The clocks had gone back at the weekend and the weather had responded by being warmer as the nights drew in. I joined the local Football expert Trevor Knell, lead member of the Sussex non-League football podcast and his co presenter Gareth Spinks, for an evening that promised exciting football against the backdrop of ferries entering the harbour at Newhaven.

Fort Road is a nice ground, equipped to meet the standards required of the Southern Combination Football League Premier Division, benefitting from a covered grandstand, powerful floodlighting and a high quality 3G pitch. The clubhouse is warm and welcoming and the ground is served by decent refreshment stands.

Newhaven FC have had a decent start to the season, having won seven and lost only four, of their opening twelve matches. Goals have come at a rate of two a game have come in large part from Lee Robinson (8 goals), Ezra Roeg (5 goals) and Billy Oliver (4 goals). Manager Sean Breach would have come into tonight’s game keen to see how his side’s credentials could be tested against a rival team from the play-off spots.

Steyning Town have made a bright start, winning eight games and losing just three to sit in third place. They have scored thirty three goals in just twelve matches. Goals have come in both league and cups from Stanley Bridgman (19 goals) Dion Jarvis (15 goals) and Harry Heath (10 goals). Manager Michael Hamm would have wanted a win today to cement his team’s push towards promotion, after their relegation in 2024-25 from the Isthmian League South East Division.

The game opened with excitement when Newhaven FC were awarded a penalty in the third minute. A badly timed tackle was spotted by the assistant referee and the resulting penalty by Tom Howard-Bold was well saved by Steyning’s Mitch Bromage.

The rest of the first half saw both sides testing each other before, with just five minutes of the first half left, Steyning Town were 0-1 up when Alex Brewer scored, running clear on the right before finishing clinically.

Two minutes later, Newhaven’s keeper, Jonny Barnes-Galloway, passed the ball to the feet of Alex Plummer, who slotted the ball home, to put the visitors 0-2 ahead at the break.

Within ten minutes of the restart, it was 0-3, when Alex Brewer found himself clear one on one before lobbing the Newhaven FC goalkeeper.

With ten minutes left on the clock, Lee Robinson pulled one back for Newhaven FC, with a shot on the turn from the edge of the penalty area.

With just minutes to go, Newhaven FC’s substitute, Noah Hoffman, pulled the score back to 2-3, tapping home after a corner.

At the final whistle Steyning Town rightly walked away with all three points, having played positively throughout. They made it difficult for themselves, conceding two goals to ensure the final minutes in added time became more anxious and heated than they needed it to be. For me this was a good evening, great company with my friends at the SNLF and the chance to see the Dieppe ferry pulling in as a backdrop to a game which contained five goals in front of a decent crowd of 225.