Newhaven are through to the First Round of the FA Vase after a 4-2 win at Southwick on Saturday.

Despite an unconvincing performance at Old Barn Way, the Dockers put their name in to the hat for Monday’s draw and are just eight games away from Wembley.

The visitors edged a mediocre first half by a James Rhodes goal to nil. Richard Hudson headed Southwick level, just after the break, before Ebou Jallow and Ryan Knight gave Newhaven a two-goal cushion.

Darrell Tester finished at the back post to offer a glimmer of hope for the hosts but Rhodes won, and scored, a penalty to make the game safe late on.

The Dockers made five changes to the team that started the draw with Hassocks on Tuesday night.

Jayson Sowter, Scott Edwards, Ebou Jallow and Lee Robinson all dropped to the bench and Greg Manton was unavailable. In came Jon Trotter, for his Newhaven debut, Jason Goddard, Mark Probert, Sean Breach and Dom Cole in a 4-4-2 formation.

The pitch, its fair to say, made for a rather unflattering game. Which way the ball would bounce or bobble was hard to tell, meaning players took a while to get to grips with it.

Newhaven never seemed to fully settle and were reduced to shots from long range, none of which found the target. Cole should have done better when he was found in the box but he fired over.

The opening goal of the game came midway through the first half when an in-swinging cross from Rhodes, on the right hand side, evaded the head of Probert and found the far corner of the net.

Southwick were defending well with centre back Addlight Magwidi showing both power and pace to keep Cole and Tyler Goatcher quiet up front. The hosts pushed forward when they could but Jake Buss was rarely tested.

They did, however, get themselves level just six minutes after half-time. A cross from the right was met at the far post by Hudson and he hammered his header past Buss for 1-1.

With 25 minutes to go Newhaven changed to a 4-3-3, bringing on Jallow and Robinson in place of captain Terry Gacias and Goatcher.

And the changes paid dividends when the Dockers retook the lead. Robinson got in down the right and found Breach who knocked a cross to the back post where Jallow was waiting to side foot in to the net.

The advantage was doubled a few minutes later. Rhodes whipped in a free-kick from the right, after Robinson was fouled, and Knight rose highest to head home his fourth goal of the season.

The home side weren’t finished, though, and gave themselves hope with five minutes to go. Magwidi ran towards the Newhaven box and sent in a cross with the outside of his foot that Tester met and powered past Buss.

The visitors were running down the clock until a burst in to the Southwick box by Rhodes was brought to an end by the foot of a home defender. Referee Alex Fisher wasted no time pointing to the spot.

Rhodes picked himself up and confidently placed the spot-kick in to the right hand corner to seal the win for Newhaven.

Newhaven: Jake Buss, Jason Goddard, Daniel Murray, James Rhodes, Ryan Knight, Jon Trotter, Mark Probert, Sean Breach, Tyler Goatcher (Lee Robinson), Dom Cole (Dave Altendorff), Terry Gacias (Ebou Jallow). Unused subs: Jayson Sowter, Scott Edwards.
Booked: Trotter

Attendance: 27
Referee: Alex Fisher