Newhaven v Hassocks

HasSocks and Sandals Newhaven FC away to Hassocks FC at The Beacon Ground

Where are we and what's going on?

It’s a lovely sunny evening in West Sussex. The Dockers ⚓ are away to the Robins 🐦 in the first away game of the season. We haven’t seen the new away kit yet. Hope it’s nice. And the first game on grass for a while. Hope it’s not too hard. The pitch does look OK if a little lumpy and the grass is green due to some recent rain in Hassocks.

The teams are out and the Dockers are in  light blue  with white shorts. We like it. Leo is in goal. In front of him are Matt and Max. Out wide are Rudy and Shay. In the middle are Blunty, Joe and Billy. Up front is Captain Lee with Ezra and Tyler. Strangely, George is on the bench. We expected him to be banned for today's game after his red card. Maybe Andy Burnham had a word and got it suspended 🤣.

The Robins are much taller than Shoreham. We recognise the keeper. He was at Steyning at the end of last season when we played them in the cup. He’s Mitch Bromage whose Dad, Russell, we met at that game.

We have left the dark clouds in Newhaven and it’s nice and sunny in Hassocks. Were sat on a park bench with a good view and we have hot chocolate. The Robins won 5-1 at the weekend so have the advantage of knowing where the goal is.

There is a change of ends before the start. The Dockers must have won the toss as the Robins are now starting facing into the low sun ☀. Oh dear, what a pity, nevermind. Anyone want to borrow a cap and some shades 🧢🕶. Come on you Dockers ⚓.

Off we go..

The sides are feeling each other out. It might take the Dockers a while to get the feel of the pitch.

We get a corner, then another but the soft header is easily caught.

On 20 minutes, the Robins unveil their secret weapon. The No. 6 Kyle Sim, has a long throw. He can easily reach the near post. It’s easily caught this time.

A great cross from Robbo find Tyler who's shot bounces down off the bar and Billy is on hand to tap it home on 21 ⚽. 0-1.

Ezra cuts in after a run down the left and puts in a good cross but it just evades Lee on 27.

There is a pause in the play as Max is down injured on 28.  The Dockers use it as an impromptu hydration break 🚰 while the Robins just stand around having a nice chat 🗣. Max goes off and it seems like he has to wait a couple of minutes to come back on. Ref must have been busy.

It looks Tyler is playing as the 10 with Billy in the 9 and Lee on the right.

A long Robins throw into the Dockers box, it’s headed a few times by both teams before one of the Robins lobs it way over the goal. Glad we parked at the other end.

A thundering shot from the edge of the Dockers box is clearly stopped by a light blue clad elbow. The ref doesn’t (can’t) see it and neither does the lino on the far side. We have a clear view and sit back quietly watching the Robins players and fans venting their frustrations at the ref 😶.

A good run by Billy down the left ends in a poor cross that is easily caught by the keeper. The Dockers falling short on quality again tonight.

Tyler makes a good break away on 45+3 but he’s hacked down in the centre circle. It would appear that the ref doesn’t want to own up that he has forgotten his cards as that is a clear yellow.

It's 45+4 when the whistle goes and it’s a 0-1 lead for the visitors.

The Dockers are back in action as Billy’s deep run sees him cut the ball back to Lee but it’s intercepted. Billy was in a good place for a shot. Just HIT IT. Too much time spent trying the perfect goal.

A long ball from Lee finds Billy who crosses to Joe. Joe goes for power and the ball flies way over and heading for the car park.

Leo is needed to make a good save on 62. The ball runs loose in the box and the Robins forward throws himself into a sliding tackle . He gets to the ball and prods it towards the goal. Leo anticipates it well and makes the stop.

Robbo runs on to a ball down the right and knocks it past the defender who then flattens him. An easy yellow . But apparently, it’s a dropped ball for the Robins. How bizarre 🤪.

Ezra goes down in the centre circle on 60. Didn’t see what happened but it’s another hydration break. Ezra hobbles off and is replaced by Jesse Lambert.

Tyler makes way for Dan Allen on 70.

Some good play by Jesse and Joe gets the ball to Lee at the edge of the box. He makes himself the space and slots it into the bottom corner on 75 ⚽. Classic Robbo. 1-2. Back in the lead.

Leo is being kept busy now as he makes a good catch after a cross is flicked on by a Robin head.

The ref is counting down every time Leo has the ball. It’s not exactly speeding things up as he knows exactly how long he can waste now. 5-4-3-2-1-kick.

The Robins are starting to push more now. Leo slices a goal(miss)kick and it slams into the home bench. Hope no-one was hurt.

There is a cheer from the crowd on 88 as they think the Robins have equalised but somehow Rudy Jones clears it off the line. There is dismay in the Robins. The ref checks with the assistant. No goal ❌. Try again boys.

It’s so close again but the Dockers head it off the line twice on 90+2. It’s getting nervy at the back. The Robins are desperate for an equaliser and might get it yet.

The shot from range on 90+6 is a desperate and easy catch for Leo.

The Dockers get one more chance as Jesse gets clear but his shot is tame. He is harassing the keeper though, which is helping to run down the clock.

It’s finally over on 90+8.  And breath. Time for a quick photo of the posh scoreboard (🦃1-2⚓) before we head home.

We think it’s all over..

That was a difficult watch at times. I’m not sure that the best team won but the most stubborn one did. Some very last ditch defending kept us in the game. Neither team played well and the result flattered us but Lee found a bit of quality to get it and us over the line. Reliable Robbo.

The subs did seem to help this time, adding energy. Jesse was a great threat chasing and harassing giving Billy a rest. It helped to run down the clock as they put us under pressure in the dying minutes.

The opponents provided very little threat in the first 45. Their goal came out of nowhere. The biggest threat they had came was the long throw. They kept using it but never got the better of the Dockers’ defenders.

It was nice of our host to provide a nice big scoreboard to take selfies in front of. Thanks for that. And it makes it easier to tell “How Much?” time the man in black has added on. It did seem to go on and on ⏱.

It’s 3 points on the board for the Dockers and that moves them up to 5th just behind the teams with 2 wins.

It’s been an enjoyable evening, sitting on our bench on a bank with a good view. Up next is Forest Row away in the FA Cup on Friday. See you there.

