First away win still eludes Blues

More disappointment for Town as a match which could have been in the bag by half time was allowed to drift away, a below par second period seeing the hosts score twice in five minutes. Newark’s latest recruit, Ben Nottingham made his debut at centre back alongside Reece Carlisle, the pairing performing creditably throughout.
The Blues got off to the best possible start, taking a 7th minute lead as Sam Wilford robbed Doran and beat Thorne keeper Teale from ten yards out. The lead should have been doubled a minute later but Rhys Stanley, one on one with Teale, saw the ball smothered by the diving keeper. Thorne counterattacked Michael Minty doing well to divert a header from Bulman over the bar, the same player then shooting wide after a knock back by Scott. A long ball from the back was lobbed just over the Town bar by Green before Jake Sutton was narrowly beaten to the ball by the goalkeeper after Will Fry had played him in. Newark spurned another chance to increase their lead on 28 minutes, Sutton and Fry combining to feed Stanley who shot over an open goal from close in. A long range effort from Baxter Smith saw Doran get to the ball just before Stanley, and from the resulting corner Sutton hit the bar, the ball rebounding to safety. The Blues were playing some attractive passing football but couldn’t rest on their laurels, almost being caught as Thorne’s Scott missed an open goal and Green slid the ball narrowly wide of Sam Russell’s post.
Russell was forced into early action, palming out a shot which was on its way into the top corner. As Town struggled to find the workrate of the first half Downing sent a header inches over the Newark bar, before the threatened equaliser materialised on 58 minutes. A left side corner was punched clear by Russell, but only as far as Bulman, whose shot from 20 yards was deflected into the net. Worse was to follow as five minutes later a sweeping four man move ended with Green stabbing the ball home from close range. This knocked the stuffing out of the visitors, who finally returned to life on 75 minutes when Smith chased forward, seeing his first shot blocked, but following up with a beautifully-flighted effort which looked to be curling into the top corner but was denied by a superb one handed fingertip save from Teale. Andy Palmer, who once again led by example, sent a shot inches wide of the post, but there was to be no equaliser, though in stoppage time what looked a good penalty appeal when Stanley was bundled over was turned down by the referee.