271 - Newhaven v Steyning

Billy Punt! Newhaven FC play Steyning Town Community FC in the PB Cup Semi-Final at Middle Road

Where are we and what’s going on?

A new ground

The Dockers face the Barrowmen at the home of Shoreham FC. The clocks changed at the weekend so we are being treated to a lovely sunset before the kickoff. It’s cool and still but the clouds are looking threatening. As if facing the league leaders isn’t enough of a challenge! The Dockers have showed a little more consistency in recent games. Fingers crossed that it carries into today.

A fantastic sunset

Newhaven are the home team today so are in red with the Barrowmen in away Blue. There is a change in goal from Saturday with Jonny returning. Dan and Eliot are in the middle with Rudy on the left and Richmond on the right. Richmond is making his 50th appearance for the Dockers. He is a favourite of ours so we hope he adds another POTM to his collection tonight. Harry drops to the bench. Charlie is in the 6 with Shay moving up to the 8. Or maybe it’s a double pivot whatever that is? The rest is the same with Blunty is the 10 with Lee in front in the 9. Teddy is on the right with Ezra on the left.

The team news

There is a familiar face on the bench for the Barrowmen. It’s the young ex-Dockers striker, Alex Plummer.

The sun is setting in the West and also potentially on our Cup runs for this season. It could go horribly wrong but, we are here in hope. We have a good feeling after the Dockers performance on Saturday. The Barrowmen have won every game on the mainland this year having only lost to Guernsey away. Let’s hope this is the end of that run. Here we go. Come on you Dockers.

Off We Go..

The first chance goes to the Dockers attacking the East end in front of us. Blunty can’t capitalise though and it’s gone. Shame, an early goal would have been nice.

Steyning are now keeping the ball well and looking dangerous on the break. They have a couple of chances before scoring from a fast break on 15. 0-1. Too easy. 🤷

They double their lead on 19 from a corner. Jonny gets finger tips on it but only deflects it onto the head of the striker at the far post. 0-2. This could be a very long night indeed 🤦.

The Steyning Ultras behind Jonny are making a good noise, getting behind their team.

But the Dockers start to dig in and defend. There is just a single decent chance each way. Ezra can’t convert for the Dockers and Steyning hit over. Despite our early fears, it’s just a 2 goal deficit at the break. Phew!

The Barrowmen make a change at the break with, familiar face, Alex Plummer coming on for the goal scorer, Marcus Allen.

The Dockers are much more aggressive when they come back out. The chances come and go from Shay, Ezra and Rudi. A goal now would make it a very different game. Just need a bit more composure. And probably a bit of luck 🍀.

It turns scrappy again with the Docker hampering the Barrowmen’s usual free-scoring style. Eliot is booked for a desperate challenge. Taking one for the team but gives away a free-kick in a dangerous area. Relief from us at it goes just wide.

The Dockers start to make changes on 65. It’s Ash for Teddy with Ezra swapping to the right wing. Then Tom for Charlie in front of the defence. Charlie has done a good job but Tom’s experience will help us maintain our solidity.

Jonny is called into action and makes a great save on 71.

The rest of the changes happen on 75 as Shay, Ezra and Richmond are replaced by Harley, Billy and Harry.

To the surprise of no-one at all, Tom is booked for a bad tackle. The physio fixes the player up with a bit of magic spray. The Barrowmen get a free kick that thankfully skims just wide.

The Dockers young ultras are singing 🎵how shit must you be, it’s only 2 nil🎵. Love them. Hope it’s not tempting fate though.

We’re in to 4 added minutes.

We have our heads in our hands as Billy meets Ash’s low cross. His touch is awful and he hits the ball well over from just 2 yards out. What a miss. 🤦 That would have really shaken up the last 3 minutes.

But it wasn’t be although we stayed in it until the end. A night to move on from without worrying about it too much.

Playing under the lights in Shoreham

We think it’s all over..