The Other Bits

POTM: He’s back and in some style. A goal and an almost assist to Lee (big) Robbo 🏅. Well done Lee.

Officially Opinionated: We have more than a little (oops) to say about the ref tonight. He was very pedantic (and we do like a pedantic ref) making sure all the free kicks were taken from the correct spot. He also counted down every time Leo had the ball. It did seem to slow things down because he waited as long as he could. He made the delay inevitable. Every time. He did miss the handball that the Robins claimed. But he was unsighted by a crowd of tall players. He did wind up both sets of players and staff but he was at least consistent. We have seen and will see much much worse officiating.

The assistants got their calls mostly right. It’s easy to criticise when you are level with the line and he is running to keep up. So well done. Thanks.

Programme perusal: The programme is great. It’s not shiny but here is great content. A bargain at £2.

The Scran’O’meter rated the hot chocolate at 7.5. The bench we drank it on added +1 so it’s 8.5 tonight.

See you soon.

Love Tranmerekat 🐾

Blue sky at Hassocks

Nice new scoreboard 😉

Newhaven v Seaford

Thank Good it's Friday Newhaven FC v Seaford Town FC in SCFL Premier League at The Crouch

Where are we and what's going on?

It’s Derby Day part 1 so the Dockers visit the Badgers on Good Friday evening. It’s April but it’s cold and windy. Having lost narrowly to the league leaders on Tuesday, exiting the PB Cup. We’re hoping that they can bring some of that confidence and defensive resilience today. They will need it as this is another game on a pitch that isn’t the best.

The line ups are out and it’s Jonny in goal as usual with Dan and Elliot in front. Richmond and Rudi are out wide. It’s Tom in the 6, Charlie in the 8 and Blunty in the 10. The front 3 is Ezra, unusually on the right, Ash on the left and Lee in the middle. Tonight the Dockers are wearing the Reform Turquoise away kit.

In the middle of the Badgers defence is ex Docker Max Vardy. Another familiar name is in the line up is Callum Connor.

Playing on the Friday night ahead of all the other fixtures on Saturday gives us the chance of a brief jump up the table. And it’s a game under the lights. We have a nice view of Seaford Head before it goes dark though.

Will they be tired from Tuesday? Let’s hope that the momentum of that performance pulls them through. Time to find out. Come on you Dockers.

Off we go..

The Badgers kick off with the wind. It is breezy so we’re sheltering in the stand. It’s first chance to the Dockers but Tom’s shot is straight at the keeper. The Badgers have clearly selected Ezra as a target. He is getting plenty of space down the right and making good use of it. He can’t make any use of it though as he is getting fouled again and again. Luckily he doesn’t get injured. They get a couple of yellows for their troubles and there is lots of moaning at the ref.

The next chance goes to Seaford but the shot is straight at Jonny. The next 2 chances go to the Dockers as Robbo heads just over from Ezra and Blunty’s cross skims across the goalmouth to be met by nobody. There are more chances as Ezra’s shot is deflected over. The resulting corner is headed straight at the keeper by Elliot.

Lee gets a good shout for a penalty but he’s not going to get that from these officials. Far too obvious 🤦.

It turns into a dull game of football after the first 15-20 minutes of end to end.

The Dockers kick off for the 2nd half. Playing with the wind now and it seems to have got stronger. It’s causing issues and catching them out a bit.

The Badgers break quickly on 51. There is a trip in the box and the ref points to the spot. The man in our stand that was in line with it says it was a mile offside but the lino was 5 yards behind the play so couldn’t see. Harsh on the Dockers. The penalty taker sends Jonny the wrong way. 1-0.

We come close as Ezra and Blunty combine to come close on 53.

Teddy comes on for Ash who has had a good game.  He is soon in the action and scores on 59 but it’s offside apparently.

We score for real this time as Charlie Gibson gets clear to equalise ⚽. 1-1.

It’s still 1-1 as Blunty hit wide on 62. Ditto for Charlie Gibson on 66.

The Dockers are in control now. It's Robbo's turn to miss as he can’t control a cross and hit over on 75.

Robbo is in the action again as he and Ezra get in each others way at the far post and no-one heads home.

Elliot is booked on 80. It’s getting a bit heated. The ref is not having a good day at the office.

Youngster Harley for Charlie on 82.

We are into injury time, this could take a while. It’s getting more bad tempered and the Badger Captain for talking back after the ref was telling off one of his teammates.

The Dockers bench are getting a talking to but refusing to sit down. The ref has lost any control of the game he may of have still had.

Play eventually continues and the Dockers are getting corner after corner. Some are just going straight over, caught in the wind.

A dreadful offside from the lino again. The Badgers keeper is time wasting and it raises the temperature even more. It’s so chaotic, how much time is he going to add on for all this carnage.

At 90+5 Billy (hooray) comes on for Tom. That’s a midfielder off and a striker on. Go Dockers.

The Dockers get another corner from the left (i.e. downhill and with the wind). There is a scramble on the goalline and the ball half crosses the line. It’s not cleared and it’s tapped home by one of the Dockers ⚽. 2-1. The Badgers are furious with the lino but I think they are clean out of favours from the officials tonight.

The keeper is refusing the restart with the ball which is still in the net 😭.

Dexter comes on for Robbo on 90+11.

There are a couple more minutes and it’s all over on 90+13. 2-1. We make a sharp exit in case it all goes off.

We think it’s all over..

Well that was good fun. The first half was not great for football or entertainment. The second had some better football and some top notch entertainment. Especially at the end when it went a bit bonkers 🤪.

The performance was good, especially at the start. We were worried that it would tail off when they got tired. They had a very hard game on Tuesday and gave their absolute all in that. It didn’t show today. The mentality told at the end with the young Dockers staying focused on the match when it was going off all around them. Lee would have been giving the ref grief whatever so making him Captain saves him getting in trouble for it.

The result helped the Dockers climb the league a couple of places. We only dropped 1 place back to 7th when the other games were played on Saturday so we’re still in the playoffs.

In other news, Tranmere lost away to Shrewsbury, glad we didn’t go. Crawley won, so did Harrogate so it’s looking grim for the Rovers at the bottom of league 2.

The Other Bits

POTM: goes to Ezra for causing them nightmares down the right wing. Well done, again, Ezra 🏅.

