After the performance at Westella the previous week, this was to say the very least a big disappointment. With the exception of the goal, there was little to commend this display against a Thoresby side smarting from two home defeats in the last week. Town did feature for the first time a player from the team which has represented the club at Under 21 level, Brandon Byers-Wilks taking a place on the subs bench, as once again the squad was stretched to the limit.
Town fell behind as early as the 6th minute, Jake Levers robbing Ricki O’Connell before crossing to Toby Birch who struck his shot firmly past Craig Rhodes. Newark were very unfortunate not to equalise four minutes later as Jason Westwood rose to a Reece Self free kick only to see his header come back off the base of the post. Sam West had the ball in the Town net in the next attack, but was ruled offside. A flowing move between Self, Ngoni Dongo and O’Connell ended with strong appeals for handball, but play was waved on. Newark did have the ball in the net on 29 minutes, Westwood’s long free kick being headed home by James Munson, but this was disallowed for pushing. Town did draw level four minutes later with a stunning volley from the edge of the area by O’Connell from Danny Lee’s left wing cross, the ball bending past the static keeper. Thoresby were soon back in the lead however as a shot by West took a big deflection which completely wrong footed Rhodes. The Blues had another opportunity to level just before the interval after James Scothern slipped, but Munson’s square ball into the area found no takers.
After a shortened half time break, O’Connell again showed attacking flair, bringing a fine block from Jonathan Kirk in the Thoresby goal, Byers-Wilks replaced Sean Fulcher to give Town another attacking option, but Newark fell further behind on 58 minutes, Tom Cooke sending in a 25 yard shot which Rhodes parried, the loose ball running to Birch who rolled the ball into the empty net for his secong goal of the game. Town’s fate was sealed by a fourth goal on 74 minutes, West’s shot again coming back off the increasingly exposed Rhodes, this time falling to Darren Smith. The game petered out after this, Thoresby being mostly untroubled in the latter stages.
The stream of away games at the end of the season combined with the shrinking pool of players available to the manager are finally taking their toll and taking some of the gloss on what has been in statistical terms one of the more successful seasons in the last ten years. Hopefully the last two games will provide something to restore it a little.