A GOOD SPELL OF PRESSURE BROUGHT REWARD

REPORT WRITTEN BY ROB WILDMAN

Saturday March 5

Midlands One East

A second-half comeback powered Newark to a sixth league win of the season but celebrations were checked by the victory of relegation rivals Market Rasen over Huntingdon.

The wins for both teams keeps Newark in 12th place which is one of three relegation slots while Rasen, who won 28-0, are fourth bottom five points clear of the Kelham Road team.

However, Newark still deserved plenty of praise for a good win especially after losing influential No 8 Dave Garland early on in a first half where the home team, for once this season, started well.

The positive beginning brought Newark a 3-0 lead when Alex Scott, the full-back, kicked a penalty goal.

Bugbrooke fought back to lead at halftime following the award of a penalty try for Newark collapsing a maul though still some way from the try line.
The conversion put the visitors 7-3 up at the interval.

A further try after half-time for the Northants team stretched the lead to 12-3. Newark regrouped once they regained lock Jaymie Duncan from the sin bin.

A good spell of pressure brought reward when Aloesi Waqalevu sped over and Scott converted to cut Bugbrooke’s lead to 12-10.

Newark maintained the pressure and substitute Ian Tomlinson scored the match-winning try from a driving maul.
Scott this time saw his conversion hit the post but Newark led at 15-12.

Though Tomlinson’s try proved to be the last score, the finale became very tense as Newark had to mount some fierce defence to repel the visitors who finished the match held up over the try line.

A number of stand-out players were led by the impressive Jordan Slack at fly half while brother Callum also did well on the wing.
Up front, the ever reliable Jon Webster was backed up by versatile flanker Josh Hubbard who finished up on the wing because of injury.

The introduction of Tomlinson also helped momentum while Ollie Brown, the substitute forward, became a further youth team member to gain a league debut.

Newark have no league game next Saturday but travel to Scunthorpe for a semi-final clash in the NLD Cup.

Kick off is at 2pm because of the England-Wales match starting at 4pm.

The next league match is on Saturday March 19 at second-placed Derby.

Newark team: Scott; Callum Slack, Tupholme, Waqalevu, Usher; Jordan Slack, Clark (capt); Hempstead, Chapple, Dunning, Webster, Duncan, Fotheringham, Hubbard, Garland.

Subs: Tomlinson, Crosby, Brown.

Tries: Waqalevu, Tomlinson.

Conversion: Scott.

Penalty goal: Scott.