The rain and wind swept in!

REPORT WRITTEN BY ROB WILDMAN

Saturday, Jan 25

Midlands One East

Newark 0 Peterborough Lions 51

Newark found leaders Peterborough Lions far too strong at Kelham Road on a stormy afternoon which brought sun, rain, hail, wind and thunder.

The Lions scored nine tries in all, but led only 10-0 at the interval after a first 40 minutes where Newark had started well in the best of the conditions, the game starting in sunshine.

As the rain and wind swept in, the Lions took control to win which keeps them top 10 points of second-placed Derby.

Newark had made a couple of changes from the previous week when Matlock had been beaten at Kelham Road, 35-14.
Flanker Will Naylor took over from David Fotheringham, who had been suffering from a hamstring injury, while Aloesi Waqalevu returned in the backline.
Craig Hawes took over Fotheringham’s bench spot at the last moment and came on in the second half.

Despite the defeat, Newark remain in fifth place three points ahead of Market Rasen whose match at home to Paviors was postponed.

Newark’s best play came in a ferocious opening quarter when the visitors had to defend well to keep out the home attacks.

However, the Lions stemmed that early pressure and used their big forwards to start taking a grip they never relinquished.

Lions led 10-0 at half-time and maintained their forward grip in the second half but they only took real control in the later stages scoring four tries to make the result seemingly one-sided.

Newark are scheduled to host Dronfield in the NLD Shield semi-final, next Saturday (Feb 1), kick off 2pm.

Newark team – Mark Byrom; Waqalevu, Spurr, Tate, Galinski; Offer, Matt Clark (capt); Tinsley, Tomlinson, Barnsdale, Dan Price, Tatham, Webster, Naylor, James Price.

Subs: Dunning, Hawes, Dixon.

Rob Wildman