(Don't fear) The Keeper

Newhaven FC host Pagham FC in the Peter Bentley Challenge Cup 3rd Round at Fort Road

The Dockers ⚓ host The Lions 🦁 on a horrendously wet 🌧 night by the Ouse. Good job the tide is out at the moment. A change or 2 tonight. Little is still left back but has Bailey inside him at centre half. Robbie Malila is in the midfield with Blunty and Alfie in the 10 as ever. Big is up front with Harry and Conner Edwards on the wings. Paul "Woody" Woods is standing in for the injured Jake.  Lets hope it's not a 🧹Halloween 🎃horror show like the performance, or lack of, on Saturday.  We'll be optimistic and hope it's going to be Fab-Boo-Lous.

The scoring opened on 4 minutes when Rob Malila netted ⚽with the assist from Lee. Alfie got his first on 11 ⚽from the spot after he was fouled in the box. Lee gets clear on 16 but hits it's straight at the keeper🧤. Josh Tuck went off injured and Max comes on. Hope it not too bad. He's been a really good late addition to the squad. Callum Edwards gets his first on 23 ⚽with another assist from Lee. Big Roobo has another near miss on 34 as he hits the post. He finally gets on the scoresheet on 36 ⚽with the assist from Alfie. Lee gets clear again on 38, round the keeper who then wipes him out. The keeper gets a red card but refuses to go off 🤣. He eventually goes 🚶‍♂️but it's to the bench instead of down the tunnel. They don't have a spare keeper so it's a quick glove and shirt swap with an outfield player who has to step up to face a penalty. He is probably expecting to pick the ball out of the net but Alfie puts it wide🤦‍♂️. The first half goes on and on and on mostly due to the time wasted by the keeper refusing to be sent off. The whistle finally  goes after 15 minutes and the Dockers are coasting at 4-0 up. It could have been more but the lino was working overtime with the offside flag as the Dockers outpaced the opposition. Hope the lino down the other end isn't so eager.

It takes just 2 minutes into the second half for Callum Edwards to get his second ⚽ from an Alfie Rogers cross. Big's second goal is denied by the cross bar and the refs opinion that it didn't cross the line. Boo🎃. Blunty gets on the rebound but blasts it wide. Luca comes on for Rob Malia. The Dockers are struggling to test the stand-in keeper until Alfie tackles him in the box and the ball rebounds into the net ⚽ to make it 6. On 80 and we are all looking on confused as Luca is booked for something. Substitute Ryan Walton looks like he gets the 7th but Luca is deemed offside. The Dockers have to settle for 6 and on their way to the 4th round.

A well-deserved result for the Dockers. There was some great team play and some good individual skill. Looked like the Dockers we know and love who can be devastating in attack. How could this be nearly the same team as Saturday? Total contrast to that team who looked like a bunch of strangers who had only just met 🤷‍♂️. 

There were a few complaints at the ref but he did a good job considering the weather and kept the standards up. Kept the 5th Official quiet 😶 and got the big decisions right, especially the red card. He could have been a bit more picky about delaying freekicks, balls being kicked away and the antics of their keeper once booked but did enough to stop it getting out of hand. Would settle for that every week but we all know that won't happen. Some of the offsides were disputable but the best technology in the world can't work out where the line is so these guys should be forgiven if they get the odd one wrong.

The hot chocolate was up to it's usual high standard👍.

More Cup action up next with the First Round of the FA Cup.

Tranmerekat🐾

Greetings from a very wet Fort Road

Watching the Ferry

Checking out the squad

(Sitting on) The Dockers of the Bay

Newhaven FC host Hassocks FC in the SCFL Premier League at Fort Road

The Dockers ⚓ face The Robins in a six pointer between 2 of the top 6. Newhaven have a run of home games and need to turn that in to good points. There are a couple of changes to the 11 with Jake on crutches👀😭 so Dan Gibson is in goal. Little, Captain Little today, is left back and Harry Reed is wearing 7 on the right wing. The weather is predicted to be very very wet indeed but let's hope the forecast is wrong. I can't swim.

The Dockers started brighter and it looks like they are ahead on 9 from Harry Reed but the officials decided that the ball didn't cross the line. They really do go ahead on 21 ⚽when Alfie makes no mistake from the spot after Harry is felled in the box. The lead lasts all of 3 minutes when the Robins walk through the defence likes it's not there. The Dockers failed to regain control and looked more likely to concede again but made it to the break with it all level.

The second half happened apparently but it was utterly forgettable 💤. It was scrappy with both sides having a few half chances. Newhaven did perk up towards the end but couldn't find the quality to make it count. It's equal at the final whistle and we just glad it's over.

We come here so that we get to watch at least some decent football but that was like watching Tranmere today. Maybe the weather or the nerves of a six pointer but it didn't even have the energy levels to become bad tempered. Hopefully that means they will be full of beans on Tuesday for the PB Cup🤞.

POTM: It’s a hard one but goes again the Ryans, Blunt and Warwick again🏅🏅.

The officials did OK and were at least consistent. Ref let a lot go and that can go wrong but didn't tonight. Only oddity was a booking for Alfie when the challenge looked like a 50-50. Still we have seen much worse decisions and will no doubt do so again. 5th official was very quiet but maybe be lack of enthusiasm rubbed off on everyone.

