Newark deserved a late try

Newark finished the stronger in this fiery, muddy contest at Coalville but their reward was only a losing bonus point.

Most of the players left the pitch caked in mud after a competitive match boiled over in the last quarter.

Newark finished 13-strong, following the dismissals of forwards Will Ellison and David Shiels, while Coalville also had a player sent off.
They finished 12-strong because they had another two players sin binned in the last few minutes.

The defeat leaves Newark in fifth place with two games still to play, next Saturday (April 21) at home to Dronfield and away at Nottingham Casuals on April 28.

Newark certainly deserved a late try against a Coalville team who took charge midway through the second half by scoring two tries in the corner. In between Newark replied through a penalty goal from Robbie Hunter-Shaw.

The home team enjoyed most of the early pressure but good defence by Newark sapped the Coalville spirit to such an extent it was the visitors who finished the half the stronger despite a yellow card for Matt Clark.

Newark’s edge continued in the second half and a break-out led by Aloesi Waqalevu ended in the attack ending just short at the corner following good support by Tom Crosby and Billy Charles.

The match was still locked at 0-0 when Ellison was sent off alongside a Coalville player for their parts in ‘handbags’ near the halfway line.

As the match went into the last quarter, Coalville found the momentum to score their opening try which was partly countered bv Newark’s only points from Hunter-Shaw’s penalty.

Shiels followed Ellison when the packs clashed again following a collapsed scrum. This left Newark two men short and Coalville took advantage by working a second try at the corner.

To the credit of Newark they finished in charge and forced a couple of line-outs close to the Coalville line.

The match finished amid more arguments when the referee blew for full time following the sin binning of a second Coalville player.

Newark protested they should have been given the chance of the penalty but the referee blew for full time instead.

Shiels, having been sent off, turned peace keeper and the two teams shook hands.

It had been an afternoon for mudlarks and the Newark team thrived in the conditions. Terrific effort all round.

Team

Hunter-Shaw; Charles, Waqalevu, Britten, Moore; Clark, M Chapple; Shiels, J Chapple, Coulam, Ellison, Bagga, Boyd, Crosby, Poulson.

Subs: Hempstead, Himsworth, Tweedie.

Penalty goal: Hunter-Shaw.

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