Floodlit hopes extinguished for another season.

Mansfield were missing several key players, and if Town were going to improve on their record against them, this appeared on paper to offer the best opportunity.
Mansfield had first use of a brisk, biting wind which blew the length of the pitch, and employed it to full advantage as early as the 9th minute when Julian Capuano’s ball forward was latched on to by Nathan Whitehead, who looped a shot over the advancing Craig Rhodes. Rhodes was then out at the feet of Declan Brewin, before Danny Purves launched a free kick for Town which narrowly cleared the bar. Mansfield almost replicated their goal on 22 minutes but Callum Green floated the ball wide of the left hand post. The game was being played at a rapid pace, Whitehead being the next to threaten, heading a Capuano cross just off target. Sam Wilford and Arron Martin combined well, Martin’s 20 yard grass-cutter passing wide of the post. Rhodes had to be alert to hold Purves’ sliced clearance at full stretch, and then pulled of a brilliant one-handed save on 29 minutes to keep out a fierce drive from Green. A foul on Wilford set up a free kick on the edge of the area, but Chris Dobbie’s effort was deflected off the defensive wall for a corner. A well contested game turned a little sour on 41 minutes after a flare up between Sam Gregory and Capuano, which resulted in Gregory’s dismissal, while Capuano was cautioned, but before play could restart a belated flag from the linesman, which didn’t do referee Duncan Robertson any favours , resulted in Capuano’s yellow card being upgraded to red. In the time added for this stoppage at the end of the half, Town drew level, Dobbie gliding past his marker to plant his shot past Dale Sheppard.
Newark’s hopes of building on this were quickly dashed on 47 minutes, as Whitehead doubled his tally, powering home a long distance header following a left wing corner. Reece Self replaced Sam Bagworth, but the visitors still threatened, Green striking a post, and they went one better on 58 minutes as Brewin got the better of Purves and lashed home an unstoppable shot from 18 yards. Dobbie looked set to pull one back in the 64th minute after being supplied by Wilford, but lost his footing at the crucial moment and the chance went begging. Town brought on their two 17 year old rising stars, Danny Lee and Jake Reynolds replacing George Paling and James Munson, and Reynolds almost profited from a piercing through ball from Dobbie, only being denied a goal by Sheppard’s feet. Sean Fulcher got on the end of a Purves’ free kick, just clearing the angle of post and bar, before Rhodes pulled off another excellent save, this time with his feet, from Mark Carter. The miss of the match, and possibly the season so far, came two minutes from time, Green rounding Rhodes but faced with an open goal he lifted his shot over the bar.
Town now face a trio of away matches at Thoresby, Welbeck and Askern, before their final shot at silverware this season, against Linby in the League Cup on December 7th.