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Newhaven FC host Lingfield FC at the Trafalgar Ground in the SCFL Premier League |
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We are back in League action again as the Dockers face the Lingers. The Dockers won this fixture back in January in the first game without Alfie. He's back now so we don't have to worry about who is going to launch all the free kicks into the skatepark. It's a strange line up for the Dockers tonight with a very makeshift defence. No Robbie, Billy or Bailey. Bailey is in the crowd as he is out injured for a while. Not sure about the others, on the beach maybe 🏖. Hopefully back soon 🙏. Sidders gets a start along with Max and Little Robbo playing at left back 👀.
The Lingers are up for a scrap and Jake has to make a fantastic double save early on. Captain Fantastic strikes (or in this case saves) again. And again. Could be a tough night. It also became apparent early on that, whatever the result, this was going to be an unpleasant evening as it was clearly all going to be about the ref🤐. The visitors did find the back of the net a few minutes later from, yet another, disputed free kick that the Dockers failed to clear. The temperature ramped up a little when the ref bottled sending off the visitors no 9 for a horror tackle. Dockers conceded again not long after🙄. Defence gone a bit AWOL tonight and missing Blunty providing cover in front of them. The big call for a penalty for a foul on Alfie went unheard by the ref who must have been looking the other way and Sideshow Bob running the line must have closed his eyes as it was right in front of him. No attempt to play the ball , just bundled over. Temperature clicks up another notch🔥. Dockers start to get a few chances and come close. Calum does better than close and gets one back on 42 ⚽. Dockers trail at the break but are starting to look sharper and more angry.
It was very much one way traffic on the restart. The Dockers piling on the pressure with cross after cross and corner after corner but no-one getting on the end of them. The Lingers, who were defiantly worth of being called the Mingers by now, defended well and the Dockers were just too predictable. We thought we had equalised when Demas, who came on for Ezra, headed just wide of the left post. The next goal went the other way as the Lingers pace got the better of the Dockers high line to make it 3-1. Game over. Almost. As we head past 10 minutes of added time, Ryan Warwick picked up the second ball just outside the box and blasted it onto the bar, it hit the underside, straight down then back out. The ref waved away the goal appeal then went to talk to the gesticulating linesperson and the goal was given. The Dockers were unable to get the equaliser and the half, all 60 minutes of it, finished as it started with a goal deficit.
Wow. That was horrible 🤮. One of the most irritating, bad tempered timewasting games ever .The ref was awful, making decisions that suited him and no-one else. Occasionally decided to clamp down on the visitors ridiculous time wasting but would then bottle it if it meant a second yellow. Visiting fans even joined in the time wasting by throwing the ball into the back of the stand instead of back onto the pitch. A ploy that worked so well for Tranmere 🤬. The second half was a actually more like a second 2/3rds with the extra 15 minutes that had to be played to make up for the timewasting. And another late sub, and another and another. Be nice to never play them again. We made a sharp exit after the final whistle before the atmosphere got any worse. Watching the Dockers play their attacking football usually provides some relief from the misery of watching Tranmere recently but tonight was certainly one to be endured rather than enjoyed.
POTM: Goes to the Dockers own superhero, Jake (Captain Fantastic) Buss. Not all heroes wear capes.
Now to the ref, who, thought it was a good idea to pour petrol on the fire of a bad tempered game when what what was needed was someone to calm it down. It could easily have led to players getting injured. And as for the lino on the stand side, must have closed his eyes every time Alfie got the ball. It's easy to moan about the officials but this really wasn't good enough tonight.
A short break now before we summon up our courage to watch Tranmere at Crawley. Can it be any worse than this? Probably! See you there.
Love Tranmerekat 🐾
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| Back at Fort Road |
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| Some changes to the team today |
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| A Bridge Too Far |
