Never mind ‘park the bus’ – send Buss up for corner and he’ll score

Common welcomed Josh Turner into the starting line-up and goalkeeper Jack Lovick came in for his debut replacing the unavailable Matt Cruttwell. It was Common who started on the front foot, pressing their much fancied hosts and not allowing them to play out from the back.

The Commoners came closest to opening the scoring when Sam Ellis cut inside and drilled an effort towards goal, and despite spilling the initial effort the Newhaven keeper recovered well to pull off a fabulous save from Adam Smith’s headed follow up.

The home keeper was soon at it again, this time palming away a Lewis Parsons effort which was heading towards the top corner. On the stroke of half time the hosts fashioned their first chance of the evening when an early delivery into the box found the unmarked Callum Conner but his weak effort was easily gathered by Lovick.

Common opened the scoring ten minutes into the second period when the Newhaven defence were unable to clear an Ollie Black throw and Jamie Crone was on hand to turn and slot home.

The goal seemed to spark the hosts into life and an effort fizzed across the box before a vital interception from Black and then Ian Robinson saw his low shot saved before the rebound was somehow blazed over the bar by Alfie Rogers from close range. Rogers had two penalty appeals waved away much to the annoyance of the vociferous home supporters and Lovick produced a great low save when the ball seemed destined to be heading into the bottom corner of the net.

Common thought they had doubled their lead when Buss spilled a Sam Cruttwell effort and Crone slotted in the rebound but the Common forward was flagged offside.

With time beginning to run out the hosts saw two efforts blocked on the line before eventually grabbing an equaliser through an unlikely source in the eighth minute of injury time. Common were unable to clear a Newhaven corner and Buss was able to pick the ball up just outside the area before curling an unstoppable effort beyond the Common keeper to level the scores.