Southwell v Newark

REPORT WRITTEN BY NICK LAW

In a feisty encounter that saw six yellow cards and a red, Southwell completed the league double over local rivals Newark to claim the bragging rights and consolidate their position in the upper echelons of the table, while the visitors dropped a place, with a 25-17 victory.

In the only changes from the demolition of Nottingham Casuals, indomitable skipper Tom Coen retuned to the team, as did centre Chaz Dixon, winger Alex Scott and Mike Boyd into the engine room.

The pattern for the game was set in the opening exchanges as Arran Riley’s charge was brought down by a belligerent and well-drilled Southwell back-row, which was dominant throughout, and by a series of decisions that confounded the largest crowd seen at Park Lane for years. From one such decision, Southwell fly-half Paul Rich failed to take the advantage as he struck the upright. Minutes later, however, he made amends, slotting over a penalty from close range.

Freddie Tatham left the field at end the end of the first quarter, to be replaced by the combative evergreen, Matt Cove, and schoolboy fly-half Matt Law was sent to bin for a fearsome tackle on the burly Southwell back-rower.

An attritional battle ensued for the rest of the half as both sides vied for territorial advantage, but poor kicking games meant that this was not to happen

Southwell’s Musgrove and Newark’s Riley left on the stroke of half time for a tip tackle and an altercation, respectively, with the game evenly poised at 3-0 to the Redmen.

Southwell were quickly out of the blocks at the start of the second half, with skipper Machin effecting a turnover which set free Hart to gallop to the line, bouncing three of Newark’s backs in the process. Rich added the extras. This galvanised Newark into action and Billy Charles was denied a try by a last ditch tackle by Barber, but moments later Newark’s pack rolled on to score under the sticks with Ed Poulson emerging at the bottom of the melee. Law converted.

Once again poor tackling cost Newark as that man Hart, in a copycat effort, scored his second try, which Rich converted. The game started to open up, but Newark’s backs were too flat, allowing Southwell’s defence to snuff out each attack. Southwell lost another to the bin for a deliberate knock on in the red zone, and Law squirted the ball over the posts to reduce the deficit.

Southwell stretched their lead as a Newark infringed once again, allowing Rich the easiest of penalties. Southwell’s player-coach was next to the bin for persistent infringing, allowing the referee to continue unassisted for the next ten minutes, and when Musgrove was shown a red card for cynically slowing the ball – his second yellow card offence - Newark felt they had a chance. However, it was Hart, again, who powerfully handed off Newark’s defence to complete his second half hat trick. Rich, once again, hit the upright.

In a storming last five minutes Newark saw their most sustained pressure rewarded with Alex Scott finishing off under the posts. Law completed the game’s scoring as he added the extras, but leaving Newark with nothing to show from the game.

Next week Newark are away to West Bridgford in the Notts cup. (2pm ko at West B)

Team: Mackie; Charles, Waqalevu, Dixon, Scott; Law, Chapple; Tatham, Tomlinson, Dunning, Boyd, Poulson, Riley, Coen (capt), Garland.

Subs: M.Cove, Bagga, Tate

Tries: Poulson, Scott

Conversions: Law (2)

Penalty: Law