Newark Town
Remarkably this afternoon will see Newark Town’s last home match of the season. They play Clowne at the Sports Village with a 3.00pm kick off hoping to replicate last Wednesday’s excellent performance against Notts County.
Jim Todd reminds us of a great evening;
In front of a crowd of 752, the biggest in Newark for a football match for many a year, Newark Town, despite a gutsy performance, went out of the Notts FA Senior Cup at the quarter final stage by three goals to one to Notts County U23’s. Town made two changes to the side which had wonconvincingly on Saturday with Matt Gamble and Daryl Price coming back into the starting eleven.
After an even start to the game the young County side began to dominate with their slick passing game and organisation and were denied by a post in the 9th minute from opening the scoring. In the 12th minute however n a quick County break Town keeper Nathan Burrows was adjudged to have brought down the attacker and Alex Howes put the visitors ahead from the spot. The first half continued with County having most of the possession but the usual stout Town defending saw a lot of their smooth build ups result in shots from out side the penalty area which except for one shot which hit the bar in the 20th minute did not cause to many problems for keeper Burrows. In the last few minutes of the first half Town began to become more of an attacking force and after Rhys Lewis had put Daryl Price through only for him to be adjudged off side the latter again broke clear only to be fouled by the visitor’s keeper and Lewis Chambers calmly slotted the resultant penalty home to level the score line at half-time.
Town started in the same vein after half-time and could well have gone ahead in the 47th minute when a Luke Parsons freekick was flicked on by Rhys Lewis for Tyler Martin to pull the ball back across the six yard area but with the County defence all at sea no Town player was able to get thefinishing touch. County slowly put their passing game together again and starting creating chances which they were unable to convert though Town looked dangerous on the break as George Asplin, who had been forced into a defensive role, came into the game more as an attacking force. County pressure finally told off in the 70th minute when after Nathan Burrows had made a great save to deny County’s Kieran Cummings the latter fired in a cross shot which hit one post and went back across goal to finish in the other corner. Three minutes later Tyreace Palmer put County firmly on the way to victory as he picked up a loose ball to fire an unstoppable shot from 18 yards past Nathan Burrows. Town continued to strive for a goal which would bring them back into the game but could not penetrate the County back line which contained most of their experience in their young side.
Town could come out of the game with their heads held high as, though County’s little bit of extra class was apparent, they never gave up and battled on over the whole 90 minutes.
Town Team: Nathan Burrows, Matt Gamble [Arron Martin], Steve Carty, Ricky North [MOM], Luke Parsons, Rhys Lewis, George Asplin, Jonathan Wiles [Ben Castell], Lewis Chambers, Daryl Price [Craig Bridge], Tyler Martin.
ATTENDANCE 752