Spirited display not enough to rattle Ollerton

Then they scored twice inside three minutes either side of the interval to consolidate their position in the top five of Premier North.
Ollerton failed to make early progress despite a series of corners which could have been delivered better. They should have attacked Tom Cooke’s right sided run and low cross to the near post better, but they allowed the Newark defence to clear. And to end this early flurry, Sam Stretton shot wildly over the bar to end a grand move involving five home players and twelve passes.
Despite all this, Newark played some grand football, and carved out the game’s first real chance on 18 minutes for Joe Brumpton, who wired wastefully wide.
Newark’s deep defence was forcing Ollerton to frustratingly shoot from distance, and the net result was that Sam Russell in the visitors goal was hardly troubled.
Orchestrating almost everything in and through midfield, Lewis Bingham burst forward to shoot wide for Ollerton. And this was followed by Sam Wilford, shorts hitched up and socks looking like they were round his ankles, cracking a shot wide for Newark.
The huffing and puffing in front of goal continued when Bingham put Kyle Clarkeson through but he shot tamely into Russell’s hands. At the other end Simon Smith was brought into action for one of the few occasions, this time to save from Ryan Pilborough.
The goal the game badly needed came three minutes before the break when Sam Russell’s generous contribution of getting a hand to the ball but not holding it allowed the industrious LEWIS BINGHAM to cheekily back heel the ball into an empty net.
The second half was just twelve second old when three touches from the kick off to get the ball downfield saw LEWIS BINGHAM rattle home his second goal of the game to put distance between the teams.
Ollerton continued to force the pace and Ben Bowring’s free kick was comfortable for Russell. Indeed a third goal looked on the cards when Sam Stretton ended another grand move by shooting home, a ‘goal’ disallowed for hand ball by superb whistler Ian Jackson.
There was hope for Newark when skipper Danny Purves put in a gorgeous free kick which Smith got a hand to and turned it against an upright, injuring himself in the process of making the save.
It was back to the other end for the next action with Bingham this time providing KYLE CLARKESON with a slide rule pass for the winger to hammer the ball splendidly into the top corner from the edge of the penalty area in the 69th minute.
Bingham followed this up by shooting wide and then setting up substitute Jamie Charlton. Charlton had another chance moments later from a pass by fellow substitute Danny Wiltshire. This time his chip beat Russell but flew over the bar at the far post.
Bingham volleyed wide as Ollerton kept up the pressure, but credit to Newark who continued to play some excellent football, keeping the ball down and finding men well. But they did not have the guile to get through an Ollerton defence which was as tight as a drum and things continued to break down for them.
Newark’s football was, at times, a pleasure to watch, but they just could not find the final touch to breach the home defences.
The final goal of an entertaining game for the large Friday evening crowd, came in the 90th minute, and with virtually the last kick of a match which had hardly any stoppages. Wiltshire’s through ball saw the ever-alert LEWIS BINGHAM cut through a spreadeagled Newark defence to dance round Russell and tap the ball into an empty net for a well-deserved hat-trick.
OLLERTON TOWN: Smith, Cooke, Evans, Stretton, Burgess, Schofield, Clarkeson (Allan 69), Bowring (Charlton 69), Ludlow (Wiltshire 56), Bingham, Dockwray. Substitutes not used – Tryner, Burton.
NEWARK TOWN: Russell, Bray, Ashley, Purves, Lloyd, Wilford (Mason 62), Self, Roche, Brumpton (Minty 45), Stanley, Pilborough. Substitute not used – Crawford.
REFEREE: Ian Jackson
YELLOW CARDS: None
ATTENDANCE/HEADCOUNT: 137
STAR PERFORMER: Lewis Bingham (Ollerton Town)

MANY THANKS TO STAN WILTON FOR THE MATCH REPORT