We came in hope rather than expectation. It’s not the result that we hoped for but better than we expected. Especially early on 😱. It’s a performance that the young (mostly) Dockers should be proud of. The Barrowmen have had a great season and have been free scoring, often scoring 5 or more. That they were held to just 2 goals  tonight is a great credit to the Dockers. The second half was more confident than the first. No-one would have been surprised if the 2 early goals had turned into a hat full. But it didn’t. A goal back would have made it very exciting especially near the end. Billy must be absolutely gutted that he hit it so far over the bar from so close in. Silly Billy. Soz. Other than that, we never really looked like scoring.

A better pitch might have prompted a better game of football. How that would have impacted the result we don’t know but both teams play on 3G pitches at home.

The weather stayed nice despite the threatening clouds. It was still, dry and not too cold.

It was good to meet Russell Bromage in the 2nd half. He knows the Tucks well from his time working at Brighton. And knows the Legend that is Micky Mellon from when they were both at Bristol City. He also worked with ex Brighton, Worthing and Docker, Jake Robinson while at Brighton.

That’s our cup ambitions over for another season. It could have been worse. We are now back to concentrating on the league and pushing into the playoff places. The Easter weekend fixtures are up next so see you soon.

The Other Bits

POTM: It was a good team performance but it has to go to a defender. Our choice is Eliot Bresciani 🏅 for a solid game at the heart of the defence. Well done .

Officially opinionated: We had only just commented that the ref, who was unusually wearing glasses, that he had already been to Specsavers 👓. Then it suddenly became apparent that he hadn’t 🦯. It didn’t get any worse and he generally did well. A little moaning from both sides is often a good sign. There were enough offsides to prove that both the assistants were awake. There were mistakes at the end. Tiredness? The ref stopped play for an injury after the ball had gone out only to have the keeper point out that the ball had stopped a foot short of the touchline. Opps. Dropped ball it is then.

The Scran’O’meter rated the hot chocolate a warm and wet 6.5/10.

Programme Perusal: The free programme is cheap and cheerful. Contains what is needed about the match. Thanks👍 8/10.

See you so you at Easter 🥚🐤🐰.

Love Tranmerekat 🐾

A fantastic sunset

A new ground

The team news

Playing under the lights in Shoreham

Worthing v Chesham

We're the Good Ol’ Rebels Worthing FC host Chesham United in the National league South at the Sussex Transport Community Stadium

Where are we and what’s going on?

For the 2nd week in a row, we are back in Sunny Worthing to watch the improving Rebels. This week it’s the Generals hoping to steal away with 3 points. The Rebels lost at the weekend away to Hornchurch so dropped to 3rd in the league. The Generals are just shy of the playoff places so will be really up for this.

It’s a mild evening in West Sussex. The crowd is a little smaller at 1575 but it’s still a good crowd for a Tuesday night. The drum is ready behind us. There is no segregation tonight. Any Chesham fans that are here, aren't making their presence felt.

There are a couple of changes from last week with 6 Ben Jackson in 5 Joe Cook. Sam Packham and Toby Byron are in for Jack Spong and Brad Dologhan. With Byron and Raz on the wings, it looks like Remerio Moulton is up front.

We don’t know any of the Generals but they do have a very nice yellow and black kit.

Can Worthing get back to winning ways. There is only one way to find out, let’s see how it goes. Come on you Rebels.

Here we go

The first chance goes to the Rebels as Jenks feeds Byron who puts it just wide. Ben Jackson is booked on 8 for a late lunge on Samual Esan just outside the box. We don’t think he made much contact but it was late so fair enough.

The Rebels are making a good noise. Bognor is still getting some stick, we’re here with the Rebels not the Rocks.

Raz gets a half chance but is unable to convert it. A much better chance comes along in a strange way. The Generals keeper picks up the ball from a backpass. The consequence is an indirect freekick inside the box. Unfortunately it’s blocked but goes out for a corner. That was different. Not seen that before.

The Generals right back 22 Josh Assae has a huge, I mean huuuge, throw. Risking straining something to save a corner and put the ball out for a throw doesn’t seem like the wisest move. He can reach the middle of the goal with it and it’s much harder to defend than a corner. It’s causing chaos when he gets to use it.

