Newark Town 7-1 Renishaw

A blistering first half performance from the Blues saw them return to their dazzling best as they put Saturday’s minor blip behind them.
Town welcomed back Zak Johnson with Tyler Martin and Dom Sibilski replacing Tom Moore and Mark Faflik.
A brisk opening spell saw Town immediately exert pressure, Hunter in the Renishaw net making early saves from Lewis Chambers and Johnson but in the 10th minute he could do little as interplay between Rhys Lewis and Matt Clarke put Chambers in, the striker rounding the keeper to open the scoring. Renishaw’s fortunes weren’t helped by having to make two substitutions in the first 15 minutes and, after Town had gone close when Johnson’s cross was met by Chambers, only to be cleared off the line, they doubled the lead on 19 minutes as Chambers turned provider, enabling Marlon Grundy to cut in and fire across Hunter into the far corner. With the Blues using the full width of the pitch, the visitors were often chasing shadows with Johnson and Grundy in particular creating havoc on the right, and it was Johnson who laid on the third goal on 29 minutes, his run and cross leaving Chambers with a tap-in. Three minutes later a short corner played by Grundy to Johnson found Elliott Dye whose shot from the edge of the area took a deflection which took it past the keeper. With just 36 minutes on the clock Newark went five goals up as Chambers completed his hat trick as he finished off another cross, this one from Dye. Within a minute of the restart, however, Renishaw, in what had become a rare attack, pulled one back as Potts unleashed a real screamer from 25 yards which flashed past Nathan Burrows before he had time to react. Hunter was then in action again, making a fingertip save after a cross from the hardworking Jonny Wiles was again met by Chambers.
Almost inevitably the second half proved something of an anticlimax as Renishaw learned lessons from the first half and imposed tighter marking on Town’s danger men. Tyler Martin had a promising looking effort blocked by the keeper’s feet but clear cut chances became few and far between. Town made three changes with Jack Durkin, Daryl Price and Faflik replacing Lewis, Grundy and Wiles. Hunter again came to his side’s rescue with a diving save from Faflik but it was Price who finally increased Newark’s lead on 75 minutes as a long ball forward from Dye allowed him to reached the ball a second before the oncoming Hunter and lift the ball over him into the net. The final goal came in the final minute as Chambers ran fully 50 yards before finishing expertly to take his personal tally to four.
This was an impressive all-round display which included some outstanding individual performances, the only disappointment being the attendance of 68, in a week where several league games attracted crowds into three figures.