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Newhaven FC visited Billingshurst FC in the 1st round of the Sussex Challenge Cup |
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The Dockers are off to Jubilee Fields to play Hurst or Billie in the first round of the County Cup. Heard that fixture before somewhere. We were here in 2021 for the 1st round of the Sussex Cup. That night we had an early 2 goal lead and lost to a late goal . There were a lot of changes to the team that night after winning 10-0 on the Saturday. This is the fourth of five cup competitions to start this season. We are already out of the PB Cup after a defeat to Crowborough and the FA Cup after a thrashing by YM. We are through to the VASE second round though. The RUR cup starts next week away to YM. Glad we are missing that. There is quite a bit of team news today with a couple of new faces. Jonny Barnes-Galloway is in goal. Hope he doesn't start rapping or managing a Wirral based EFL team. In front of him are Josh Tuck and new boy, Reagan Clarke-Salter. Have the managers been to the sales in the double-barrelled player shop? Outside them are Bailie, left, and Jacob Thomson on the right. Harry Reed and Cai Prichard are in the middle with Cal and Luka out wide. Shonk and Lee are up front. The constant changes at the back again can't be helping the team to settle. Praying for a clean sheet today. We don't get to see Billingshurst very often as they are the league below the Dockers but we still recognise one of the players, Archie Goddard. Fortunately he is on the bench today because he caused the Dockers all sorts of problems last time we were here. Hope he stays sitting down. The weather has been really wet for the last couple of hours but the pitch looks OK. Hope it isn't too slippery as that won't suit the Dockers at all. At least it's not postponed as we half expected. Hope it stays dry for the match otherwise it could get very cosy all sheltered in the little stand.
The Dockers kick off in the drizzle. They are trying to attack but the linesman keeps flagging off- side. Don't think he's getting many of them right as he lets Lee go when a mile off and then flags again when Bailie is a mile on-side. A mile may be an exaggeration and it was more like half a yard or 0.457 metres or 1/3520 of a mile. Luca gets the first goal on 20 ⚽when he cuts in from the left and drags it backwards and forwards across the box to find a shot. It goes in with Lee maybe getting the final touch. 0-1. The lead lasts 5 minutes and the leveller is a Cal style left foot curling worldie. Jonny gets a good touch on it but can't keep it out. 1-1. The next drama is Lee being awarded a penalty for being pulled back as he runs into the box. It's not a bad pen, hard and low, but the keeper makes a good save. Still 1-1 as we break for half time and a chance to get out of the rain.
It's raining hard as the players come back out. The Hurst have made a sub and it's no. 17, Archie Goddard coming on. The Dockers have replaced the injured Josh Tuck with Koby Farrell. We're playing out from the back but give it away again. The resulting shot is saved by Jonny but spills to ….. Archie who makes no mistake from the tight angle. 2-1. The Dockers trailing. Lee nearly levels when he gets clear on 51 but his shot is wide. We get a bit of lucky as the Billie's striker is clearly pulled back in the Docker's box but the ref isn't interested. Phew! Luca and Cal have now swapped wings so both are on their favoured foot. It has a great impact as Cal's great cross from the left finds Shonk at the far post on 61 ⚽. 2-2. It's Cal on the left again as he pulls it back for Lee on 65 ⚽. Dockers leading again. 2-3. The Hurst are pressing and there is a minor disagreement between Koby and Archie(17). It turns into a big debate with lots of players joining in but he ref quickly calms it down and books both players. Archie then tries to continue the disagreement by going head to head with Bailie. Big mistake. HUGE. Silly boy. He is subbed shortly after. Good move as he wouldn't have last much longer before a second yellow. It's a big relief for the Dockers as he is such a threat on goal. The hosts pile on the pressure but can't put a good move together. The Dockers are defending for their lives and smashing everything clear. It's enough to hang on to the win. 2-3. Job done. Time to paddle off home.
The Dockers are on another cup run. And through to the 2nd round of the County Cup for the 3rd year in a row. Didn't get there in 2021, funny that. Tonight was another game that wasn't a great watch and with some major SBT at the end. They hung on somehow and scored enough at the other end to get the job done. We were glad to see the Billie's no. 17 on the bench. Like we predicted he was a handful when he came on and put them in the lead finishing well. He's a tricky and pacey player so we were very happy when he was subbed off. Although we had to celebrate quietly as his mum and dad were near us in the crowd. There were a lot of lack lustre performances and we can see a few changes being made for Saturday. Josh got a bit shouty when it was all going a bit Pete Tong (like another Tuck we know). Hope he's not too badly injured. Finally, at least towards the end, the wingers were playing on their proper side. Should be a rule banning inverted wingers. Might start a petition📝. The new/stand-in keeper did OK. Their first goal was bound for the top corner and he did really well to even get a hand on it. Thanks to the ground staff for making and keeping the pitch playable in such bad weather. It was starting to cut up a bit but was so much better than a lot of pitches out there. An "enjoyable" trip into darkest West Sussex. Just got to wait for the 2nd round draw now. Hopefully someone that we have a chance of beating and not get a battering from like the last couple of years. Off home to dry out now. There was a game at Fort Road tonight. Eastbourne Utd beating Wick 4-0. No news of what time the ferry came in. Will have to check the match report.
POTM: A lot of poor performances out there but Cal got a couple of crucial assists so gets the award.
This ref doesn't seem to have consistency in his skill set. Or does he?. It was a difficult game in the rain to be fair. And speaking of rain, how does a linesperson wearing glasses see in what was fairly constant rain? Not criticising, just curious. Also the linesperson wearing glasses in the rain was by far the better of the 2. "No glasses" didn't get much right but it did even up in the 2nd half.
Scran'o'meter loved the milky hot chocolate, 9/10.
See you soon.
Love Tranmerekat 🐾
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| Arrived at Billie |
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| Got dark quick |
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| Tonight's teams |
