Back to back defeats
NEWARK FLOWSERVE went to Heanor Town to celebrate the end of a successful season in the East Midlands Counties League, but they also brought Hurricane Hannah with them.
Heanor are the in-form side in the league, while Flowserve ended a run of five wins and just one goal conceded with a setback at West Bridgford six days earlier. Hannah simply threw in a spanner.
The Lions scored twice with the wind at their backs in the first half, while The Highwaymen failed to add to a late first half goal when they had the elements in their favour in the second period, and the 2-1 defeat was a sixth of the season for the visitors.
The overwhelming feeling at the end of the game was one of disappointment and frustration for players and spectators alike, but both will realise on reflection what a gloriously successful season this has been – and they still have a cup final at the weekend to savour.
The task of the men in blue was clear from the kick-off when Sean Woolley’s long kick downfield nearly curled back over his own head.
The game was 11 minutes old when skipper Tom Potts made a marvellous last-ditch tackle to deny Sam Birks when he was through in on goal, but two minutes later the visiting defence were picking the ball out of their net when Jesse Fowles was allowed the freedom of the six-yard box to steer his shot home at the far post.
Heanor were playing to the elements the better, and they doubled their lead just before the half hour mark when Jamie Sleigh broke clear from a seemingly offside position to make it 2-0.
Tyrell Shannon-Lewis pulled one back with virtually the last kick of the first half when Sam Agar cleverly cut along the goal-line on the left and crossed for Danny Meadows to head the ball down, and ‘Tizer’applied the finishing touch from close range to notch his 28th goal of the campaign.
A flurry of corners at the start of the second half was followed by a penalty appeal when Tizer went down under a challenge from Reuben Nwadike, but the referee wasn’t interested and the real pain was felt by the Heanor man as he was led from the fray clutching his right arm.
On the hour a left-foot half volley from Meadows stuck in the midriff of the keeper, while Sleigh shot across the face of goal at the other end on seemingly the only occasion that the hosts ventured into their opponents’ half in the second period.
Long distance efforts from Elliot King and substitute Blair Anderson were snatched at as frustrations grew. Potts drilled a direct free-kick that cannoned off the defensive wall with seven minutes remaining, and then King just failed to reach a header that would have crowned an industrious display.
But, in years to come, people will have forgotten the disappointment of a windy day at Heanor.
What they will remember is that the town’s first ever season in step six football saw Newark Flowserve win 28 of their 38 league games, score 139 goals at 3.65 per outing and concede just 33 at less than a goal a game.
And they will raise a glass to The Highwaymen.
Newark Flowserve: 1 Joe Searson; 2 Sol Miller (Jahred Russell 66mins); 3 Ryley Thompson (Nathan Kelly 91mins); 4 Tom Potts (captain); 5 Rhys Lewis; 6 Jammy Lloyd; 7 Sean Woolley (Blair Anderson 58mins); 8 Danny Meadows; 9 Tyrell Shannon-Lewis; 10 Elliot King; 11 Sam Agar.
Attendance: 106.