Officially opinionated: Well, where to start? There were some early mistakes which ramped up the pressure a bit. There were more dodgy calls and the moaning increased. The missed penalty call in the 1st half was a sign of things to come. Breachy provided some feedback and would have been booked had he not been right. It got very feisty at 90 minutes and the Badger’s Captain got sin-binned. The time wasting was the trigger for what happened in injury time. The ref and the uphill assistant were shouting at the Dockers bench for ages. To little effect. They had completely lost control. The worst officiating we have seen in a long long time.

The Scran’O’meter scored the hot chocolate a mediocre 6.5/10.

There was no programme available today. 0/10.

See you soon.

Love Tranmerekat 🐾

The Crouch

Under the lights

Newhaven v Forest Row

Sweat 16 Newhaven FC host Forest Row FC in the Southern Combined Premier League at Fort Road

Where are we and What's going on?

The Dockers ⚓ host the Frow 🫎 on a changeable Spring afternoon. We won away to Pagham last Saturday. Can we make it 2 in a row? Consistency has been a bit lacking this season and we sit in 8th, just short of the playoff places. But we have poor goal difference. The Frow are just below in 12th. We beat them 2-0 here in the Sussex Cup back here in September.

Roman is in goal with Elliot and new face Dan Allen. Right back is Harry Hammond and left wing is Rudy Jones who is new to us. Shay Tobin and youngster Harley King are in midfield. Blunty is in the 10 with Lee in the 9. Ezra is on the left wing with Teddy on the right. It’s Ezra’s 50th Dockers game 🎂.

The is an Andrade in the FROW team. Rings a bell. That day ended well 🏆.

We have donated our tins of soup and beans and sneaked in some wagon wheels and skinny whips 👀.   All donations go to the Haven Hub. It got us a discount on entry that we can spend on more chocolate 🍫.

The Seven Sisters is already docked. The Ultra’s have a drum and a siren. We have chocolate. Let’s get this Frow on the road. Come on you Dockers.

Off we go..

We’re 10 minutes in when we get our first chance. It's Blunty's free kick but Lee doesn’t get enough on it.

We ge lucky not to gift a goal to the Frow. Need to be careful here!

Robbo gets another chance on 14. He runs onto a through ball on the left, chips the keeper but it runs just wide of the right post. Groan.

A couple of minutes later and Harley King does what Lee couldn’t and his chip over the keeper is on target on 18 ⚽. 1-0.

Before the restart, the ref goes to talk to the lino. The Frow No. 11 is sent off to the sin bin . Don’t know what he said but it didn’t go down well. He’s got 10 minutes to mull it over now.

The Dockers are in charge. Blunty’s next next chance goes over too.

It’s half an hour gone and the Frow are back to 11 without the Dockers capitalising on the advantage.

Harley is in the action again when he plays in Robbo. It’s a great finish on 43 ⚽. 2-0.

We’re going to have to wait until the 2nd half for the important 3rd goal as it’s 2-0 at the break.

There is one change at the break with Richmond going on for Harry Hammond.

The next chance goes to the Dockers as Blunty forces a good save.

There is little good football but the Frow force Roman into a save from range.

We get more chances but Ezra hits wide and Robbo’s its straight at the keeper.

Ezra exits the action on 67 to be replaced by Dexter with Teddy moving to the left wing.

Dexter is lively but hits just wide on 72.

Lee, Ryan and Teddy combine but the end product is saved.

Harley has had a great game and is replaced by Charlie on 76. Then Teddy is replaced by Ash on 83.

Robbo is badly fouled in the box. After the treatment, he scores from the spot into the bottom left corner on 86 ⚽. 3-0.

The last change of the night is Robbo making way for Arthur Rawlins.

And the last action of the night is Roman making a big save to keep the clean sheet.

The whistle goes to signal the end and it’s 3-0 and 3 points to the Dockers. To celebrate Seven Sisters turns around and heads for France.

We think it’s all over..

The Dockers look like the Dockers again. A commanding performance. Lots of hard work, some great creativity and a few mistakes. Love it ❤. Great performances all over the pitch. Harvey with a goal and an assist on his debut. Lee got a brace and Teddy, Ezra and Dexter were all a threat. Blunty likes to chip in with his share and nearly did. They were never really threatened except for the odd half chance and a good chance too late for it to really matter. The squad is looking settled so hopefully a good run from here to the end of the season will see them sneak into the playoffs.

Next up for the Dockers is the PB Cup Semi-Final against Steyning. It’s at Shoreham and was previously postponed. Steyning are flying at the top of the league again (again) so that will be a tough one.

The Other Bits

POTM: It was a fantastic team performance but the stand out was 16 year old Harley King with a goal and an assist on his debut. Quite an entrance. Well done Harley 🏅. Hope this is the first of many in the years to come.

Officially Opinionated: Love a ref who’s pedantic about where freekicks and throw-ins are taken. Sometimes anyway. He did OK overall. The 5th official 😶 wasn’t present today so we didn’t get the official opinion on the ref’s performance.

The Scran’O’meter was very disappointed with the hot chocolate today. The staff are new so we will not pass judgement today and see how it goes.

Programme Perusal: Elliot is on the cover today and it’s the usual excellent quality. Needs to be £2 and not £1 though. Just saying.

See you soon.

Tranmerekat 🐾

The Dockers are warming up

Seven Sisters

Team news

Newhaven v Godalming

Godalming'ing in the Rain  Newhaven FC visit Godalming Town FC in the Peter Bentley Cup at the Bill Kyte Stadium

Where are we and What’s going on?

The Dockers are away to the ‘G’s at Wey Court in the ¼ final of the PB Cup. The ‘G’s, really? The Mingers surely? Anyway, the G’s play in the SCFL Division 1. That’s a league below the Dockers but they must have something about them to be in a ¼ final. It’s a horrible night in darkest Surrey . It was very wet earlier but wasn’t bad when we arrived. It’s raining hard now. The pitch inspection earlier gave it the go ahead. I don’t think anyone is quite so sure now. The teams are up on the board. Full marks to the man who knelt in the rain, writing them up. Roman is in goal with Eliot Bresciani and Leo (Hightower) Charman in front of him. Arthur Rawlinson is on the right and our favorite Richmond Osei on the left. Tom, Shay and Blunty are the 6, 8 and 10. Up front are Lee Robbo (centre), Ezra Roeg (left) and Billy Oliver (right). The G’s look good in their very bright yellow shirts with blue shorts. They have a bit of height in the team especially at the back. Let’s hope the Dockers can play on the floor. Let’s hope that anyone can play on the pitch in this weather.

