Newark Town 2 – 1 Southwell City

Newark Town 2 – 1 Southwell City
Newark Town’s fourth pre-season friendly pitted them against their close neighbours from Southwell City, the Blues securing a narrow victory against stiff opposition. Town gave valuable game time to eighteen players showing the strength in depth of the squad.
Newark had the better of the first half with Tyler Martin and Lewis Chambers going close in the early exchanges before taking a 17th minute lead with a remarkable goal from Mark Faflik. Tom Moore crossed the ball from the left for Faflik to athletically hook the ball over his shoulder and the keeper to find the corner of the net. The Southwell keeper then pulled of a fine save to palm a Jonny Wiles shot over the bar. Ryan Attwell then powered through the middle to put Faflik in but his shot narrowly passed the post. After playing second fiddle for most of the opening 45 minutes, Southwell levelled a minute before the interval, as a defensive error was punished, Town losing possession eight yards from the edge of the area, the resulting cross from the left seeing the unfortunate Ricky North get the last touch as he desperately tried to clear the danger.
Southwell posed much more of a threat after the break, Nathan Burrows forced into a string of good saves. Continuity suffered a little as numerous substitutions were made. Zak Johnson made his presence felt with several storming runs down the left ending in excellent crosses which unfortunately found no takers. Both sides had what appeared to be well founded appeals for penalties waved away before Attwell came to Town’s rescue as he hooked the ball away from almost under the bar. As the Blues pressed foward Elliott Dye had a shot well smothered by the keeper before Jack Durkin grabbed the winner in the 73rd minute, hitting the net from 25 yards out. Tyler Martin was unlucky to see his goalbound shot blocked by a diving defender, but Newark completed a hard-fought win against worthy opposition.
Richard Lane