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Newhaven FC host Whitehawk FC in a pre-season friendly at Fort Road |
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The Dockers ⚓ are back and hosting the Oakmen 🌳 in the first pre-season friendly at Fort Road. It’s the first of 4 home fixtures for the Dockers before the season starts in August. There are some managerial changes. Breachy is back with Clive Blunt staying on as assistant along with Ryan Watson. Cooky is back too. He is Head of Football covering both the Men’s and Women’s teams. It’s great to see the dynamic duo back as they have brought so much to the Dockers for the last 10 years. There are a lot of new faces in the squad. The ever present Lee (big) Robbo Robinson is at No .9. We think it’s Blunty at No. 4 and Joss at 8. One that is among the missing is our favourite no. 10, Alie Rogers, who is already scoring goals back at Whitehawk again. There are some familiar faces but we didn’t see the Dockers much late last season and there was a big turnover of the squad due to and not helping their performance difficulties. Last season, the Dockers won all 5 pre-season games and were flying. It came to a grinding (or crunching) end when Bussy got knocked out in the first Cup game and it continued to unravel horribly for much of the season. Let's hope for a better start to the competitive games this season. It's a nice evening by the Ouse but the wind down the river is a little bit keen. 7:45 comes and goes and we eventually start 7 minutes late. No rush ref. Come on you Dockers!
It’s the Dockers who are first to score after just 9 minutes. The No.7 runs on to a through ball on the half way line. He keeps going on a mazy run and smashes it home from inside the box ⚽. 1-0. Great goal No.7. The Oakmen equalise on 12 from a well worked free kick just outside the box. 1-1. They slightly have the upper hand as the Dockers find it hard to settle. The visitors take the lead on 37 with a shot from wide right after a good run. 1-2. No injury time is added and it’s still advantage to the Oakmen on 45.
The Dockers went off for some tea and biscuits while the Oakmen stayed on to run a few lengths of the pitch. A complete new set of Dockers, except Robbo, come out for the second half. The Oakmen are unchanged. The Dockers 2.0 equalise on 56. There is a goalmouth scramble and it comes out to the No.5 who is wide in the box. He volleys across the keeper into the far side of the net ⚽. Nice goal No.5. The Dockers get a corner on 58 and the Oakmen’s No.6 heads it into his own net ⚽. Thanks 3-2. And a nice diving header it was too. It’s been much better for the Dockers since the changes. More solid in defence and better connections all over the pitch. It turns into a game of long range head ping pong as the clock winds down. It finishes 3-2 with no injury time after a much better performance. Might see a few more of Dockers 2.0 in the starting line up next time out. The score doesn't matter in a friendly. Yeah right. Tell that to the players. A win makes a better watch too. It’s going to be an interesting pre-season with so many players on the books. A good few looked promising but we’ll have to wait to find out their names. We’ve got a Pre-Season Ticket for all the home games. Not sure how many we will get to yet. I wasn’t the world’s best football tonight but it was ok and it’s very good to be back in the crowd. Here’s to the rest of 25-26.
POTM: goes to the Dockers defender wearing No.16. Good with his head and his feet. Hope to see more and find out who he is.
The ref was very friendly and chatting and managed the game very well. There was a single decision that we, and the Docker involved, disagreed with and it looked like a howler. He gave a goal kick for a clear Dockers corner. Got the rest right though and the tone of the game was spot on, keeping the friendly, friendly.
The Scran’O’meter enjoyed the hot chocolate ☕ 7/10 served from the shiny new kitchen 10/10.
Ferry watch: ⛴ Côte d'Albâtre came in spot on time. Well done Captain.
Love Tranmerekat 🐾
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| Sunshine by the Ouse |
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| Small boats |
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| It's a big place and I'm small |