The teams walk out in the pouring rain. I don’t think anyone wants to play. Let’s hope it gets going and that it stays going. And that it finishes in 90 minutes. No-one wants penalties on a school night. Or in a monsoon. Just hope we don’t need the RNLI at any point. The sooner we get started, the sooner it’s over. Come on you Dockers!

Off We Go..

The Dockers kick off and it’s a well organised set piece with all 3 forwards on the left. It’s a great plan until the ball is hit down the middle.

There are a couple of very early sliding tackles as players make the most of the conditions. It’s hard to control the slide in this mud and Tom is booked for being a big feisty. It’s clearly difficult to control the ball on the soft pitch in the wind and rain.

The first sight of goal goes to the hosts but it’s off target. It’s not pretty but the G’s look like a capable team. Blunty puts the first Dockers chance wide. Newhaven are starting to find their feet in the conditions (literally). A cross from Ezra across the box is missed by someone but someone else intercepts it and pops it in the net on 16 ⚽. It turns out that it was Lee who got the decisive touch. 0-1.

There is some very scrappy football being played as players on both sides as they struggle to predict and control the ball. And their feet. The G’s miss a great chance as their striker's control lets him down. It needs a goal line clearance from Blunty to maintain the lead.

The Dockers get a couple chances. Arthur puts the first over. Billy scores when the keeper plays it straight to him on 35 ⚽. 0-2. Thanks mate.

The ever important 3rd goal goes to the Dockers as Lee makes it 2 for him on 40 ⚽. 0-3. It’s horrible out there, shame we can’t call it now.

Billy almost makes it 4 on 45 but the hosts keeper finally makes a save. Took his time but he got there. To be fair, it’s ridiculously slippy in the goal and the wind and rain are right in his face. The whistle goes for the break and everyone is half way off before the whistle finishes. Hope they got a dry kit to put on.

The hosts kick off and put it straight out for a goal kick. Not sure that was the plan. Wonder how that went in training?

As a cup tie, it’s all over when Lee scores the Dockers 4th and his 3rd on 48⚽. 0-4. It’s the first bit of quality we’ve seen. Captain Robbo leading the way. 0-4. No let up from the Dockers or the rain.

Godalming have decided it’s not over. Mistakes at the back cost the Dockers as the G’s capitalise to make it 1-4. The start of a comeback or a consolation? I think we know the answer to that or hope we do🤞.

It’s getting harder for the players to control the ball. And the keepers, well, the G’s keeper anyway.

Shay hits a speculative shot from a long way out. It’s no worldie by any means, Not a good strike at all but the keeper somehow misjudges it and it bobbles through his legs . Opps. 1-5. All that time spent trying to find the perfect pass into the box and you can just hit it. Not a night for precision. Still pouring down.

Roman proves it’s possible to find grip with his boots as he makes a great flying save to push it wide. At least he had a soft landing.

Hatrick hero Lee is replaced by Noel Hoffman on 60 who takes up where Lee was playing on the right. Ezra, who has worked tirelessly, is replaced by Teddy on the left. Tom is replaced by Corey. A group of young Godalming fans were amused by Corey Smart’s surname, they won’t be laughing now.

The ‘G’s force Roman into another good save as he keeps it at 1-5 He goes down injured which is a worry as we don’t have another keeper. There are discussions in the crowd about potential replacements. Odds are on Ryan Walton. Fortunately, sorry Ryan, we don’t get to find out.

There is a change at the back as Richmond makes way for Harry.Like the other subs, he doesn’t want to come on.

We can see a discussion going on over on the far touch line. We think the ‘G’s manager is trying to throw in the towel now. He can’t want it to be called off now surely?

Billy has not stopped running, his kit is a muddy wet mess.. But that doesn’t stop him. He runs onto a through ball and scores past the floundering keeper ⚽. 1-6.

Blunty wants in on the action but he blasts wide. It’s his last kick as he is replaced by Ryan Walton. Probably relieved to be playing anywhere but goal.

Teddy has been working well on the left and his chance comes on 85 ⚽. 1-7 Great skill from the on-loan youngster in appalling conditions.

To everyone’s relief, It’s all over. Most were probably thinking it could get stopped any minute. It didn’t but it’s all over now. We just have to get home in the monsoon now.

We think it’s all over..

The beautiful game that wasn’t. How they got the game on and then finished is amazing. And we were nice and dry in the stand. More waterproof than Old Trafford. It kept the 75 of us dry apart from some of the young Ultras. They had their own shelter behind the goal from where they managed to heckle the keeper to make his day even worse.

We suspect that the ref may have abandoned the game at the break had it been 0-0. But it wasn’t and they had to plough on. Almost literally 🚜. It looked horrible to play on but there wasn’t a huge amount of slipping over but at no point did it look dangerous. Ugly football but not endangering players, just offending our eyes. And upsetting the kit person. That kit is going to need more than a scoop of Vanish. We loved the Godalming kit but how did it stay so clean? None of them were smothered in mud like Arthur or Billy. Is it some miraculous teflon coated kit or were they just not as committed? We’re not going to speculate on that but if one of these magic yellow kits is for sale, let me know.

So, we are through to the semi-finals along with Steyning, Little Common and Pagham. We are planning to ask the organisers if we can just buy the cup as we have lots of Moroccan Deerhams and understand that’s how things are done now.

We hope everyone has a safe journey home in the rain. It’s a good night for the Dockers but one that was well earned.

PS We’ve drawn Steyning which will be tough.

The Other Bits

POTM: Goes to Billy 🏅. Bags of energy from the first minute to the last and a brace of goals ⚽⚽.

Ref: A round of applause to the officials. A well managed game. The assistant on the stand side was even smiling despite the almost polite feedback he received. Not 100% on offsides but it’s impossible when the touchline is that wet. And still did better than VAR. Thank you.

