Bexhill United’s play-off hopes all but ended with a 2-1 defeat to Newhaven at the Polegrove in Saturday’s SCFL premier division clash.
A welcome respite in the barrage of dreadful weather meant that it was game on for Bexhill and Newhaven.
These two sides know each other well and always seem to produce a competitive fixture.
In recent weeks Bexhill have often been caught cold at the start of games but no one could have expected the Pirates to be a goal down after just 30 seconds.
A mistake at the back presented experienced striker Lee Robinson with a gift that he was never going to turn down as the Dockers took the earliest of leads.
That early goal at once shifted the axis of the game with a jubilant Newhaven launching waves of attacks on the Bexhill defence.
It took some serious work at the back to stop the visitors running away with it before the hosts even got a look in.
Bexhill started to get themselves organised with Charlie Playford and Will Saunders getting decent approach play going but it was proving difficult to carve out any clear chances.
At the bowling green end, it was Newhaven who stretched their lead with Robinson again latching on to a good cross to knock home his second.
There was an immediate response from Bexhill but a good ball in from the left rolled across the edge of the six-yard box with no takers. Minutes later Robinson had a great chance to nail down his hat-trick and kill the game but he blazed over with the goal at his mercy.
The Pirates kept going, and on 37 minutes some good work by Max Hollobone and Saunders set Jack Shonk up with a chance that he seized on to bring the home side back into contention and notch his 17th league goal of the season.
The second half was far more even than the first 45 with Bexhill well up for the challenge although Newhaven continued to look threatening on the attack. The game itself became increasingly fractious as the two sides battled each other into a bit of a stalemate.
The whistle went with Newhaven claiming the points, a win that keeps them in contention for the play-off places but for Bexhill the defeat extinguishes any realistic prospects of making the cut.
The Pirates’ next game is a trip to Haywards Heath on Saturday and the chance of an upset against a team who were running away with the league but in recent weeks a combination of cup games and postponements has knocked them off their perch.
It’s also an opportunity for Bexhill to avenge a home battering back in October. Kick off 3pm.
