a drink’s break, which may well have done us a huge favour, as the Dockers emerged from the mini-interval a different team.

Twice, Robinson missed good opportunities from close range; one which hit the post, one which was well saved by the Crawley Down keeper.

Dexter Lambert then forced the Crawley Down stopper into another good save, with Robinson only able to poke the rebound wide, before Lambert again went close with a half-volley that flew wide.

The pressure was building and, on 44 minutes, we were afforded the ideal opportunity to level when Robinson was brought down in the area to give us a penalty. Robbo himself stepped up to take it, but for the second time this season he was unsuccessful from the spot as his effort was saved.

However, just as it appeared as though Newhaven would go into half-time trailing, they finally managed to equalise on the stroke of half-time.

A ball in from the left somehow worked its way through to Lambert, and the winger managed to get enough contact on the ball to drill it past the keeper and force it into the net.

It was no more than Newhaven had deserved and hopes at half-time were high that we could build on this momentum going into the second-half.

That’s not what happened.

Within two minutes of the restart Crawley Down were back in front. Clements against the scorer, flicking in at the near post unmarked from a corner.

From then on, the hosts pretty much took total control of the match, and were it not for a combination of some good saves from Chiosa, determined defending and wayward finishing, we could easily have found ourselves well out of it.

Our cause wasn’t helped by a number of injuries to our centre backs which undoubtedly hindered our flow. During the game, the once-again impressive Richmond Osei had no more than four partners: Elliot Bresciani, Tarun Rohilla, Leo Charman and, finally, Scott Smith.

With 15 minutes remaining, Newhaven hadn’t really look like scoring in the second-half, with one long-range free-kick from Ezra Roeg, which was hit well enough, but straight at the Crawley Down number one, all they really had to show from their rare attacking endeavours.

Step forward Lee Robinson. Guilty of some misses in the first-half, the experienced striker kept plugging away and finally got his reward with 14 minutes left on the clock, latching onto a long ball before taking it round the keeper and this time making no mistake.

Surely now the late momentum would be with Newhaven, right?

Wrong.

Almost immediately, the hosts went close to taking the lead for the third time, only for Chiosa to deny them with his best save of the game.

Crawley Down then hit the bar, I think via the head of Osei, before Smith produced a great last-ditch block to keep us level.

We were then reduced to ten men for the final ten minutes, when Ezra Roeg was sin-binned after Ryan Blunt had been bafflingly penalised after being clattered by a Crawley Down defender on the edge of the area.

The young Dockers showed plenty of grit and determination, though, to battle through and cling onto a decent point on the road.

Very much the proverbial game of two halves.

Having already exited the FA Cup, there’s no game on Saturday, so we resume our league campaign next Tuesday (19^th August) with a trip to Little Common, before a Sunday afternoon outing to Surrey as we take on AFC Walcountians on the 24^th. Less than 48-hours later we’re in action again, as AFC Varndeanians visit Fort Road in the league.

Four points from six is a solid enough start to the season. Let’s hope we can build on it over the coming weeks.

Come On You Dockers!

 My man of the match (aka, the controversial part): Richmond Osei. This could just have easily gone to Chiosa (again), but in my opinion Osei played just as pivotal a role in keeping us in the game last night. A task made all the more trickier by the constant (enforced) changes of centre back partner.