NEWARK ATTACKED FOR ALL THEY WERE WORTH

REPORT WRITTEN BY RICHARD BYROM

2nd xv v Paviors

Lost 27-24

A game we could and should have won

After the world cup final last week it was back to the league and next up were our local rivals who beat us in the Ron Rossin Cup final last year Paviors

Burnt Stump is always a difficult venue to get a result and Saturday was no exception.
There were a few enforced changes from the last game, into the front row came veteran Martin Brown and Rowan and there was a very welcome return to Tom Coen in the back row. In the backs, Dave Garland slipped into the No 12 shirt and Scotty resumed duties at No 10, Andy Hill came in at 15. It was also great to see Craig Hawes on the sub bench.

The game started well for the visitors and after good pressure a break down the blind side allowed winger Joe Green to score. More pressure came from the blue men over the next 10 minutes but unfortunately silly penalties cost them and it was actually Paviors who scored next from a very simple catch and drive at the line out that should have been stopped, 5-5.

Back came Newark and from good interlinking play between forwards and backs Tom Crosby scored. Newark were now dominating play but could not seem to capitalise on all their pressure and on the stroke of half time from another catch and drive Paviors levelled the scores.

10-10 at the interval but it should have been Newark well in front

After half time it was Paviors who really started to apply the pressure and after some good approach play from their backs they took the lead and within 5 minutes they had doubled their lead with another try, Newark 10 Paviors 20.

The visitors were ‘on the rack’.

However from broken play Tom Coen ended up with the ball in his hands and fending off a couple of tackles he ran under the sticks, Scotty converted and it was 20-17 game on.

Five minutes later almost exactly the same happened again Tom Coen found himself in open space and sprinted to the line having shrugged off several tackles. This time however he scored in the corner, however with a great kick Alex O’Dell added the extra 2 points.

20 minutes left, and Newark were in the lead 24-20. The game ebbed and flowed with both sides having scoring opportunities. But with 2 minutes to go another line out 5 metres from the Newark line and guess what - a Paviors catch and drive -TRY their 3rd of the game and with the conversion added it was now 27-24.

Newark attacked for all they were worth in the remaining seconds of the game but unfortunately to no avail and it finished 27-24 to the home side

This was definitely a game we could have won but sloppiness in the first half cost Newark dearly in the end. Nevertheless a very spirited second half performance almost saved us

Contenders for man of the match, Tom Crosby, terrific in the back row, Dave Garland had another superb game in the centres, youngster Joe Green made some terrific runs, but eventually it went to Tom Coen for his two outstanding tries.

Massive thanks to Martin Brown for helping us out in the front row

Next up Mellish 1’s- lets learn from this game we need to turn pressure into points and not concede silly penalties