Newhaven

After taking on an in-form Eastbourne Town sitting in the last play-off place and only losing to one individual moment, we faced an evening visit from a Newhaven side second in the table and with the ability to go top in their two games in hand. We have played worse than this and won but despite taking the lead and going in at half-time at 1-1, Newhaven avenged their early season defeat with a clinical finish and a dubious penalty to take all the points and go top.

While our top scorer Jay Simpson was absent following his collapse on Saturday our team was bolstered by the return in midfield of Haydn Dickinson. In only the second minute the lads had a corner from the right but it was well claimed by their keeper. Josh McArthur Nolan followed this up with a surge down the left to beat the full back to centre for Jimmy Williams to turn and shoot only to see it saved. There was drive and energy from the lads and they were closing down Newhaven very well. Luke Richardson was on duty to sweep up a through ball and the first pressure by Newhaven on our box on 8mins was dealt with. With such a good opening period it was a blow to lose Jason Stripp to a hamstring injury at this point and Dennis Asante made an early entrance to the game.

On the quarter hour Conor Wilford delivered a free kick from the left that was cleared to Dickinson but Newhaven were quick to close him down. Two minutes later Newhaven had a free kick but hit our wall and it was cleared down field. Newhaven were coming into the game more and a long ball to the edge of box saw our keeper Nathan Carter come out and make an excellent tackle to clear. They had another chance a minute later but blazed it way over the bar. They kept the pressure on and on 22mins drew a save from Carter that was picked up and run clear by Richardson. A Newhaven corner from the left was comfortably cleared on 27mins and two minutes later, following possession on the right flank, sent the final ball sailing over the bar.

A free kick from a central position from Wilford was floated to the right of the box but we could not make anything of it. Long balls down the field from Newhaven were being dealt with by George Branton and restricting their attacking options. On 38mins Wilford played a through ball for Asante to chase and he battled well to earn a corner. David Heaton delivered the corner with the ball falling to Wilford who could not keep his shot down. With only two minutes of the half remaining Williams drove forward down the right, evading challenges and linked up with Stephen Hodge to put the ball in the six yard box for Asante to open the scoring. A good time to score and go in at half time ahead but just that little slip in focus and a drive by the opposition to equalise can lead to a period of vulnerability. Sadly, so it proved as in the first added minute a ball to the left side of our box was finished with a shot across the keeper to make it 1-1 at halftime.

After an even first half, the first opening of the second was a free kick from Wilford on the left on 47mins that was cleared. The lads followed this up with Williams feeding the ball out to McArthur Nolan on the left. He surged down the flank, crossed into the box, and found the ball back at his feet from their block. Frustratingly, his second cross flew out on the far side. On 52mins some great work by Richardson gave him the chance to find Hodge and then play the ball into the box. Williams and Asante had possession, trying to create an opening as Newhaven defended. Williams took the ball and drove from the centre out left and got in a shot that was deflected behind for a corner. The resulting corner was swung into the six yard box and there were confident shouts that it had been handled by Newhaven but the referee was uninterested. Our keeper pulled off a great save as a Newhaven break finished with a shot from the left that Carter turned around the right post.

On 63mins a passage of play around their box saw Tom Green passing to Asante who played it to Dickinson on the left. Heaton took possession and moved the ball to the right for Wilford to deliver a cross over to Dickinson on the left. His shot was blocked and behind for a corner. Newhaven were able to break from our corner but a swift reaction from Carter saw him come out to clear the ball. On 65mins the ball was on the left flank midway into our half when Dickinson challenged their player for the ball. Not for the first time the Newhaven player made a drama of the challenge and was successful in getting a free kick. From this, the ball was played over to the right of our box and with an excellent finish Newhaven took the lead. A run from halfway by McArthur Nolan into the D only to be fouled brought us a free kick on 68mins. Wilford hit the wall with his shot and Heaton could not keep a follow up shot down.

Two more changes on 70mins as Green was replaced by Louis Gates and Toby Hill came on for Williams. A Newhaven attack soon after ended with their poor cross from the right flying over the bar and a minute later an ever alert Carter was off his line to block a through ball. The chance to equalise came on 78mins as a great ball found Wilford on the right edge of the six yard box but his shot was turned behind by the keeper. The corner from the right was cleared to Gates who took the ball round to the left of the box for a cross that ended with the keeper. A ball into the left of our box saw a chase towards the byline and, with the players going shoulder to shoulder, the Newhaven player hit the deck. The linesman was on the far side so of no help as the referee awarded the penalty. Carter had no chance with the penalty and it was 1-3 on 82mins. Two more changes to try to get something from the game as Josh McGrath replaced Wilford and Tyrone Magala-Bryan came on for Dickinson. The lads applied some pressure with a couple of corners as the clocked ticked down but to no avail as Newhaven avenged our win on the coast in September.

We gave a good account of ourselves against a team that are battling Steyning Town to win the league. A comment from a departing Newhaven visitor was that we could take points off higher placed teams with that sort of performance and that chance comes on Saturday as we try to avenge the narrow 2-1 defeat away at Haywards Heath Town, currently sixth in the table. They will arrive having beaten Pagham last night and won away at struggling AFC Uckfield Town but having lost on visits to Shoreham and Eastbourne Town. We remain in eleventh place and have lost ground to our neighbours Crawley Down. They extended the gap to four points and still have two games in hand. Little Common are four behind us and have a game in hand.