Report: Three-points and a clean sheet
After an unscheduled midweek break courtesy of the weather, the depleted Dockers were back in action yesterday afternoon with a home match against Pagham.
While the Fort Road injury crisis has been well heralded, the squad suffered a further blow during the week as midfielder Ryan Warwick departed for Uckfield. However, for the first time in what seems like forever, there were no completely new players in the squad of 16 yesterday, which means our number of players used so far this campaign remains at a rather hefty 40.
Pagham haven’t got off to the best of starts themselves this season, having collected just nine points from their opening 11 games, giving the Dockers every reason to feel this was a decent chance of collecting three points in spite of their personnel problems.
After a fairly quiet opening ten minutes, the following ten were dominated by the hosts, and they will have reached the midway point of the first half wondering how they weren’t ahead. Charlie Curran, Luke Donaldson, and Lee Robinson all squandering decent opportunities to put the Dockers in front.
Needless to say, by this point the Dockers had already been forced into an injury-induced change as Josh Tuck’s latest comeback from injury lasted just 20 minutes.
As has been the case with Newhaven this season, even in games in which they appear to be well on top, there always seems to be a spell when their opponents have more than presentable opportunities.
Pagham had three quickfire decent ones around the 25 minute-mark; one which was well-saved by Josh James, one which was deflected behind, and one which James managed to beat away.
Still, though, it was Newhaven who for the most part looked to carry the greater threat going forward.
Ten minutes before the interval, Robinson could only shoot over on the turn after Bailie Rogers’ knockdown had fallen kindly for him on the edge of the six-yard-box.
Makeshift right-back Luca Page then did well to snuff out a Pagham chance right on half-time, getting back and making a tackle just as it looked as though their player was about to pull the trigger.
The pattern of the game was similar in the second-half.
Newhaven created several presentable chances, with Pagham threatening only fleetingly. That said, it would have taken a brave person to bet against the visitors scoring – although, that being said, prior to kick-off goalkeeper coach Graham Roe had assured me that we’d get a clean sheet; so maybe he would have been brave enough to have taken the bet on!
The hard-working Robinson was guilty of missing Newhaven’s best two chances in the second-half, one of which he shot straight at the Pagham keeper, the other he hit the post from, with much of the goal gaping.
If there was one major frustration about the Docker’s performance it was that we weren’t working their keeper, who was clearly struggling with an injury, anywhere near enough.
At the other end, James made a decent stop to prevent Pagham taking the lead on one of their rare forays forward.
With ten-minutes left, Newhaven finally broke the deadlock. And in fine style.
The Dockers were awarded a free-kick right on the edge of the box. The angle looked custom-made for a left footed player to take. Step forward the right footed Jack Shonk, who had only been on the pitch for a few minutes. He made light work of the improbable angle, thwacking the ball into the top corner (check the socials for the Veo footage). Cue celebrations throughout Fort Road.
I wouldn’t say the remaining 15-minutes (five of injury-time) were particularly comfortable to watch – it’s never comfortable to watch this season – but at no time did Pagham really get themselves into a position whereby they looked likely to snatch a late equaliser.
A first league win since 14th September was hugely welcome – as was the rarity of a clean sheet; the first of the season. A decent, if slightly nervy, afternoon all-in-all.
We’re back at Fort Road again on Tuesday night, as we take on higher division East Grinstead in the County Cup, before travelling to Shoreham next Saturday for a league match.
We’re then back at home on 26th October when Little Common are the visitors.
Your support at any of these games would, as ever, be hugely appreciated.
Come On You Dockers!
My man of the match (aka, the controversial part): Kwabena Osei. As he has been for most of his short spell at Fort Road, Osei was an absolute rock in the heart of the Docker’s defence, and one of the prime reasons behind us recording a first clean sheet of the season.