The Scran’O’meter awarded an 8/10 for the lovely skinny chips and 6/10 for the hot chocolate. A bit thin for our liking.

Programme Perusal: 9/10 for a well written programme worth all of the £2.50. Well done.

Love Tranmerekat 🐾

Minging down with rain

Braving the elements to check out the teams

Newhaven v Peacehaven

Haven Can't Wait Newhaven FC host Peacehaven & Telscombe FC in the SCFL Premier League at The Sports Park

Where are we and What’s going on?

Back at the Tye

The Dockers are away at the Tye for the 2nd visit of 2025. It’s the Boxing Day fixture being played on the 27th at 3pm for some reason. There is still a good crowd of 725. The Dockers have been digging out some decent results recently but the Tye is rarely the scene of decent football. Newhaven lost 2-0 here on Easter Monday in a very bad tempered and scrappy game. We arrive here today with low expectations. Also low is the sun so it’s a good job we have a new Dockers cap courtesy of Santa. The seats are very comfy and the hot chocolate is warm. Let’s hope we’ve not peaked already.

St Stephen's Day +1

Roman is in goal. Tarun Rohilla and Elliot Bresciani are in front of him. Dan Allen (new face to us) and Ashley Wadhams are at fullback. Tom Howard Bold is in the 6 with Shay Tobin and Blunty in the 8 and 10. Lee is up front with Teddy and Ezra out wide. One of our favourites, Billy Oliver is on the bench.

The Tye line up contains ex Docker Callum who can be a big threat. He made POTM a couple of times too.

We have everything crossed. An early goal would be nice. Let’s get this show on the road. Come on you Dockers.

Off we go..

It starts scrappy and continues that way for a while. The Dockers are trying to play on the floor but prevented from doing so by some very determined opposition. It’s all one way traffic with the Tye looking most likely to make anything happen. They get the first decent chance but it’s well over.

Robbo breaks clear on 20 but chooses to square it and the chance is gone. He’s soon through again and goes 1 on 1 with the keeper. His lob doesn’t have enough height and it’s an easy catch for the big keeper.

The stalemate is broken on 29. It’s a good goal ffor Peacehaven from a cross in from the left. It’s 2-0 on 33 and a brace for their no. 10. The important 3rd goal comes on 45+1 as the Tye make the most of the Dockers non-existent defence. 3-0 to the home side at the break.

There is a change for the Dockers at the break with Shay Tobin making way for Harry Hammond.

It’s a quick start for the Tye. After a scramble, the ball skims the inside of the post, through a crowd of statues including Roman and rolls gently into the net. 4-0. A shocking goal to give away that one. Their No. 10 has a hattrick.  The Dockers need find something now or it could be a cricket score.

The Dockers haven’t given up and score from a free kick on the right. Ezra rises highest to make it 4-1 on 49 ⚽. A consolation or back in it?

There is some kind of altercation on the far touchline. Not sure what happened but after a very lengthy debate with the lino, the ref gives a yellow card to Tom.

There are some more Dockers changes as Bold and Wadhams are replaced by Rawlinson and Hoffman. Lee looks injured though and keeping him on seems madness as this is already long gone.

Roman is down injured after a late challenge in a move that was off-side anyway. Let’s hope he’s OK as we have no spare keeper. He is thankfully back up after treatment. Phew.

It’s a good job he stayed on as he is needed for a good save a minute later.

There are 2 final changes for the Dockers as Rohilla and Wood are replaced by Smart and Oliver.

The changes bring some energy and the Dockers are a better team for the next 10 minutes or so. Billy is making a nuisance of himself on the left wing.

Newhaven’s defence provides no resistance for another Peacehaven chance. Only a great save by Roman stops them getting a 5th.

The Dockers get one more chance but Dan Allen heads over. 

 There is more pointless injury time then it’s all over and we can go home and defrost.

We think it’s all over..

Well, that was a horrible thing to watch. The Dockers allowed themselves to be dragged into a scrappy game by a team that wanted to play that way. They made a few attempts to play on the floor but never really threatened with it. The Tye defended well on the floor and in the air. And were ruthless when faced with the Dockers wide open defence. It’s a well deserved Derby Day win for the Tye. Again. They certainly wanted it more. Maybe they hadn’t had an extra portion of Boxing Day Turkey Curry. Or maybe they had. Another defeat for the Dockers at the Sports Park in 2025. Both derby fixtures will thankfully be at Fort Road in 2026. We seem to do better in these at home.

The points difference between the teams has closed up now. And the Tye move above the Dockers. It’s equal points but the goal difference is a chasm. The Dockers will have better games. This one one forget.

The Peacehaven Wild Kids did a great job backing their team. Love the National Anthem before kick-off. They disgraced themselves with their behavior later on and we hope that the culprits are appropriately punished.

The Other Bits

POTM: Hard to pick out a decent performance but Ash Wadhams gave us a few moments of hope with some storing runs out of defence 🏅.  Thanks.

The ref wasn’t great but these games are always horribly niggly and hard to manage. He was so pedantic about where free-kicks and throw-ins were taken even when he was somewhat mistaken. He didn’t seem bothered that it took ages for the ball to be retrieved for the kick-kicks and throw-ins because the Tye had kicked it away again. Wasn’t bothered about them playing on after the whistle either even when Roman was injured in the process.

The Scran’0’meter enjoyed the lovely hot chocolate ☕ 8/10.

We would have liked to have been able to pursue the programme but there wasn’t one so we didn’t. Very disappointed 0/10.

Love Tranmerekat 🐾

Newhaven v AFC Varndeanians

Let It Lee Newhaven FC host AFC Varndeanians in the SCFL Premier Division at Ford Road

Where are we and what's going on?

The Dockers ⚓ are finally back at home and host the V’s in the league. It’s nice to be back in BN9.  The end of summer is nearly here and it’s cooler by the Ouse tonight. Let’s hope the improving Dockers can continue to build into a good team. It’s going well so far.

There are a few changes tonight. Teddy starts in place of Dexter on the right wing. Tom Howard-Bold is in Blunty’s spot in the 8 and Charlie in the 10 replacing Corey Smart. There is no sign of Blunty tonight. Hope he’s just on his holibobs having a nice time and not injured.

We’ve not seen the V’s for a couple of years so are interested to see them in action. After all, the last team to live at the Withdean is doing OK.

