A BIG CROWD WENT AWAY TO TALK ABOUT A RIVETING MATCH

REPORT WRITTEN BY ROB WILDMAN

Saturday Oct 29

Midlands Two East North

The first league game between Newark and Southwell ended in a resounding victory for the visiting Red Men to Kelham Road.

Southwell struck early, withstood a Newark recovery before hammering home their all-round advantage at the start of the second half to win by eight tries to two.

A big crowd went away to talk about a riveting match which had produced a surprisingly big scoreline between two teams who most thought would be well matched.

Newark were put under such pressure early on they barely managed to get out of their own half. Such intensity paved the way for Southwell’s victory.

Southwell led 12-0 within as many minutes before two penalty goals from Dan Mackie gave Newark a little bit of respite from the onslaught.
However, Newark’s fragile defence helped the visitors to a third try in the 25th minute. That score put Southwell 19-6 ahead.

Newark responded to the embarrassment of conceding easy tries by producing their best play of the match, wing Chris Tate cutting an excellent line to make a try-scoring gap for full-back Tom Mawer through the sweetest of flip passes.

Mackie increased Newark’s hopes by landing the touchline conversion helped by a friendly crossbar.

That left Southwell only 13-19 in front at half-time and home hopes were raised.

Those expectations did not last long. Newark lost a player to the sin bin and Southwell set up camp in the home 22 to engineer their fourth try, this time from a line-out drive.

The next 10 minutes proved to be the match-winning moves as Southwell scored two more tries to post a 36-13 lead.

Newark gave themselves brief hope of at least grabbing a bonus point by gaining a penalty try from a forward drive which Mackie converted.

The home team tried to press for more tries but it was Southwell who expertly seized on home mistakes to score two more tries, wing Jack Skill completing a hat-trick by scooting from his own 22.

Overall, it was something of a humbling afternoon for ‘big brother’ Newark. Afterwards, the-ifs-and-buts were debated in the traditional way.

The return game is on Feb 18 at Park Lane!

For the record, Southwell’s tries were scored by Jack Skill (3), Curtis Marshall, Nathan King, George Chatfield, Mark Layfield and Paul Rich.

Newark play at Spalding next Saturday, kick off 2.15pm, in a Midlands Two East North.

Teams

Newark: Mawer; Tate, Birch, Waqalevu, Stark; Mackie, Max Chapple; Dunning, Tomlinson, Edwards, Statham, Boyd, Duncan, Coen (capt), Tatham.

Subs: Pick, Neil Clark, Hunter-Shaw.

Tries: Mawer, pen try.

Conversions: Mackie (2).

Penalty goals: Mackie (2).

Southwell squad: Musgrove, Layfield, Skill, Machin, Chatfield, Ward, Shearwood, Marshall, Hughes, Barber, King, Beastall, Hunt, Chamberlain, Smith, Montagu, Dennis, Rich.
Tries: Skill (3), Marshall, King, Chatfield, Layfield, Rich.

Scoring sequence: 0-5, 0-12, 3-12, 6-12, 6-19, 13-19, 13-24, 13-31, 13-36, 20-36, 20-43, 20-50.

Referee: Spike Sheldon (NLD)