Yet another draw for Blues

If Newark Town don’t achieve the hoped for promotion at the end of the season, they won’t have to look any further back for the reason than the turn of the year since when they have won one and drawn four of their five matches. To be honest, an unbiased observer would say that all four draws were fair results, and that was certainly the case in the latest match as Dronfield overcame the problems of fulfilling the midweek game rather better than the Blues did when they made the reverse trip in the League Cup earlier in the season.
Newark were missing George Pearce, Julian Joachim, Jordan Thomas and Jordan Cummings, from Saturday’s line up all having picked up injuries. Dom Swingler showed great commitment by travelling back from Cambridge to play, with a trip to Norwich early next morning to look forward to.
The home side opened on the attack, Jammy Lloyd being brought down in the opening minute after chasing a long ball from Nathan Burrows, but the free kick was deflected wide. Dronfield retaliated, Will Nelson getting in a good block on Gordon as he ran through, before the visitors struck in the 6th minute, a left wing cross being headed home by the unchallenged Dobson. The lasted for just ten minutes as Damian Lloyd played a defence splitting ball to Kieron Wall, who controlled the ball well before hitting an angled shot past Conroy. The game evened out with Ricky Brewer having a header taken at full stretch and Stuart Rose producing a timely clearance from a teasing cross from Earl, before knocking a ball perilously close to his own post under pressure from Savage.
Burrows was down well to field a well struck 25 yarder from Savage but clear cut chances were still at a premium. Alex Hales and Tyler Martin replaced Ian Wade and Wall for the Blues, Hales sending in a long range effort after good work from Damian Lloyd and Swingler. Hales was also instrumental as Town got their noses in front on 63 minutes, sending in a cross which was expertly headed over Conroy by Jammy Lloyd. Earl came close to levelling things on 77 minutes, shooting narrowly wide, and with four minutes remaining the seemingly inevitable equaliser arrived. A high ball into the area was punched away by Burrows, the ball eventually reaching Ryder who shot through a crowded goal mouth. It could have been worse, Burrows producing a terrific block to deny Earl in the last minute of the match.