It’s Teddy Jenks turn to be booked for a late tackle. Not sure it was much of a foul.

The big throw is back. Karl Oliyide meets it well but heads just wide.

Nearing half an hour gone and Byron turns provider to Moulton but it’s wide. Back down the other end where Captain Colbran makes a couple of really good blocks.

A cross from Sam Packham is met by a charging Colbran who buries it at the back post⚽. 1-0.

The visitors no.8 Giorgio Rasulo is down injured. He can’t continue and is replaced by Alex Babos.

The Generals pressing for a goal back but Taylor denies them in the last minute of the 45.

There are 2 extra minutes. A long volley from George Cox hits the angle of the bar and post. So close. It’s a narrow lead at the break.

The 50/50 🎫 is drawn at half time 🙏. We didn’t win 👎.

There are a change for the Rebels with defender Ben (Not Stonewall, he wasn’t a Rebel) Jackson making way for Joe Cook. Ben had a good half, very solid.

George Cox is down with a head injury on 54.. It’s a long stoppage but thankfully he is OK to continue.

Byrom’s shot is saved by Goode, Packham picks up the rebound but it trickles wide.

There is danger in the Rebels goal mouth. Taylor Seymour spills his save but Colbran is on hand to make a goalline clearance. Phew!

Down the other end and Raz feeds the ball to Byrom but he puts it just wide.

There is a change for the Rebels as last week’s POTM, Remiro Moulton is replaced by Ollie Godziemski. Ollie Ollie is the chant.

He with the long throw, Josh Addae, hits over the Rebels goal from close range.

The Generals make 3 changes with Bob Lee, Patton and Grant making way for Sherman, Eisenhower and Pershing. Sorry, that’s the wrong Generals. It’s Esan, Brown and Oliyde that are replaced by Adebiyi, Bennetts and Weiss.

Bennetts soon forces a low save out of Seymour on 78.

Another General's change sees Josephs replace Williams up front.

Seyour plays the ball out to Jenks who launches a long cross field pass. A slight touch with his chest from Ollie Godziemski plays it into his path. He is very wide but has no support in the middle. Is he worried. No. Somehow he beats the keeper to squeeze it into the net from an impossible angle on 85 ⚽. 2-0. How did he do that? 4 touches from the keeper to the back of the next. Ollie Ollie indeed.

Byron makes way for Owen Spicer on 87.

There are 7 additional minutes announced.

The Generals start to apply the pressure with Seymour getting tested and needing to make a couple of great saves including a big punch clear. It’s backs to the wall for a few minutes. Zak Josephs hits a good shot but he pulls it just wide.

We get to 98 and the final whistle goes. 3 points and a clean sheet. Well done you Rebels.

We think it’s all over

Another good game at Woodside Road. We could get used to this. A great performance against another good team. The right result was ground out in the end. There were times when it was everyone back in defence with bodies on the line. Shots were blocked and saves made but the job got done. It’s very tight in the playoff spots.

It was much more fun in the standing stand. Very noisy with the drum going and a surprising variety of songs about Bognor. We know where to stand next time we visit. It’s a shame that these 2 games are the only ones we will be able to get to here this season. It's been great fun though. We’ll be back!

In other news, Tranmere lost at home to Accrington Stanley (who), conceding 2 very late goals. The chances of the Rovers meeting the Rebels next season just increased significantly.

The Other Bits

POTM: Every save, saves a goal at the other end and not all should be taken for granted. Well done Taylor Seymour, a clean sheet in a very tough game. Those late saves worth all 3 points.

The ref had a reasonably easy game and let it flow well. There were a few late challenges that maybe needed to be dealt with, The assistant at the east end missed some clear offsides for both teams so at least he was consistently poor.

The Scran’O’meter repeated last week's record 10/10 for the hot chocolate. We’re going to miss that.

We’re not sure where we will be next, hopefully the Lionesses in Nottingham. If not we’ll see you for Brighton’s trip to Kingston.

Love Tranmerekat 🐾

Three fishes FC

 

Under the lights at Woodside Road

A Full Worm Moon tonight

A bit of reading for halftime