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Newhaven FC away to Saltdean United in the SCFL at Hill Park |
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The Dockers visit the Tigers in the second league game of the new era. This fixture was postponed from last year due to a waterlogged pitch between Christmas and New Year. It’s a chilly night at Hill Park but it’s stayed dry and the wind has dropped. Hopefully a good game will follow. We have paid £2 for the programme which is a 100% price increase and something we really approve of. Anything that keeps printed programmes going is fine by us. Saltdean are just above the relegation spot with just 2 wins to their credit. They have started to draw some games so will hopefully pick up enough points to stay (just). Just not tonight of course. You can’t have rivalries without rivals so we would be disappointed if they went down. The building work for the new club house and stand has started. The stand still has wooden benches but is much longer and already in use. The club house is only a single storey peeking over the hoarding. Team new now. Reedy has moved up to fight wing. Behind him is a new face, Richmond Osei. Related to Kwabs? Hope he’s as good. “Inset short fanfare here” because Little is getting his first start for a year following a few sub appearances including a late goal at the Withdean on Saturday. “Big” is in the crowd as he’s under the weather. There are two new faces on the bench. They are Dexter Lambert and Liam Osborne. No familiar faces in the Tigers. Aaron is in the crowd and there is no sign of Marley so he must have moved on. The teams change ends after the toss so the Dockers are attacking the south end.
The Dockers get plenty of the ball and get the first chance but Bailie’s header is well saved. There are a few more chances but then the first goal comes from nowhere. Literally! The Dockers are pressing just inside the Tigers half when the ref blows the whistle. What for? Who knows? Not us or the lino. It turns out that the ref has given a penalty for a foul on Jake off the ball. Saltdean are livid. We’ll take it though, or rather Jake takes it and smashes it home ⚽. 0-1. There are some more odd decisions with pushes on jumping players going unpunished and 50:50 tackle resulting in free kicks. We can almost hear the Monty Python music playing in the background. He is certainly making it up as he goes along. The half finishes with no more drama. 0-1 to the visitors.
The second half starts where the first left off. There is a comedy of errors from the ref. The crowd is baffled. The equaliser comes on 60 and it’s a great goal. The ball is turned over in the middle of the pitch and lumped forward. The Tigers No.9 runs under it, pulls it down with his first touch and gives Josh no chance with the finish. All very James Norwood circa 2019. The game starts to get a bit niggley Tucky is booked as seems to be usual these days. The Robinsons combine as Little blocks a Tigers defensive clearance. It lands at the feet of Jake who fires it at the goal from about 35 yards. The keeper is caught unawares and it’s 2-1 to the Dockers on 67 ⚽. Saltdean have been better this half but they have had a shocker there. It’s time for some Dockers changes with Kwabs on for Tuck who looks injured. Little is working back to match fitness and is replaced by Dexter Lambert. It gets more niggley now and there are some bizarre decisions. Reagn and Bailie both booked for something or other. There are a few more subs. Kieron is shouting a lot to try to motivate his boys to get back into the game. It’s almost working as they have the Dockers pinned in. There are some late subs with Orbourne for Reedy and Warwick for Radley-Martin. Jake wanders over to the touchline as the number 10 is held up. He’s not 10 today and he knows it. He wanders back to the centre circle as Warwick who is the 10 leaves the pitch. The number 9 is held up now and Jake wanders slowly back to the touchline where he is replaced by Mo, our favourite supersub on 90+4. Top time wasting from Jake. Eventually the ref decides he wants a cup of tea and blows the whistle. Victory on the road for the Dockers.
That was fun and bizarre at the same time. The Dockers huffed and puffed a bit but had quality that the Tigers couldn’t match. The Tigers are organised, Kieron does his best, but are 2nd bottom for a reason. It will be a surprise, and very disappointing, if they get relegated. It’s back to back away wins for the Dockers who are starting to creep back up the table. Fingers crossed for some consistency building through the rest of the season. It's exciting to see the building work started. We like the bigger stand already. Wondering how they are going to level the pitch for the 3G and what they might find buried under it 💰🦴🤷. Looking forward to seeing the progress next season.V
POTM: Performance of the day goes to Jake 🏅. Great energy, fantastic goals and top time wasting.
The Scran’O'meter enjoyed the hot chocolate and rated it 8/10.
The officiating was bizarre at times tonight. The decision making was very strange and “he making it up as he goes along” has rarely been more accurate. No-one saw the foul on Jake for the pen but we’ll take it. Lino on our side was a bit bewildered by what was going on.
Three points heading back along the A259.
See you soon.
Love Tranmerekat 🐾
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| In the new stand |
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| Back at Hill Park |
