Newark pushed hard!

A late penalty goal grabbed Newark a losing bonus point in a closely fought match against Market Rasen.

Matt Cox landed the kick to complete a haul of 13 points for the fly half through a converted try and two penalty goals.

Newark led 10-8 early in the second half but Rasen took their chances the better in a tight second half to run out narrow winners..

Neither side could impose themselves on a heavy pitch in the early exchanges and it wasn’t until the 14th minute when the visitors kicked a penalty to break the deadlock.

Although Newark came back strongly and pressed hard it was Market Rasen who scored the first try wide out on the left following a good line out drive in the Newark 22.

Again Newark came back well with strong runs from Jordan Hempstead, Will Seage and Jon Webster and as the half was closing in it was Cox who went over under the posts with a trade mark break.
He converted his own try to make it 7-8 at half-time and a penalty goal early after the break gave Newark the lead.

Neither side could really impose themselves over the next quarter of an hour until the visitors broke the deadlock with a clean break going over near the posts for a converted try to put them 10-15 up.

Despite pushing hard Newark conceded another penalty which the visitors converted to put them 10-18 ahead and to leave the home team needing to score again to gain that bonus point for losing by seven or fewer points.

Newark pushed hard to the end and forced Rasen to concede another penalty which Cox converted (off a post) to give the home side a losing bonus point.

Overall, a disappointing afternoon for the Kelham Road side.

Team: Hunter-Shaw; Overland, Waqalevu, Britten, Taylor, Cox, O’Dell; Himsworth, Tomlinson, Hempstead, Duncan, Woodman, Stamp, Seage, Webster.
Subs: Ellison, Appleton, Tuks.

Try: Cox.
Conversion: Cox.
Penalty goals: Cox (2).

Next game is Saturday (Nov 30) v Stafford in RFU Intermediate Cup, Midlands section quarter-finals, kick off 2pm (RFU regulations to allow for extra time to be played in daylight).