Another excellent home performance

Saturday Oct 8

Midlands Two East North

Newark 33 West Bridgford 14

Newark produced another excellent home performance to back up last week’s win over Melbourne.

Some speedy and entertaining play saw Newark make a quick start to grab the momentum in this Nottinghamshire derby.

It was Newark’s youngsters who led the show, wing Chaz Dixon scoring two of the five tries and one each coming from centre Kent Birch and wing Billy Charles.

Newark led 14-0 at half-time and improved that margin to 28-0 before Bridgford scored the first of their two tries.

Captain Tom Coen scored Newark’s fifth. Matt Law, impressing again at fly half, kicked four conversions.

Newark revert to Cup action next Saturday (October 15) when they travel to Ilkeston for the first round of the NLD competition, kick off 3pm.

The next league game is on Oct 22 at Notts Casuals.

Newark 1sts return to Kelham Road on Oct 29 when Southwell are the visitors.

Team: Mackie; Charles, Birch, Tate, Dixon; Law, Clark; Dunning, Tomlinson, Price, Statham, Boyd, Tatham, Cove, Coen (capt). Subs: Hempstead, Edwards, Stark.

Tries: Dixon (2), Birch, Charles, Coen.

Conversions: Law (4).

Prop Rob Dunning gives a player’s opinion on Saturday’s game…

Newark 33 West Bridgford 14

Newark showed some of the promise that has been lacking so far this season. The patterns that have been worked on pre-season are starting to show, with tries scored directly from forward based pattern plays.

The man of the match was Jonny "the engine "Statham who got a good head of steam up making some smoking running breaks, Statham is claiming that he set up 3 of Newark's tries.
I can only speculate on how he found the energy to make these breaks! It must have come from his rest periods during the scrummaging where I think he has been taking tips from Mark Staines.

Captain Tommy "Hovis" Coen again played well with excellent up front tackles it is such a shame he is so premature and cannot last a whole game!

Veteran front row Rob Dunning carried the ball well not dropping it once, with some impressive interplay with Chris Tate and James Price.

Fred "the Salmon" Tatham once again showed that his commitment was far superior to what his body could take having to take an early bath with Coen.
Newark's physio was heard saying after the match: “I’m not surprised he got injured - a man of 36 really should not be playing rugby!”

Mike "the Aussie" Boyd took over the line-out captain role after Tatham left the pitch, this would not have been a problem except that his team mate forgot their English Australian translation books and had to guess where the ball was intended to go!

Dan "the Mackerel" Mackie playing out of position at 15 was like dog shit and was everywhere mopping up tackles like a demented janitor!

By the 3rd Quarter of the game the referee must have been bored with the flow of the game which Newark seemed to agree with as we gifted the visitors two tries.

Newark's try scorers were Chaz "Spunk Trunks" Dixon , Chaz ran in twice after some good forward interplay.

Billy "the Kid" Charles who after some well-timed runs danced over the line in a performance fit for strictly come dancing. It was unfortunate that he butchered two other tries earning him the ‘Dick of the Day Award!’

Other scorers were Tom Coen following an heroic scrummage from the front three slipped in.
Kent Birch who brings his carrier tally for Newark 1's to 2. That's 1 less than Rob Dunning that's shameful!

Matt "Peachy" Law 4 from 5 conversions. Two were from the touch lines and impressive by any description but the one he missed was in the middle of the pitch.

Rob Dunning
‘Don't ask me to do it again for at least 17 weeks!’