A rousing second half display capped with a spectacular goal gave the Blues a valuable three points and redressed the balance after defeat in the reverse fixture at Collingham. Alex Hales and Darren Townsley replaced George Pearce and Reece Self with Danny Lee on the subs bench following his return from the USA.
The first 30 minutes were less than inspiring, with Town seemingly still hung over from last Saturday’s flat display. Hales was fortunate to only see a yellow card after needlessly chopping down Hutson, and the visitors almost took an 11th minute lead, a combination of Craig Rhodes and Luke Hutchinson keeping out Nicholls, who really should have done better, Hutchinson then produced a firm header at the other end which went wide and Jordan Thomas set up Arron Martin whose powerful drive had Shaw scrambling. There was further danger as Sam Wilford did well to head a free kick away from danger and Barrowcliffe passed up another good chance as his close range flick was too light to trouble Rhodes. The whole complexion of the game changed in Newark’s favour on 33 minutes however as they took the lead, Wilford allowing Swingler to get past his marker, the striker unselfishly squaring the ball for Thomas to knock the ball home. Suddenly Newark came to life, Swingler producing a fiercely driven shot which Shaw managed to parry, and Martin seeing the keeper block his shot as he powered through the middle. Ricki O’Connell pulled off an important clearance as Hutson threatened, but the Blues ended the half positively, Thomas’s free kick finding Ngoni Dongo, the ball laid off to Hales who curled the ball narrowly wide.
Newark returned to the attack almost from the kick off, a square ball from Parsons surprising Hutchinson who couldn’t quite react in time to turn the ball over the line. Parsons then proved Town’s saviour, clearing a goalbound shot from Hutson at the last minute with Rhodes beaten. The Blues doubled their lead with a gem of a goal which deserved a far bigger audience than the dozen or so scattered round the ground. Determination from Townsley saw the ball played out to Thomas who advanced before unleashing a tremendous drive from 35 yards out which dipped to leave Shaw rooted to the spot. Martin then took the ball away from Short, who recovered just sufficiently to get in a saving tackle as the Town player pulled the trigger. Lee and James Munson replaced Thomas and Swingler. Sam Wilford picked up a very rare and very harsh booking in the closing stages, before another incisive through ball from Martin saw Lee fire across the face of the goal. Munson also went close, Town wrapping up the points two minutes from time as Wilford and Martin combined to provide Lee with a straightforward opportunity, which he converted with ease. This was the best 45 minutes Newark have produced for quite a while, of the standard which will be needed against Thoresby next Saturday.