Newark let slip an excellent opportunity

A great start brought two tries and a 10-0 lead in the first 10 minutes to put Newark in command.

Wing Rhys Overland, on his first senior start of the season, scampered down the right for a try in the first minute followed up by prop Mason Coulam scoring the second.

Newark’s crisp attacking play had Coalville on the defensive and there looked only one winner when Coulam raced onto Matt Cox’s chip ahead for the second try.

A further try at that stage may have put the match out of Coalville’s reach but they proved spirited opponents and fought back to score just before half-time when Newark had lost back-rower Logan Watt to the sin bin.

Coalville grabbed a second try after the interval to put themselves 14-10 up. They then needed to defend for a long period as Newark looked to have the power to regain the lead.

However, Newark needed more composure and sometimes opted for the extravagant rather the simple. It was a frustrating afternoon for a hard-working team and the usual good support on the touchline.

Coalville grabbed their third try off a counter-attack when their wing ran onto a kick out of defence from near the halfway line.
Injuries also played a part in Newark’s downfall as full-back Alex Scott, in the first half, and prop Jordan Hempstead, towards the end of the match, were both forced off.

Scott, in his first league game of the season, was one of the new faces in a team which saw only eight players remaining from the starting XV at Lincoln the previous Saturday.

The team included a full senior debut for wing James Harding, a member of the colts squad.

Newark team: Scott; Overland, Birch, Hunter-Shaw, Harding; Cox, Booth; Coulam, Himsworth, Hempstead, Ellison, Matthysz, O’Leary, Crosby, Logan.

Subs: Bartsch, Godfrey, Brogden.

Tries: Overland, Coulam.