Newark had the last word

Newark Rugby Club

Midlands One East North

Newark 30 Loughborough 12

Newark maintained their good start to 2013 by notching up a second successive league win in January.

The victory also brought a welcome bonus point for scoring four tries which helps maintain a healthy eighth place in the league table.

Newark did not match the energetic and accurate start of the previous week at Market Bosworth yet they were still able to gain an early hold on the match when wing Johnny Statham scooted over on the left for the first try after five minutes.

Statham could easily have grabbed a hat-trick in the opening quarter only for the breaks and bounce of ball not to go his way.

Newark were also hampered by injury to Shaun May, who had started the match at No 8 in a reshuffled pack which saw Rob Dunning doing well up front alongside Jason Barnsdale and Ian Tomlinson.

May hurt his knee and was never able to have the impact he did on the game at Bosworth.

Newark led 15-5 at half-time having enjoyed the bulk of territory. Loughborough had cut the lead in the 25th minute through their first try, but the home team pulled clear when Matt Clark touched down after a prolonged period of pressure five minutes later.

Danny Coen missed the conversion of the second try having earlier improved the score by Statham besides kicking a penalty goal.

A second penalty goal from Coen 10 minutes into the second half kept Newark in command and the match was made safe in the 55th minute when Mark Byrom finished off after some good team work.

Coen and Clark gave an attack some pace after the forwards had set up the attacking position following some good driving play off a line-out.

Loughborough staged a mini comeback by bursting clear for a second try in the 70th minute. That score was converted to make the scoreline 23-12.

Newark, however, had the last word by gaining a fourth try – a second from scrum-half Clark - in the final minute to cap a decent performance.

To the delight of Kelham Road regulars there was a welcome return as a substitute in the final minutes of Aloesi Waqalevu.

Newark are at home again next Saturday when they host Peterborough in a re-arranged league game which was first postponed in December because of flooding. Kick off 2.15pm at Kelham Road.

Team: Mark Byrom; Tate, Badley, Collishaw, Statham; Danny Coen, Matt Clark; Dunning, Tomlinson, Barnsdale,Primett, Tatham, Neil Clark, Tom Coen, May.

Subs: Tinsley, Fotheringham, Waqalevu.

Tries: Statham, Matt Clark (2), Mark Byrom.

Conversions: Danny Coen (2).

Penalty goals: Danny Coen (2).

Scoring sequence, 1st half: 5-0 Statham try, 7-0 Danny Coen con, 10-0 Danny Coen pen, 10-5 Loughborough try, 15-5 Matt Clark try.
2nd half: 18-5 Danny Coen pen, 23-5 Mark Byrom try, 23-10 Loughborough try, 23-12 Loughborough con, 28-12 Matt Clark try, 30-12 Danny Coen conversion.

Rob Wildman