Second half grit and determination
Midlands Two East North
Southwell 19 Newark 22
Newark found some second-half grit and determination to overturn a half-time deficit to win this local derby at Park Lane by four tries to three.
Southwell, helped by a bright and breezy spell, led 12-5 at half-time but Newark regrouped to boss the second half.
Newark made full use of their three substitutes and the move paid off after the interval when scrum-half Sam Booth sped from halfway to score the crucial try.
Booth’s sprint through a midfield gap followed other second-half tries from captain Will Britten and fly half Matt Cox.
Cox had also scored at the end of the first half to put Newark back into the match after Southwell had built a 12-0 lead through tries from wing Tom Broughton and flanker Josh Hart.
Newark did make the better start in the first half but the match swung when they lost control of the ball at a scrum in the Southwell 22.
Southwell then played their best rugby to score those two tries.
Cox’s sprint down the right for his first try put Newark back into the match.
After the break, Newark dominated through some good forward work which eventually led to Cox wriggling clear for his second and Britten finishing off on the right following Kent Birch’s break and long pass.
Those scores put Newark 17-12 up and Booth’s try increased the lead until the closing minutes when Southwell grabbed a third from this time prop Connor Pearson.
Overall, it was a hard fought match played on a hard surface watched by another good crowd for a clash between neighbours.
Teams
Newark team: Hunter-Shaw; Britten, Spurr, Birch, Taylor; Cox, Overland; Hempstead, Godfrey, Coulam, Matthysz, Williams, Brogden, Seage, Garland.
Subs: Appleton, Ellison, Booth.
Tries: Cox (2), Britten, Booth.
Conversion: Cox.
