Thomas spot-on as Blues win again

The Blues rose to the dizzy heights of second in the table after an eventful 90 minutes at Brodsworth. Town were able again to name an almost unchanged side, Reece Self replacing Ngoni Dongo and Ed Munton taking over the keeper’s role from Craig Rhodes.
The early pressure came from the home side as Town struggled to find an early rhythm, but there were no real scares and as Newark got into their stride Alex Hales and Jordan Thomas had half chances which were snuffed out. The deadlock was broken in the 19th minute. After a Hales free kick had been headed narrowly past the post by a defender, Dom Swingler put over a left side corner which glanced off the bar. When the ball was returned to him he was brought down just inside the area, Thomas dispatching the spot kick past 18 year old keeper Szymanski. Brodsworth missed out on a chance to level things five minutes later, Carver’s cross finding Deeks unmarked at the left edge of the area, but the shot was screwed well wide. The game’s big talking point came on 28 minutes as Munson was adjudged to have been brought down by Vickerage, the referee again awarding a penalty amid heated protests. Hales seized the ball and saw his shot well saved by the keeper. However the referee had spotted a Brodsworth player encroaching into the area, and, for reasons which were only clear to himself, handed out two yellow cards in quick succession to Knifton, whose only crime seemed to be a polite enquiry as to why he had received the first one. When the fuss died down, Hales was finally coerced into handing the ball to Thomas who again found the net, this time via the post. Munton was brought into action with a smart stop from Deeks, while at the other end Szymanski pulled off two more good blocks to deny Self and James Munson.
Newark almost made it three just after the break, Ricki O’Connell seeing his goalbound shot pushed on to the post. Munton did well to hold a long range effort from Vickerage shot at full stretch. Arron Martin and Chris Dobbie replaced Luke Parsons and Munson on the hour, and as the Blues searched for another goal, Luke Hutchinson saw his header pushed round the post and Thomas had a fierce 20 yarder well saved by the keeper who then got down to smother Dobbie’s follow up shot. Carver sent a free kick just over the Town bar, before the home side squandered an excellent chance to pull one back on 80 minutes. Carver got past Martin and put over a cross which Deeks again managed to screw well wide of the target. As time ran out, Thomas twice came close to a hat trick, Mowatt clearing a shot off the line, and a 20 yard drive striking the post.
February has been a profitable month so far with three wins and three clean sheets showing the benefits of being able to field a relatively unchanged team.