Dronfield proved difficult opponents

REPORT WRITTEN BY ROB WILDMAN

Saturday Feb 1

NLD Shield semi-final

Newark 32 Dronfield 10

Newark beat the weather and managed to stage this Notts, Lincs & Derbys Shield match on a back pitch which was passed fit at a Saturday morning inspection.

With the main pitch out of action due to the recent heavy rain, Newark’s big following had to don wellies to watch the action at Kelham Road.

All the enterprise paid off as Newark gained a place in the final thanks to a clinical second half performance after they had led only 12-10 at the interval.
Newark scored two tries in the first half when they played with the conditions behind them. However, they produced their best rugby into the wind after the break when they added a further four scores.

Dronfield proved difficult opponents especially in the first half when they scored first capitalising on Newark’s usual disastrous start which enabled the visitors to go 5-0 up.

Newark quickly responded to the deficit thanks to Mark Byrom finishing off an overlap to score at the corner. James Offer landed the difficult conversion to start an afternoon when two other efforts hit the woodwork and another was blown off course by the strong wind.

A try by No 8 James Price put Newark further ahead at 12-5 only for Dronfield to grab another score just before half-time.

Newark’s head coach Nathan Smith made a number of changes at half-time in an attempt to up the tempo and the switch around paid off in the second half.

Prop Jason Barnsdale popped up to finish off a move triggered by the introduction of Matt Cox who was back playing after a long lay off due to a thumb injury.

A typical scrum-half try from Matt Clark stretched Newark’s lead to 22-10 before the collective strength up front brought a penalty try.

To round off events Newark reserved their best score until last.

Byrom started the move in his own half and a switch ball to James Stark saw the substitute break through before off-loading to hooker Ian Tomlinson who raced over.

Newark will return to league action next Saturday at Old Northamptonians, kick off 2.15pm.

They will meet either Kesteven or Melbourne in the Shield final which is anticipated will be staged at Glossop on the weekend of April 26-27.

Match Details
Team: Mark Byrom; Dixon, Tate, Spurr, Galinski; Offer, Clark; Dunning, Tomlinson, Tinsley, Webster, Tatham, Hawes, Curry, James Price. Subs: Barnsdale, Bartsch, Duncan, Cox, Stark.

Tries: Byrom, Price, Barnsdale, Clark, pen try, Tomlinson.

Conversion: Offer.

Rob Wildman