Newhaven bid farewell to bosses Cook and Breach in winning style

After more than ten-years in charge of the Dockers, the co-managers announced last week that this game would be their last at the helm.

At an understandably emotional Fort Road, which saw a presentation made to the managers prior to kick-off, along with a guard of honour given to the duo by both sets of players, football almost took a back seat.

Newhaven v Petersfield in pictures.

Fortunately, Newhaven managed to produce one of their best performances of an inconsistent season to ensure the managers bowed out in the perfect way.

After a cagey opening in biting cold temperatures, it was the Dockers who drew first blood. With 22 minutes on the clock, Lee Robinson was wiped out when through on goal, leaving the ref with no choice but to point at the spot.

It was Lee himself who stepped up to take the resulting penalty, and he made no mistake from 12 yards, sending the keeper the wrong way to the approval of the majority of the 402-strong crowd.

Petersfield responded well to the setback and the Dockers rode their luck at times as the visitors pushed for an equaliser.

Three minutes before half-time, the Rams were back on level terms. A well-worked move down the right sent Liam Kimber away and he finished calmly to ensure parity at the break.

If Petersfield had just about shaded the first half, there is no doubt that Newhaven bossed the second. Were it not for a string of fine saves from the Petersfield keeper, the eventual margin of victory would undoubtedly have been far greater.

Within five minutes of the restart, the Dockers went close to regaining the lead when the impressive Ben Royall couldn’t quite get enough purchase on a diving header.

The Petersfield keeper then made a fine stop to deny Jake Robinson as he burst through on goal, before he made another brilliant save to deny Tarun Rohilla as the Dockers cranked up the pressure.

With 17 minutes left, Newhaven finally made the breakthrough they’d been searching for. Once again it came via the penalty spot after Lee Robinson was fouled, although had the ref allowed play to continue for just two seconds longer, Jake had the ball in the net anyway.

Thankfully, it didn’t matter as this time Jake took on the responsibility from 12 yards, and he smashed the ball into the top corner to restore the lead.

Petersfield almost drew level soon after, when an effort from edge of the box rebounded back off the bar, before Lee Robinson then hit the bar for the Dockers.

With the match deep into injury time, Jake Robinson was once again denied by a good save, but ultimately it wasn’t to matter as after eight minutes of added-on time the final whistle finally sounded to bring the curtain down on Cooky and Breachy’s reign in the perfect way.

So after 508 games, 289 wins and 84 draws it’s very much the end of an era at Fort Road.

When the Dockers take on Eastbourne United in the RUR Cup semi-final next Tuesday someone else will be in charge for the first time in a decade. They have big shoes to fill.