Flowserve progress in Notts Cup
NEWARK FLOWSERVE strolled to a 4-0 win at Underwood Villa on Saturday to advance in the Notts County Cup and book their place in a third round draw where near neighbours Collingham await among 15 potential adversaries, reports TONY SMITH.
It was Flowserve’s fifth successive game on their travels. The first two caused concern when the side took just one point from the league games at Graham Street Prims and Ingles, but the three since have seen The Highwaymen garner six points and progress to the next round of the County Cup, scoring ten goals and conceding none.
Saturday’s trip to Bracken Park saw the Newarkers record their second successive 4-0 away win of the week, and they did just enough to secure victory in a game against a side in the bottom five of the Central Midlands League South Division.
The 3-0 half-time scoreline was satisfactory enough, but Flowserve allowed themselves to be dragged down to the level of their hosts in the second period and made hard work of it.
Reserve team graduate Curtis Price began at right-back and there was a return to the starting fold for left-back Tom Perkins, but otherwise Flowserve took to the field with those that had served them well in recent games, and what followed was one-way traffic.
The contest was just eight minutes old when Sol Miller – a late arrival at the ground after mistakenly reporting to Lowfields – started the move when he swept the ball confidently out to Sam Agar with the outside of his right foot. Agar released youngster Harry Wakefield and the latter drove across the face of goal where Miller cheekily stepped across the ball and flicked it past the keeper with his trailing ankle.
Two minutes later Elliot King used the high press to nick possession and drilled home his fourth of the season.
On the half hour a moment of controversy presented Flowserve with their third. Young referee Tom Kanderakis indicated a goal-kick after an attempted clearance by an Underwood player cannoned off a visiting striker. Consultation with a linesman saw the decision changed to a throw-in, but the throw was awarded to the visitors, and protests were still ongoing when Miller launched one into the mixer and Danny Meadows dived to head the ball home, with The Highwaymen truly living up to their nickname.
The second half was largely forgettable, with Yinka Adebowale forced into a diving save to keep out a rare Underwood foray in the 69th minute, but it was all largely huff and puff until 15 minutes from time when King – scorer of 52 goals last season until this injury-hit campaign –netted his fifth of the term.
He charged down the left wing after a long ball out of defence and nudged the ball past the onrushing keeper, before curling home a neat effort from distance at an acute angle to wrap up the victory.
Flowserve now face three home league games in a row, starting with the visit of Borrowash Victoria to Lowfields on Saturday (3pm).
Newark Flowserve: 1 Yinka Adebowale; 2 Curtis Price; 3 Tom Perkins; 4 Tom Potts (captain); 5 Steve Kirkhaam; 6 Jammy Lloyd; 7 Sol Miller (Jack Beckett 63mins); 8 Danny Meadows (John Beraki 84mins); 9 Sam Agar; 10 Harry Wakefield (Callum Smith 63mins); 11 Elliot King.
Attendance: 31.