We’ve have some musical accompaniment tonight as the V’s ‘Ultras’ have a drum 🥁. There is some last minute confusion as there is a change of ends.  The 'Ultras' pack up their flags and head for the Skate Park end.  For the last game of summer, let's do this.  Come on you Dockers. 

There wasn’t much of note in the first half hour except a few Dockers missed chances.  

Until 31 minutes. Ezra hits a long ball, Lee gets between the ball and the last defender, controls it and puts it past the helpless keeper ⚽. That's what we came for. 1-0.

With 5 to go to the break, Ezra sees his shot saved and then Lee’s is blocked. The hosts are still only a single goal in front at the break. Hope they don’t come to regret that in the 2nd half 🙏.

The Dockers come close extending their lead at the restart but neither Teddy or Harry can make it count.

We need to extend the lead before the V’s get a chance to get back into it. The 2nd goal eventually comes on 62. A Dockers free kick is blocked but goes high, the keeper fumbles it in the 6 yard box and it’s somehow bundled into the net ⚽. It may have been Tarun. He gets the credit and it’s 2-0 to the home team. A few of the V's players and fans are giving Father Jack a hard time about off-side bur we really don’t care. He's not going to change his mind.

The changes start on 65 as Ash is replaced at left back by Bailieeeeee 😍 .

There are a few signs of life from the V’s but they can’t make it count. The Ultras start singing 🎵Sway🎵 of all things. Bless ‘em. 🎵JD running down the wing...🎵  We hope he's that far out of position as JD is their no. 9. 

There are some more changes as Charlie is replaced by Corey in the 10. Charlie has had a great game. He's been ,very commanding, and shouty but in a good way, in the middle and a good leader on the pitch.

The 3rd goal is another Lee special. The keeper comes out of his area for a bouncing through ball but misses it. Lee doesn’t and chips it home in style. Never mind the stand, name the town after him. Robboville? Leehaven? Big-ton?

It’s all over on the pitch as far as the result in concerned but the Ultra don’t care. Teddy is replaced by Dexter. Lee is replaced Billy the whizz. Tarun is replaced by Smith and then it’s all over. 3-0 to the Dockers. A good night's work from the boys.

We think it's all over..

A great win for the Dockers. They were more in control than we have seen them recently. It’s starting to gel a bit more as they get into the season and are playing back to back games.

It was a good away win at Cobham at the weekend that put them through to the 2nd qualifying round of the Vase where they will face Faversham Strike Force  (sounds scary) at home in September.

Robbo is very much at the heart of the attack. He is so good at getting himself between the defender and the ball. Hopefully others will continue to chip in with goals as well. Teddy and Ezra starting to look more confident. This young team can only get better if it stays together.

That is it for the Summer ☀. A busy Autumn 🌦 of football starts here next week. Can’t wait.

The other bit

POTM: goes to Captain, or should that now be General, Lee . Amazing energy, fantastic goals and a brilliant example for the rest of the boys.

Ferry ⛴ watch: The ferry crept im a 9:20 hoping no-one would notice it was late. We did notice. A stiff letter to DFDS is being penned as we speak.

Today, we are starting a new feature called “Utterly Ultra” Here it is:- The 15 or so youngsters  with the V's were fantastic today. Really did their club proud with the drum and the massive repertoire of songs. They stayed right to the death despite the 3 goal deficit. Awesome effort lads. Sway safe.

 The officials tried to let the game flow and yet still stop the players killing each other. Always difficult to do and they did reasonably well.   Father Jack did ok on the line on the stand side. Seems he is up for a cheeky selfie too. A few of the V’s players and fans were very upset about the 2nd goal but it was bedlam in the box. Who could tell what was going on or who did what. The ref maybe needs to get some Maths tuition though. For every free kick, he got to 9 ½ yards but couldn’t get all the way to 10 so the wall was 18 inches too close for every free kick. It’s not like he has to take his boots off to count to 10. He’s got 10 fingers. (If the ref has less than 10 fingers, we sincerely apologise and "As you were" mate).

Same time, same place next week

Love Tranmerkat 🐾

It's nice to be home

Mon the Reds

Rec'n'Ball

Newhaven FC away to Little Common FC in the SCFL Premier Division at Little Common Recreation Ground

The Dockers ⚓ face the Green Lane Boys on a warmish but breezy evening at the Rec. The Newhaven are rested after a weekend off and looking to add to their 4 points from the first two games with a first away win. The Dockers 3.0 is definitely a work in progress with a very young line up this season but there is loads of potential in the squad. There is just one change form last Tuesday and that’s Dexter who is not in the squad tonight being replaced by Pacey Bean. Hope he’s as speedy as he sounds. The Greenies (that’s not funny) have yet to register any points so far. Long may that continue, well another 90 minutes plus stoppages would do. That’s the kind of duck that Tranmere are so good at breaking. The pitch is looking really good. There is a slight slope across the width but the grass looks excellent especially considering the weather recently. Lets hope it plays well. Come on you Dockers.

The Common start the brighter but their first threat is a corner that goes straight out for a goal kick. What follows is not pretty with about 15 minutes of scrappy head tennis. The first bit of real quality comes from the Dockers and it's Lee as usual. This time, it’s a lovely chip to find the head of Corey Smart at the far post. He heads it in on 23 ⚽. 0-1. A very Bailie’esque leap for the header. The GLB (better) get their first real chance from a free kick. They are denied by a great save from Roman. The Dockers get one more chance but it’s Ezra’s turn to be denied by a good save. Newhaven are the better team with the ball but they can’t manage to keep it for long enough. A single goal lead at the break.

