Newark Flowserve
LEADERS Newark Flowserve lost their third home game of the season as they went down 3-1 at the hands of tenth-placed Long Eaton United at Lowfields in the Midland Football League Premier Division.
The visitors are managed by Rudy Funk who was in charge at Rainworth during Craig Roche’s playing days at Kirklington Lane.
When Flowserve travelled to Grange Park for the reverse fixture at the end of November, the Derbyshire side had led 2-0 for much of the match before Gregg Smith grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck to earn a share of the spoils in a 2-2 draw.
On this occasion Ben Hutchinson’s 18th goal of the season suggested a fightback was on the cards, but sadly it wasn’t to be, to the disappointment of another impressive Lowfields crowd of 290.
Both sides took their time sussing each other out in a cagey opening to the game, before the contest burst into life on the 18th minute when a cross from the right by Rhys Dolan struck the far post. Joe Searson pulled off a fine diving save during the ensuing scramble before a linesman’s flag called a halt to proceedings.
The response at the other end came four minutes later when battling work by Massiah McDonald saw Kyle Dixon released in the inside-left channel but the keeper closed the angle to turn his shot away for a corner.
Flowserve centre-half Mitch Robinson was winning all the aerial challenges, with a particular threat coming from United’s Kieran Walker whose long throw-ins were like corners in themselves.
On 31 minutes Danny Meadows ran on to a flicked header from Hutchinson following one of Lavell White’s own long throws, but he blazed his shot across the face of goal.
Better accuracy four minutes later gave the visitors their opener when James Shaw planted his close-range header inside the far post, and two minutes before the break Long Eaton doubled their lead when Doolan hit a speculative shot that took a wicked deflection before looping over the head of Searson and into the net.
Flowserve started brightly after the break, with McDonald having an appeal for a penalty waved away after being pushed to the ground in the box, and Meadows having a stinging shot well saved before Zak Goodson was tripped in the area to leave the referee with no choice but to point to the spot with just three minutes elapsed of the second period.
Hutchinson strode up confidently to net number 18 in all competitions, and convert his fourth penalty of the season. The comeback appeared to be on.
The injection of Jack Beckett as a half-time substitute was adding impetus to the Flowserve ranks, and there was another penalty appeal on 56 minutes when Dixon was sent sprawling in the box, but it fell on deaf ears.
Then, on 65 minutes, came the moment that sealed the fate of the men in orange. Searson advanced out of his box to thwart a visiting attack, but his attempted header saw the ball skim off his head and into the path of Niall Towle and the Long Eaton striker applied the dagger blow.
Newark Flowserve: 1 Joe Searson; 2 Lavell White; 3 Jurelle Phillip (Jack Beckett HT); 4 Lawrence Gorman; 5 Mitch Robinson; 6 Tom Potts (captain); 7 Danny Meadows; 8 Kyle Dixon; 9 Massiah McDonald (Sean Woolley 60mins); 10 Ben Hutchinson (Romello Nangle 78mins); 11 Zak Goodson.
Attendance: 290.