Blues back from the dead to take a point

A spirited second half fightback gave Newark their first away point of the season as they overturned a three goal deficit and could conceivably have won the game. Lincoln University students George Rees-Jones and Alex Earle made their debuts, but the inspirational Andy Palmer was an absentee due to holidays.
The early signs were far from promising with only 90 seconds on the clock as a cross from Bradley was headed across Sam Russell by Holland. Michael Minty, operating in midfield, had a shot held by Taylor while a determined run from FP McGregor was halted by a last ditch tackle. As Town struggled to produce any cohesion, they were punished again on 17 minutes as Joe Colman produced a snap shot from 25 yards which sailed over Russell’s outstretched fingers. A well-flighted cross from the right by Baxter Smith was fractionally too high for Joe Brumpton, but as play switched to the other end Russell produced a courageous block to deny Rotherforth a third goal, and Bradley shot into the side netting when well placed. As Dinnington put on the pressure, McGregor got in a saving tackle on Chipamunga, who sent a shot narrowly over the bar shortly afterwards. Russell again came to the rescue at the feet of Bradley, before Will Fry had a goalbound shot well parried by Taylor. In the dying seconds, Town’s task got even tougher as Chipamunga turned his marker and sent a deflected shot past the wrong-footed Russell.
With Andy Smith moved forward into midfield and Vlad Dadu replacing the struggling Dom Swingler, the Blues seemed revitalised at the start of the second half, taking the game to their opponents. They were soon rewarded as Rees-Jones was caught by an elbow inside the penalty area, Will Fry dispatching the spot kick past Taylor with 49 minutes played. Andy Smith then burst through the middle to bring a good block from the keeper, and a free kick awarded for a backpass ten yards from goal was cleared off the line. Newark went close again as Fry put Rees-Jones through only for Bradshaw to clear off the line, while Brumpton, after beating two men, shot into the side netting when a square ball to Fry might have paid dividends. Brumpton and Minty both sent shots narrowly wide, but all the pressure came to nothing until the 83rd minute when the Blues were awarded a second penalty after Chambers brought down Brumpton, the Town player himself beating the keeper from the spot. Four minutes later the sides were level as sub Rob Winter found Andy Smith, the shot going between Taylor’s legs. One point could have been three as Rees-Jones accepted the ball from Brumpton to fire home only to be denied by a highly dubious offside flag.
This was a well won point, but one wonders what might have been had the first half display matched the second.

Richard Lane