The first chance of the half went to the Dockers who seethe goal chalked off for a foul on the keeper. Fair? Probably. Robbo has swapped positions with Ezra, who is now more central. We see the first change on 56 as Pacey Bean is replaced by Teddy Wood who comes on for his Dockers debut. We’ve seen him before somewhere and will remember just after we post this report. The Common are improving and see a chance deflected over as the Dockers are defending well at the edge of the box. Robbo gets a good chance on 65 but the keeper gets the luck of the bounce to make the save. It’s 15 to go when one of the Green Laners (improving) goes off. It looked like a second yellow but turns out it's a sin bin. See you in 10 minutes. The Dockers are having to soak up a lot of pressure but are sitting deep and defending well. In the best move so far, Teddy plays a through ball to Ezra There’s no off-side as he sets off from his own half. He runs on unchallenged and beats the keeper from 12 yards ⚽. Great goal. 0-2. Another Breachy change sees Corey Smart replaced by Tariq Vincent. Lee has done his bit and is replaced by Tommy Jupp on the wing. The sinbin is over and it’s 11 v 11 again. Into injury time and another best move of the game sees Teddy break free of the press. He runs round the whole of the Common team, then cuts in to finish from the edge of the box. It’s a quality strike too. 0-3. It’s all over except it isn’t. There are 2 more Dockers changes as Billy Oliver replaces Ezra and Scott Smith is on for Harry Hammond. How fast to Billy Oliver. Blimey. Billy the whizz more like. 90+5 and the Common score with the last kick of the game. It’s well deserved as they have been dominant for the last 15 or so minutes. All that practice from the Ultras pretending they scored and then they missed the real thing. Three points on the road well earned tonight.

The beautiful game that wasn’t. It was horrible as everyone suddenly forgot how to play football and just headed it backwards and forwards.  When the ball did come down, it usually got smashed back straight into the air. Lots of shouts of “time” but no-one listening. There were some very brief flashes of skill, mostly from Newhaven and they resulted in goals. Common did have one moment and it took a good save to stop the free kick but that was it. Three good goals from the Dockers with nothing much in between. Disappointing to conceded at the death but it was well deserved by the battling home team and almost hugely funny. The “Ultras” had packed up and were leaving when their team scored. All that practise wasted. Better luck next time lads or maybe wait until the whistle has gone.

POTM: Almost went to Ezra who had a great game but he was pipped in injury time by Teddy with a brilliant individual goal. He had that great assist too. Welcome young man. Can’t wait to see some more of those performances.  If only we could remember where we have seen him before 🤔.

The officials were generally grown up and consistent for 90 minutes which is an improvement on last week. We did worry about the speed of the lino on the far side but there was no issues, mostly because all the play was in the middle.

The Scran’O’meter recorded a very nice 7.5 for the hot chocolate. Credit too to Cadburys for the assist.

Love Tranmerekat 🐾

Away at the Common

I Won't Back Crawley Down

Newhaven FC away to Crawley Down Gatwick FC in the SCFL Premier Division at Haven Sportsfield

The Dockers are away to the Anvils at Hophurst Lane on a warm and humid evening in darkest Mid Sussex. It’s our first competitive game with the Dockers this season. They were knocked out of the FA cup away to South Park but then beat Roffey at home in the first league game. Lots of new faces that we can put some names to now the season is underway. Lee is ever present up front with Ezra and new boy Dexter Lambert. Some familiar faces in the back line too with Richmond Osei alongside Tarrun Rohilla and another new face, Elliot Bresciani as the covering 6 in front. Retainee Ash Wadhams and new starter Harry Hammond are our wide defenders. In the middle is Ryan Blunt and Corey Smart. Roman is in goal. The grass on the pitch is, well, it’s not a bowling green, but there are no bald patches. It is a nice setting, surrounded by trees behind the community centre. There are planes taking off from Gatwick going past every couple of minutes. It’s a bit more frequent and noisier than the ferry. It’s time to get on with it. Come on you Dockers.

The Dockers get the first chance but Lee heads just over. It’s all the Anvils for a while. Roman makes a good save but is beaten soon after. The Anvils get a free kick at about 30 years out. It hits the one man wall. The next free kick from the same range hit the one man wall again. How did they manage that once, let alone twice. A shot from the edge of the area hits the back of the net and the hosts are 1-0 up going into the drinks break. It’s still quite warm here. I don’t know what the Dockers were drinking but it works and we start to come into the game. There are a host of chances as Lee hits the post, Lee heads over and Dexter sees his shot saved only for Lee to put the rebound just wide. The Anvil do get a 3rd go at trying to get a free kick past the wall. This time, it loops way over the one man wall and everyone else. Dockers are in control and it’s Dexter's turn to put it wide now. Lee is fouled as he runs into the box on 44. The ref doesn’t hesitate to give a pen. Lee steps up to take it but it’s low and is well saved. How are we not 3 or 4 goals up now? Bonkers. The equaliser eventually comes on 45+1 after a scramble in the Anvil’s box. Lees’s shot is saved but the ball finds Dexter in space and he hits the target at last ⚽. The whistle goes and we’re off for a quick drinks break of our own. And maybe a quick lie down after that.

There’s a Dockers change at the break as Charlie Gibson replaced Elliot Bresciani in defence. The Anvils come out a better side. They start to bully the Dockers who are second to the ball and can’t keep hold of it when they do get it. The pressure leads to a couple of Anvils corners. The second is headed in at the near post on 48. 2-1. Dockers trailing again. Tarun is booked on 58 for having the audacity to get fouled. It’s a nasty one too and he goes off to be replaced by Leo Charman. The Dockers first chance since the break comes on 57. Ezra takes the free kick. He hits the target but it’s saved. A second Dockers change on 65 as goal scorer Dexter Lambert is replaced by Tariq Vincent. The Anvils come so close to extending their lead but it rolls just wide. Phew. The Anvils seem stronger and more determined, out muscling the Dockers all over the pitch. The Dockers need to be better to be able to play around them but it’s not happening at the moment. In the first Dockers move for ages, two passes out from the back and Lee runs onto the through ball, rounds the keeper and slots home on 75 ⚽. At last he is on the score sheet. 2-2. All to play for in the last 15 . Some hope. The Dockers find themselves under siege and only some desperate defending keeps the ball out. Ezra gets a good chance down the other end as Lee turns provider but he drags his shot wide. The refereeing is starting to impact the game with the Anvils starting to roll around like they have been shot and getting free kicks from nothing. The ref falls for it so badly, that we are tempted to see if he wants to buy a bridge. We think better of it, mostly because he might actually take us up on the offer and we don’t actually have a bridge to sell him 🌉. Blunty becomes a beneficiary of the ref's wisdom as stands his ground and the attacker runs into him. He should clearly have got out of the way and is booked for not doing so. We make a last change on 90+1 as Tommy Jupp replaced Ash Wadhams. There is one more chance for the hosts but the desperate Dockers hang on desperately. 2-2. The points shared and a fair result in a game of 2 halves. Downs were very unlucky not to have won it at the end but inherited Docker's bad luck from early in the first half.