See you on Halloween 🎃

Love Tranmerekat 🐾

Dry at the moment 

SjoekeN, not stirred

Brighton & Hove Albion v Chelsea in the WSL at Kingsmeadow

The SeaGals are away to the Chels on a surprisingly sunny ☀😎 autumn day in "Oh Kiiiing-ston Town 🎸". The weather has been very wet for the last few days but it's nice today and the pitch is looking good. There are a number of new faces especially for the Seagulls. It starts at the back with Sophie Baggaley in goal as on-loan Nicky Everard can't play against her parent club. In front of her is Man Utd's Maria Thorisdottir alongside our own Guru (Bergsvand). Out-wide on the right is Li Mengwen with Kullberg on the left. In the middle is Tatina Pinto and Vicky Losada. Robbo, Lee and Bremer are up front. Looks like a positive line up. The Albion haven't come here to get a point. Although that would be nice. Lining up for the Blues, Musovic has been favoured until now but AKB gets the nod today. It looks like 3 at the back with Millie, Jess and Kadesha Buchanan. Eve Perisset and Nieve are the wingbacks. Ingle and German newie Sjoeke Nusken in the middle with Lauren, Fran and Sam up front. Nothing to be worried about there 👀. Basil has been passing round the Quality Street 🍬to the away fans which is a good start. Hope he's not so cheerful at the final whistle.

Sophie is straight into action when she stretches to tip Frans shot over but the crossbar saves it for her. Brighton head down the other end and take the lead on 10 when Bremner made sure work of her shot ⚽ from a Robbo low cross. Baggaley justified her selection and some with a number of fantastic saves including a few multiples from some chaotic penalty box action. Brighton pressure see Robbo and Bremer combine again but AKB gets down well. Jess Carder wriggles free and get in a cross that find Nusken unmarked and she make sure work of the header in the last minute of injury time. Gutted for the girls to concede so close to the break.

Chelsea must have had a bit of a telling off by Emma while they chomped on their half time oranges as they came out fighting. Nusken gets two? (og - Bergsvand) more with Sam Kerr getting both the assists but Brighton still get chances with AKB doing well to keep out Bremer. Nusken turns provider and gets an assist as substitute and Ingerland youngster Aggie Beaver-Jones tucks the ball away to make it 4-1. Brighton get the last laugh as the high press wins them possession just outside the Chelsea box and it ends up at the feet of Terland who pokes it home on as the clock hits 90 ⚽. 4-2 the final score.

The Seagulls are making good progress and showed confidence today against the 4 times champions. Bremer had some good chances and Teri buried a half chance. Defending could have been better but with Sam Kerr turning provider and Nusken taking the ball home it was a great Seagulls performance. The Blues and Nusken's third goal was really an own goal from Seagulls defender Bergsvand but she wasn't going to argue as Sjoeke claimed both the goal and the match ball. Hopefully they can take some of that confidence into the meeting with the Red Devils in Crawley next week.

Officials looked OK to us. Most of the action was down the other end and at the end we couldn't see the offside line. So good enough.

Next up, a mid-week 6 pointer at Fort Road. See you there.

Love Tranmerekat 🐾

Sunny at the Kingsmeadow

We're here in daylight 

Good atmosphere

A Song of Ice and Five

Newhaven FC host Chichester City FC in the Sussex Senior Challenge Cup at Fort Road

The Dockers ⚓ host the Lillywhites in the County Cup 🏆 2nd round.  Worthing won it last year so it's Brighton's turn this year. The weather has suddenly turned cold, so it's time for a big (in more ways than one) coat to keep the wind out. Winters coming apparently! Chichester are in a higher league so will be favourites but it's the league that the Dockers want to be in do it's a good test. There are a few missing tonight with new favourite Josh Tuck missing along with Ryan Warwick and Connor Edwards. Good news is that Bailey and Lee Robbo are on the bench.

The Lillywhites took a little while to settle but were soon showing their class. The passing and pace are a step above the Reds. The Dockers do get a chance to take the lead with a free kick from Alfie which he hits low (instead of straight into the skate park) and forces a good save. Rio gets a chance but thew shot is too tame to trouble the keeper. There is a lot a defending for the Dockers to do especially out wide where the super speedy wingers are causing problems. When the goal comes it is a scruffy one from a goalmouth scramble and the visitors are in the lead. Just when we were thinking how good it would be to be level at the break then we never got to find out. 0-1 when the whistle goes.

The visitors just got better as the second half went on and the second came after a couple of minutes . Newhaven started playing well but could get the important 3rd goal. It was the visitors who found it making it 0-3 on 51 despite Jake making a couple of good saves. The Dockers were struggling to contain the pacey wingers and having to do a lot of defending The Lillywhites sealed it with two more on 65 and 67 to put it out of reach. The Dockers rallied again and had a good ten minutes but couldn't get what would now be just a consolation goal.

POTM: The man between the sticks, Jake Buss kept the score down with some great saves 🧤. Captain fantastic strikes again 🥇.

We have seen the Lillywhites play before at the Sussex Charity Shield when Doug Tuck's Bognor took the win. We weren't there the time we heard of them was when they made it to the FA Cup 1st round when they drew Tranmere away. They were beaten 5-0 at Prenton Park and instead of enjoying their big day out , they were singing anti scouse and north songs like a bunch of kids. They were clearly the better side tonight. Newhaven are doing well in the league and still in the Peter Bentley Cup and looking forward to the Vase. Big season in the league need to focus on that now. And maybe retaining the Peter Bentley Cup and maybe getting to Wembley in the Vase.

To continue the theme of being on our best behaviour we will say that all the officials were great. This is 9th division football after all.

Next up is an away trip to Chelsea.

Love Tranmerekat 🐾

Dark at Fort Road

A few missing

Watching the Ferry

Down by the river