Newark Hockey Club
Newark welcomed Mansfield to the Magnus for the 3rd time this season and were hoping to bounce back from their defeat last week to the hands of Leicester Panthers. They started the game knowing a win would keep them top of the league and 2 points clear of Panthers.
Newark started the game strong pressing Mansfield back into their own half and not allowing them a touch of the ball. Newark started to create chance after chance but they were unable to put them away but on 7 minutes Newark picked the ball up in the middle of the pitch and with some crisp passing found Ryan Foster coming in on the back post and he put the ball into the back of the net. Newark piled the pressure on Mansfield and they won a short corner with coach Halfpenny calling the routine from the sideline. Scott Robinson dragged the ball low and hard onto the end of Tom Roper's stick who deflected the ball into the back of the net.
Newark continued the pressure on Mansfield winning a couple of short corners but some sturn defending from Mansfield kept the ball out of the Net. Mansfield then started to create a foothold in the game moving the ball well and pressing Newark back over the half way line but the Newark defence held strong and limited the chances on goal to only a few tame efforts. Newark then got hold of the ball and started moving it around with a string of short passes which found them trapped in the corner but some good short passes between Davies and Eagles allowed Eagles to play the ball in to the D and to find Foster on the back post again for his second of the Day. This led Newark into half time 3-0 up and a very strong showing of possessional hockey.
Newark started the second half as they finished the first moving the ball well and creating chances at will but were struggling to put away but this did not last long as Roper broke through the Mansfield defence at the top of the D and slipped the ball over the on rushing keepers leg and found Foster again free in front of goal to just touch the ball into the back of the empty net making it 4-0 to Newark. This again woke Newark into action and they won a short corner again and just like in the first half Robinson dragged the ball low and hard on to Ropers stick who deflected it into the back of the net making it 5-0 and Newark looking in full control, this seemed to of awoken Mansfield who went down the other end and won a short corner of there own and they fired a low hard shot into the back of the Net making it 5-1. Newark tried to respond to the goal but they only managed to find the woodwork and not add to their goals already but controlled it again to the final whistle and run out 5-1 winners.
Goals: Ryan Foster x3 Tom Roper x 2
Man of the Match: Tom Roper