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Billy Punt!Newhaven FC play Steyning Town Community FC in the PB Cup Semi-Final at Middle Road |
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Where are we and what’s going on?
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| 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 🐾
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| A fantastic sunset |
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| A new ground |
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| The team news |
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| Playing under the lights in Shoreham |
