25 photos and full report from a surprise defeat for Newhaven against Eastbourne Town

The Dockers fell behind in the sixth minute and failed to recover as play-off chasing Town dominated. The opening goal came from a careless mistake as the ball was given away in midfield, allowing Town to break and isolate Robbie Keith two-on-one. Ollie Davies didn’t need assistance, choosing to go it alone before finishing classily into the corner.

See pictures by Paul Trunfull from the Newhaven v Eastbourne Town match on this page and those linked. Get local football action in the Sussex Express and Eastbourne Herald, both out on Friday.

The visitors should have had a second just before the half-hour when a long ball over the top dissected the Dockers defence, sending Davies clean through. On this occasion, the winger’s strike was off-target. It was only a temporary retrieve. Within ten minutes the Dockers were two down and had lost influential centre-back Keith to a calf injury. Seconds after a good Jake Buss save had prevented Harvey Greig from doubling the lead, the hosts again failed to clear their lines and Nathan Jenkins rifled home a deserved second for Eastbourne Town.

With Newhaven barely having threatened the Town goal in the first half, they looked to start the second 45 on the front foot and created their best two chances of the game in the opening two minutes of the half. First, recent signing Lewis Croal, making his first Newhaven start in place of the injured Lee Robinson, forced Chris Winterton into his only meaningful save. From the resulting corner, Rob Malila headed wide from close-range.

It was to be as good as it got for the Dockers. With Ryan Warwick in the sin-bin, Town extended their lead to three when Leon Grieg waltzed unchallenged into the area before finding the corner with a good finish. Seven minutes from time, Town grabbed a fourth with James Hull capitalising on yet more lacklustre defending.

And just when it seemed like events couldn’t have got any worse for the Dockers, they suddenly got worse as, deep into injury time, Alfie Rogers was sent off after receiving a second yellow card. Newhaven host Saltdean on Saturday.