Having been on the receiving end of a couple of hefty back-to-back league defeats, albeit interspersed with a couple of cup victories, Newhaven headed to Horsham YMCA yesterday looking to reignite their league season.

It was never going to be an easy task.

Going into the game in third place, YM’s season has been broadly similar to our own. They’ve beaten the teams you would expect them to beat, but have come a cropper when playing some of the division’s stronger teams; having been beaten soundly by both Haywards Heath and Steyning, and narrowly by Bexhill.

From the get go it was clear to see there wasn’t much between the two sides yesterday, with credit once again needing to be paid to the youthful Dockers squad. Skipper for the day Ryan Blunt was the squad’s third oldest player at the grand old age of 20!

It was Blunt who came closest to opening the scoring in the early exchanges. On 13 minutes, Billy Oliver did brilliantly down the left before crossing low towards where Blunt was waiting, but he could only steer his effort against the bar.

Just three minutes later, the Dockers were indebted to Roman Chiosa for keeping the scores level, as he made a fantastic save with his feet to deny the hosts from close-range.

A few half-chances were then swapped, as both teams went in search of the opening goal.

On the half-hour, YM were within a whisker of taking the lead, when a shot whistled inches wide from a tight angle.

Oliver then had a shot charged down after a strong Ezra Roeg run was curtailed just as he was about to pull the trigger.

Goalless at half-time was probably a fair reflection of a game that had had it moments, but had yet to really burst into life.

In fact, arguably the most exciting moment of the game to that point might have happened at half-time itself when an altercation on the way into the changing room – that may or may not have had the intention of intimidating the Young Dockers – left Newhaven feeling aggrieved that YM still had their full quota of players available for the second-half.

Can’t dwell on that, though, as I wasn’t there guv, and didn’t see nuffing.

If pre-planned intimidation had been the intention, then it backfired spectacularly.

With just sixteen minutes of the second-half on the clock, the Dockers were two goals to the good.

There was an element of fortune about the opening goal as YM’s defence failed to deal with a corner. The ball eventually bounced into the path of Oliver who fired home from close-range.

There was nothing fortunate about the second goal, though. Newhaven broke at pace, and after a good passage of play, the ball was headed into the path of Charlie Gibson who dispatched the ball emphatically into the top corner.

Newhaven immediately pressed for a third. Another strong run from Roeg culminated with the ball at Teddy Wood’s feet in the area, but he couldn’t get enough power on his shot to cause an issue.

With 20 minutes remaining, the hosts were awarded a lifeline back in the game; in somewhat controversial circumstances. Firstly, their player looked to be way off-side when he raced onto a long-ball forward, then Richmond Osei’s subsequent slide tackle looked to have taken enough of the ball to cause it to change direction. A penalty was awarded, though, and Ousmane Balde Dansoko stepped up to reduce the arrears.

Just five minutes later, however, Dansoko was to turn from hero to villain when he was shown a second yellow card. While the challenge that led to the booking may have looked soft, I think it must have been the sheer accumulation of offences that did for him. He’d given a way a lot of free-kicks.

Shortly after, Blunt was off target with an effort from just inside the area, but it was YM who began to look the more threatening as the game neared its conclusion. It was hard to tell they were down a player.

That said, it was the Dockers who went closest to scoring again in the closing stages, when the hard-working Oliver was denied by a decent save.

YM went increasingly direct in their attempt to rescue a point from the game, but the Dockers dug deep to secure a valuable, and gritty, three points.

It’s another testing league game next weekend, as Bexhill United visit Fort Road. With just two points separating the teams in the league, it’s another game that we’ll have to be at our best to get something out of.

But with the spirit and togetherness this squad seems to have, it would take a brave person to bet against us getting something from it.

We hope to see you there.

Come On You Dockers!

My man of the match (aka, the controversial part): Billy Oliver. As on Tuesday night, there were a number of candidates for the award, but Billy’s sheer work rate gets him the nod. He was involved in most of our best attacking moves and fully deserved to have his name on the scoresheet.