Results

Dorking Wanderers 6-6 Newhaven (HT 2-2)
(After extra time, Newhaven win 6-5 on penalties)
Tom Tolfrey (29, 87), Alex McGregor (38), (Jake Hill 77, 83), Darryl Coleman (100); Lee Robinson (2, 20, 90), Craig Bunch (54, 62), Callum Connor (105)

Sometimes you go to football matches and come away thinking ‘that game had everything’.

On Tuesday night at Westhumble Playing Fields, the home of Dorking Wanderers, the only thing missing from an extraordinary Peter Bentley third round cup tie was defending.

Over 120 minutes of football each goalkeeper had to pick the ball out of his net six times as the art of defending was thrown out and attack was literally the best form of defence.

The goalscoring started as early as the second minute when Lee Robinson ran on to an Ollie Davies pass and coolly converted past the home ‘keeper.

Robinson then doubled his side’s advantage when Conor Sidwell’s long pass beat the high line of the Dorking defence and Robinson rounded the onrushing ‘keeper before finding an empty net.

This gave the hosts the wake-up call they needed and they responded well. First Tom Tolfrey halved the deficit after Newhaven failed to clear, and then Alex McGregor levelled the scores before half-time.

After the entertainment of a four-goal half, the second 45 didn’t disappoint either.

The Dockers regained the lead after 54 minutes when skipper Craig Bunch turned in a Davies cross from the right.

And they were two goals ahead for a second time when the same two players combined to make it 4-2.

There were chances to increase the lead but it remained 4-2 until the final 15 minutes when the hosts turned the screw, and turned the game on its head.

Jake Hill scored twice in six minutes to restore parity, before Dorking top goal scorer Tolfrey gave the home side their first lead of the night with just three minutes left.

Newhaven made changes and threw bodies forward in search of an equaliser. And it arrived in the second minute of injury time when Robinson completed his hat-trick. 5-5.

And so to extra time where Dorking’s cause was hindered by the sending off of right back Alfie Tuck for a wild lunge at Robinson.

It was the hosts, however, that took the lead when Darryl Coleman found the net after an error at the back. But Newhaven again levelled five minutes later when Callum Connor found the corner of the net. 6-6.

The second period of extra-time incredibly remained goalless so it was penalties to decide the winner.

The first five saw both teams score three and have two saved. And after four sudden death penalties each it was the Dockers who eventually prevailed. Jake Buss saving the deciding spot kick after Scott Marshall had converted his.

The reward for coming out on top of such a crazy game of football is a quarter-final tie at Lancing, who beat Mile Oak 1-0 in round three.

Newhaven: Jake Buss, Scott Edwards, Daniel Murray, Sean Breach (Callum Connor), Conor Sidwell (Jason Goddard), Ryan Knight, Lee Robinson, Chris Geer, Craig Bunch (Ryan Walton), Scott Marshall, Ollie Davies. Unused subs: Ian Robinson, Harry Millar.
Booked: Breach

Attendance: 20
Officials: Andrew Senior, Mike Day, Robert King