Newark in command from the off, just!
REPORT WRITTEN BY ROB WILDMAN
NEWARK 31 Ashbourne 27
Midlands Two East North
Newark scrambled to a fifth league win of the season in a hectic match which produced 10 tries – five to each team.
A burst of two tries in two minutes after the interval gave Newark sufficient advantage to keep an attack-minded Ashbourne at bay.
Newark led from the opening minutes when centre Kent Birch scored the first of his two tries but Ashbourne kept everyone at Kelham Road on their toes on a nippy afternoon.
Overall, Newark possessed the stronger runners and took their chances to make up for defensive lapses.
Newark fielded another reshuffled team from the one that started out in the defeat at Spalding.
Lock Ed Poulson made his first team league debut and joined three other colts in the team, fly half Matt Law plus wings Chaz Dixon and Billy Charles.
Dixon supplied one of the outstanding moments in the second half when he won the race to touchdown from his own kick ahead down the left.
The try followed on from a score by James Price, a half-time substitute at prop, who produced a typical muscular burst out of a maul to put Newark 22-17 ahead.
This try followed a first half which ended in a 17-12 lead for Newark, Birch showing good pace and power to score his two tries in between one by captain Tom Coen.
The backrower, cheered on by a group of friends who had enjoyed a good lunch, produced a neat dummy to outwit the Ashbourne cover.
Ashbourne, who had scored twice themselves in the first half, levelled at 17-17 early in the second half.
But Newark’s burst of two tries in two minutes, thanks to the individualism of Dixon and Price, ultimately proved decisive.
With Matt Law converting both tries to alongside a first-half kick, Newark led 31-17 and always looked likely winners despite two late tries from Ashbourne.
The win keeps Newark in fifth place, a point behind next Saturday’s (Nov 26) hosts Coalville, kick off 2.15pm.
Newark team: Scott; Charles, Birch, Waqalevu, Dixon; Law, Clark; Dunning, Huddlestone, Pick, Poulson, Duncan, Webster, Coen (capt), Garland.
Subs: Price. Tomlinson, Chapple.
Tries: Birch (2), Coen, Price, Dixon.
Conversions: Law (3).
Scoring sequence (Newark first): 5-0 (Birch try), 5-5 (Ashbourne try), 10-5 (Coen try), 12-5 (Law con), 12-10 (Ashbourne try), 12-12 (Ashbourne con), 17-12 (Birch try), 17-17 (Ashbourne try), 22-17 (Price try), 24-12 (Law con), 24-17 (Ashbourne try), 29-17 (Dixon try), 31-17 (Law con).