For once this season, Newark made a good start

REPORT WRITTEN BY ROB WILDMAN

Saturday Nov 8

Three Counties Cup 1st rd

Newark 28 Mansfield 5

Newark produced another resilient display to avenge September’s league defeat at Mansfield in this Cup match between the two county rivals at Kelham Road.

Once again Newark’s pace outwide proved crucial as Matt Clark’s team registered a third win on the bounce following league wins over Paviors and Spalding.

Nick Galinski, back on the wing after a spell out injured, finished a good all-round team performance by running in two late tries to follow a first-half effort from full-back Mark Byrom and a score by centre James Challenger 15 minutes into the second half.

Galinski was one of two changes in the backline from the starters at Spalding. He took over from Will Britten, now back at university, while Johnny Statham came in on the other flank for another student in Ben Dixon.
Up front there was also a return for flanker Lewis Cove in an otherwise unchanged starting pack.

In an autumn of some unpredictable displays, the Newark faithful – ignoring the attractions of England and the All Blacks – had plenty to cheer on a rainy and windy afternoon.

Newark had lost the league game 29-38 but the wet conditions meant there was never going to be a repeat of such a high-scoring encounter.

For once this season, Newark made a good start and surprised the Mansfield defence by breaking down the narrow side, off a scrum, which ended in Mark Byrom racing away after a break by scrum-half Matt Clark helped by Statham’s decoy run.

Clark, who failed to land the difficult conversion, increased Newark’s lead thorough a penalty before Mansfield struck back to make the score 8-5 after only 10 minutes.

That proved to be the final score of a competitive half between two familiar rivals.

Though Newark faced the elements in the second half, the home team gradually began to dominate and some good phase play ended in Challenger, always dangerous alongside centre partner Dan Ireland, scampering over.
Clark converted to give Newark a 15-5 lead.

Mansfield did have some pressure in the second half yet missed a penalty opportunity before Newark made sure of victory through Galinski’s pace and Clark adding a further penalty goal.

Newark’s good fitness also helped as the crucial scores were created via Cove stealing possession at a Mansfield line-out and Challenger breaking free for Galinski’s second try.

Newark host Bedford Athletic next Saturday in a return to league action, kick off at Kelham Road is 2.15pm.

Scoring sequence: 5-0 Byrom try, 8-0 Clark pen, 8-5 Mansfield try half-time, 15-5 Challenger try & Clark con, 18-5 Clark pen, 23-5 Galinski try, 28-5 Galinski try.

Team: Mark Byrom; Galinski, Challenger, Ireland, Statham; Tate, Clark (capt); Dunning, Tomlinson, Price, Williams, Downing, Tatham, Lewis Cove, Webster.

Subs: Barnsdale, May, Hill.

Tries: Byrom, Challenger, Galinski (2). Conversions: Clark. Penalty goals: Clark (2).

Rob Wildman