Tranmerekat on Tour: Four On The Floor

Newhaven FC host Spelthorne Sports in the Preliminary Round of the FA Cup at the Trafalgar Ground

The Dockers ⚓ host The Spelly at a sun 🌞 drenched Fort Road in a bid to get to the 1st Qualifying round of the FA Cup for the first time in 61 years. It's always hard to gauge how good teams in other leagues are going to be. Let's find out.

The Spelly, not the Smelly, were out to win and it and were combative from the off. Oh, and vocal. Very vocal 🦜, more on that later. The Dockers have early chances as Owen headed on to the bar on 16 minutes then Robbie does the same with the post a minute later. The Smelly, it was always going to happen, had a go too and thought they had a penalty until their no.9 was booked for diving. He got his revenge when he broke through to go one on one with Bussy and chipped the ballover the stranded keeper. It looked like it was going over but it just drops under the bar and hits the back of the net. 0-1. Newhaven's hard work eventually pays off and they get a penalty for a shirt pull on Little. Alfie tries to break the net as he smashes it in on 45 ⚽. 1-1. Luca was a mile offside (that's 2 yards in old money) in the move that led up to the penalty but the linesperson hadn't kept up and play continued. All level at the break. It will go to penalties if it finishes like this.

A half time change and Luca is replaced by Ezra. Then the goalfest started. Little Robbo scored on 54 after a pass from Cal ⚽. 2-1. He found the net again on 64 ⚽. 3-1. Ezra is booked for delaying a freekick and Sidders comes on the the injured Robbie. The goal tally increases as Little's shot is blocked and Cal puts the rebound in the net ⚽. 4-1. Little isn't put off and gets his hattrick on 75 ⚽. 5-1. Sean Stephenson comes on for Cal on 75. Wouldn't like to be a Spelly defender right now, 5-1 down and fresh legs coming on to run at you. But it's old legs that score next as Little gets his 4th on 79 ⚽. It calms down for a while and it's almost a goal drought in this context as we have to wait until the 96th minute for another goal. It's Alfie finally on the score sheet after a pass from Sean ⚽. 7-1. Seveeeerrrrnnnnn one to the Dockers.

Wow. What a game that was. Dockers score 6 in the second half with no reply. The score line makes it look like it was a great footballing event but at times it was very ugly. Lots to excessive tackles and shouting at the ref. Their no. 7 kept shouting "How many times ref?" until the 5th official started shouting it back when he, surprisingly, went very quiet. Dockers could do no wrong in the second half and Little was on fire 🔥. He has had so many near misses last season , really pleased that it is coming good now. They have had a few second half collapses this season but this was the opposite. The opposition didn't help themselves and lost their composure. Too much energy wasted shouting at the ref and not enough focus on their own performance.

POTM: Only ever going to be one choice here and is 4 goal hero Ian Robinson 🥇.

Ref: Huge 🤡. Kept overruling the lines people and giving throws the wrong way. Did book them for diving and dissent but shouldn't dissent have also been a sinbin. Just saying. He never really got a grip on the game. He waved away the Dockers 2nd half penalty shouts despite the lines person flagging it, the ref going over to talk to them, then making completely the wrong decision. Doh. 🤦‍♂️

Through to the qualifying rounds which will be Cray Wanderers away in a couple of weeks. More cup action on Tuesday as we visit Seaford at The Crouch in the RUR Cup.

Love Tranmerekat 🐾