Newhaven travelled to Roffey last night for a rearranged league fixture, postponed a few weeks ago due to a waterlogged pitch.
With the Dockers currently in a poor run of form, and coming off the back of disappointing consecutive losses against struggling Shoreham and Little Common, Roffey will have been confident of building on their own two-match league winning run.
Newhaven’s starting 11 looked as strong as it had done for quite a while, with Callum Edwards back among the starters for the first time since injury, alongside the recently returned from Steyning Alfie Rogers and Ryan Blunt, playing back-to-back matches for just about the first time this season.
Before we get to the game itself, I just have to say a quick word about Roffey’s ground which is absolutely lovely (admittedly, that’s a strange adjective with which to describe a football ground, but in this instance the cap certainly fits. The so-called Theatre of Trees certainly didn’t fail to disappoint.
Newhaven started the game strongly, not looking particularly like a team currently low on confidence.
With just a couple of minutes on the clock, Edwards forced their keeper into a good save, while Alfie Rogers and Lee Robinson also missed presentable chances to give us the lead in a fairly enterprising opening 20 minutes.
Roffey had their moments, too, with Josh James making a couple of smart stops to preserve parity in what was an open and entertaining game of football.
Ten minutes before half-time, the Dockers took the lead that they probably just about deserved at that stage. A delightfully floated ball over the top from Tom Vickers found Robinson in the area, and he skipped past the ‘keeper before squeezing the ball into the net.
The Boars almost equalised immediately, only for a shot from the edge of the area to fly just past the post.
Deep into first-half stoppage time, of which there was plenty following a slew of injuries – including one to the seemingly cursed Harry Reed – the Dockers doubled their advantage.
It was a case of Rogers assisting Rogers, with Alfie doing well down the left before crossing for Bailie to smash home in the centre of the goal. Not sure how many times that’s happened in the past, but long may it continue.
The second-half started with a strong feeling among everyone watching (and I’m sure all those playing) that the next goal would prove crucial.
Newhaven almost got it within minutes of the restart, witch Vickers firing just wide following a strong run through the middle.
That was to be the visitors last opportunity for a while, though, with Roffey starting to dominate possession and beginning to push Newhaven further and further back, albeit without ever quite managing to create a clear-cut chance.
With Newhaven’s defence dropping deeper and deeper, leaving the hard-working Robinson an isolated presence up-front, there was a sense that it was only a matter of time before the Boars created the chance they needed.
Indeed, with ten minutes remaining, the Roffey right-winger did well down the right before crossing low for Jordan Mace to tap home from close-range.
Conceding, though, actually seemed to spur Newhaven on a little. Just two minutes after the arrears had been reduced, Robinson forced a decent stop form the Roffey keeper. Alfie could only send the rebound over the bar, although he did appear to be clipped in doing so, but nothing was given. Surprise surprise.
Alfie soon saw another opportunity go begging after being sent though by Robinson, before James once again had to be alert to deny Roffey about 30-seconds later.
Not that the Boars had to wait too much longer for their equaliser. From their very next attack, the ball was rolled to Dan Pearse who was given too much time and space to take a touch before bending a brilliant shot into the top corner from well outside the area, giving James no chance.
It was cruel blow to the Dockers, who had worked tirelessly throughout, but take nothing away from the strike.
Once again, Newhaven tried to galvanise themselves and find a winner. Robinson had a decent opportunity to do so when Rogers sent him through, but his lobbed effort cleared the bar, while Edwards shot over from outside the area late on.
Roffey, though, looked a constant source of danger from wide areas and the hosts could just have easily snatched a winner in what was a frantic final few minutes.
Obviously, having been two-up at half-time, having to settle for a point can be viewed as disappointing, but the truth is that there was plenty to like about this Newhaven performance against a decent Roffey outfit.
There was a sharpness to the team that had been lacking in the past two games, and the players were definitely giving everything they had in a bid to try and secure the three-points. No one’s effort can be faulted.
The fact that both Edwards and Blunt managed the full 90-minutes after their injury absences was also a massive positive.
Yes, we probably sat back a bit too deep in the second-half, but that’s to be expected when collective confidence is not quite at the level it should be.
Improvements still to be made for sure, but this certainly looked like a step in the right direction.
We’ll certainly need to be somewhere near our best on Saturday as we head to second-placed Hassocks who have enjoyed a strong start to the season and look like they could be Haywards Heath’s main challengers for the title. A tough game, but one where getting a result would likely to do much to lift the mood around the club.
We then travel to Oakwood on Tuesday night for a rescheduled RUR Cup match, before another away match, this time in Lingfield on 16th November.
Your presence at any of these matches, as it always is, would be much appreciated.
Come On You Dockers!
My man of the match (aka, the controversial part): Ryan Blunt and Lee Robinson. Impossible to split the two for me, albeit for very different reasons. Although Blunt understandably tired towards the end, for the first hour he was the stand-out midfielder on the pitch. We look a much better team when he’s in the starting 11. Robbo meanwhile, worked tirelessly and selflessly for the team, often cutting a lone furrow up-front, but always looking likely to make something happen from sheer endeavour alone.
