Floodlights out for Town

Two first-half goals were enough to see Newark Town bow out of the Phoenix Trophies Floodlit Cup at the Northern semi-final stage with a defeat against league leaders Clay Cross Town.
After four successive victories in February without conceding a goal, it was the Blues turn to be shut out by a highly organised defence. The Blues were in confident mood heading into the match, which was played in front of a bumper crowd of 155.
Town made a pacy start, Dom Swingler having a good opportunity early on to give them the lead, but his low shot was saved by the keepers legs after he had powered through.
Despite the promising opening, Clay Cross took a seventh minute lead, when Aiden Ordidge sprang Newark's offside trap and slipped the ball past Ed Munton into the corner of the net.
Newark were dominating possession, but the visitors were excellent in defence, and chances were few and far between.
Ngoni Dongo enjoyed the best opening on the half hour mark as he got his head on the end of a Reece Self cross, only to be disappointed as his effort flew just over the bar.
Clay Cross were unfortunate not to increase their lead, Darren Townsley doing well to head off the line after Matthews had headed over Munton from close-range.
However their second came from the resulting corner, with Alberry squeezing a header in after being left unmarked at the set-piece.
Jordan Thomas, who had been crowded out by a blanket defence for most of the half, shot wide after picking the ball up from deep and striking from just outside the area.
He had another great opportunity to pull one back before the break, after excellent work from Dongo from the left-hand side, who somehow managed to find Thomas with a low cross.
The striker latched on to the cross, but was denied by an excellent block from Alberry.
Newark would still have felt they had a real opportunity to work their way back into the match in the second-half, but found life increasingly difficult against an organised defence.
There were several occasions when a through ball found a Newark man in space clear, only for the linesman's flag to be raised for offside.
With the game played predominately in midfield Clay Cross had a couple of chances to pull further clear, but Munton was equal to a long-range volley from Whitfield.
Alex Hales saw a shot deflected wide for a corner in the dying minutes, but try as they may the Blues couldn't find a way back into the match leaving Clay Cross to face Harworth in the Northern final.

Report by Rick Lane