Tony Smith at the match
NEWARK FLOWSERVE battled hard, but in the end they were forced to accept their second reversal of the season as they suffered a 1-0 defeat at Leicestershire side Ingles FC in the East Midlands Counties League on Saturday.
The game was as dismal as the weather, with the hot days of summer just a glorious memory, as the cold and rain seemed to seep into the bones of both sets of players as they struggled to put their passes together on a worn pitch.
Flowserve were without their suspended top goalscorer Sam Agar, but his enforced absence paved the way for new signing Harry Wakefield, with the number nine shirt filled by the solidly-built 19-year-old after his midweek arrival from Basford United.
Leading scorer Sam Agar had to sit this one out
He was the first to show for The Highwaymen in the 23rd minute when he drilled a left-footed effort wide of the target with the visitors’ first clear-cut opportunity.
The deadlock was finally broken in the 36th minute when Billy Blackshaw broke clear down the inside-left channel to fire past the onrushing James Beddingham, who was restored to the starting line-up. And Sean Wooley nearly put Ingles two ahead a minute later when he advanced from the same position only to fire the ball over the angle of post and crossbar.
The Newark visitors started brightly in the second period, and could have levelled matters three minutes after the restart when first a Steve Kirkham header was clawed off the line by Ingles keeper Oliver Buchanan, and then Tom Potts’ follow up shot was kept out by a crowd of bodies.
The ball then broke to the other end when Lloyd Tupper’s shot hit the bar, while on 63 minutes Wakefield broke clear only to be denied a debut goal by a fine piece of goalkeeping when Buchanan turned his effort onto the woodwork.
Substitutes Elliot King and Tom Perkins produced lively cameos after their introduction, but neither could alter the proceedings as the home side took the spoils with the only goal of the game.
Elliot King seen here in a match at Lowfields came close to restoring parity
Flowserve remain in third place in the table, thanks in the main to their 100% home record at fortress Lowfields, but it is their away record that needs some re-addressing when they travel to Kimberley Miners’ Welfare on Saturday (3pm).
Newark Flowserve: 1 James Beddingham; 2 Liam Moran (Elliot King 64mins); 3 Will Rawdon; 4 Tom Potts (captain); 5 Steve Kirkham; 6 Rhys Lewis; 7 Jack Beckett; 8 Danny Meadows; 9 Harry Wakefield; 10 Callum Smith (Tom Perkin 80mins); 11 Sol Miller.