The new look Dockers struggled tonight against a team with a much more settled line up. There were huge holes in the defence especially after the break. Without Lee, there would have been very little threat. But they had enough chances to put it to bed in the first half. How they didn't score 3 or 4 is a mystery. Some good play down the wings from Ezra and Dexter. The fighting spirit on display despite being second best was good to see. The Dockers 2.0, or are we up to 3 0, is a work in progress that shows some promise. It was our first time here tonight and it's a nice little ground and great for a bit of plane spotting. Thankfully, we didn't have to keep an eye on the Tranmere score tonight as it was called off due to a power cut across much of CH32. The Dockers have no game at the weekend, it’s FA Cup week and we’re not in that any more. Next up is a trip to Bexhill to visit Little Common.

POTM: Richmond gets the award 🏅 for some great one on one defending and becoming the long throw specialist.

The officials did well for much of the game but got less “consistent” later in the game. Anyone know where we can get a cheap bridge, we may have a buyer?

The Scran’O’meter thought the hot chocolate needed a bit of work so gave it 6/10 but they redeemed themselves by keeping the chocolate in the fridge🧊. Genius. Thank you.

See you soon.

Love Tranmerekat 🐾

Home of the Anvils

2 Storey Love Song

Newhaven FC away to Saltdean United in the SCFL at Hill Park

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 🐾

In the new stand

Back at Hill Park

Peace-haven Queasy Feeling

Newhaven FC host Peacehaven & Telscombe FC in the SCFL Premire League at Fort Road

Happy BRUT and new gloves day. It's Havens derby day as the Dockers host south coast rivals, the Tye on Boxing Day. The Dockers are improving after a very patchy run of form The Tye are in the unusual position of being above the Dockers in the table. It's not the usual bright and cold weather of Boxing Day, it's mild, overcast and drizzling. There have been a few changes to the line up since we last saw the Dockers 6 weeks ago. Jack Shonk has joined Bexhill and scored a brace to beat the Dockers last time out. There are lots of injuries, both long and short term. A new face for us is Johnson Adesanya who is playing in the no. 7. Lee and Jake up front. The Ryans are in the middle. Jack is between the posts with Tarun Rohilla and Kwabena Osei in front of him. Wide of them are Billy on the right and Bailie on the left. 'Little' is still working up to full fitness and helping the coaching team. The bacon rolls are being munched round the ground by the big crowd. The ferry leaves just before kick-off and were ready to go.

The first chance goes to Captain Lee but it's off target. The Tye get a great chance next. Somehow Billy gets in a massive thumping tackle at the edge of the box. He's down for a while and is helped off the pitch to be replaced by Harry Reed. What follows is a lot of scrappy football with neither side getting any decent possession. Warwick's shot from range goes wide. One of the Tye players comes up with a great new way to delay a free kick. Stopping next to Tye 🤣your laces right in front of the ball. The Tye no. 10 breaks the deadlock on 39 as he volleys from outside the box into the top corner. No keeper is saving that worldie. 0-1. The Dockers are under a bit of pressure and get a couple of yellows. Jack makes a great save after 5 minutes of injury time to keeps the deficit to 1. Relief for us as the whistle goes for the break.

Charlie Connell is replaced by Tristan Jarvis at the break. The first chance goes to the Dockers as Lee picks up a through ball and passes it to Reedy be can't get it under control as he runs out of space and it ends up in the side netting. A minute later down the other end and it's a different story and the second goal for the visitors. 0-2. The Tye are making their few chances count. The Dockers first shot on target comes after almost an hour although Jake's shot is well saved. The next shot is from Warwick. It's a scuffed effort from the edge of the box that rolls slowly towards the goal line. It just crosses the line before the defender gets back to clear it ⚽. We get close to a second but Bailie's header from a corner hits the post. The equaliser won't come and the visitors extend their lead on 73. The ball is given away cheaply and despite a good save, the rebound is put into the net. 1-3. It would probably have been given as a penalty due to a late lunge in the box had it not ended up in net anyway. The Tye keeper is given a very loud and deliberately public final warning about time wasting from the referee. Top man👍. The Dockers make 3 changes and gain some momentum at last. The chances suddenly come thick and fast. They go: Bailey header (over), Jack (wide), Reagan (over), Bailey (over again) and finally Jake (over). It’s not going to go in is it? The whistle goes and it ends with a loss. The points and the bragging rights heading west down the A259. We'll be there on Easter Sunday to get those bragging rights back.

A scrappy game between two sides , neither in consistent form. Loved it😍. The Tye just edged it on the efficiency of the chances converted but the Dockers were very wasteful at the end. Might have been a bit more composed if it wasn’t for the 2 goal deficit. They didn't use the wings as well as they can do but hopefully a few personnel will be back from injury in the new year. Neither side really matching their levels from last season. We were really impressed with the Tye-m wasting techniques and hope to see that copied elsewhere. It was a jumbo 🛫crowd of 747 packing into Fort Road for bacon rolls and 9th division football. Although some of the Tye fans may have been a bit annoying reaching a heady 8.5/10 on the Whitehawk scale. We did have to move to the other side of the ground. The Peacehaven fans in the stand did make a lot more noise than the Dockers who were barely heard today. Perhaps they are still in bed.

POTM: No real stand out performances today but the award goes to Ryan Warwick 🏅for work rate and the goal out of nothing to keep us in the game.

The ref had a good game generally and especially loved his earbashing of the Tye keeper with a very public and final warning for timewasting 🤣. He got the yellow cards right. Also credit to the lino on the park side for admitting he didn't know which way a contested throw went rather than guess👍.

Ferry ⛴watch: It left spot on time before the kick-off which was 2 minutes late.

The Scran'o'meter scored the hot chocolate a yummy 8.5/10 ☕.

Last game of the year in a year of 53 games and 162 goals. What a year it has been. Wonder what 2025 holds. See you there.

Love Tranmerekat 🐾

Ferry about to go

The teams

Boxing day at Fort road

Quiet in the Skatepark

A busy year!