defeat failed to put dampeners on promotion party
EVEN a defeat at West Bridgford failed to put the dampeners on a second successive promotion for Newark Flowserve as their quality over the season sealed a place in the heady heights of football’s step five.
A draining day in the sun saw The Highwaymen struggle to a 2-1 loss at Regatta Way, but the club’s staff and supporters are now set for an exciting summer as they wait to discover opponents new in the next stage of the pyramid.
It is too early to speculate which league The Highwaymen will be playing in, but trips to the likes of Bridlington, Bradford, Sheffield and Hull are on the horizon as Newark Flowserve prepare to boldly go where no Newark football team have ventured before.
The temptation is to end the report there because, frankly, the celebrations belonged to a West Bridgford team who were the better side on the day and coped better with the rock hard conditions.
For Flowserve it was a case of after the Lord Mayor’s Show as they struggled to repeat the excellence of the 12-0 victory at Rainworth just two days earlier on what had been another hot day over the glorious Easter weekend. Hosts West Bridgford made the most of the burnout.
There was just one change to the 16-man squad, with Will Rawdon returning from suspension to take the left-back berth from Ryley Thompson.
Callum Lloyd put a dark cloud over the sunny day on which the travelling support from Newark again outnumbered the hosts in a crowd of 117, firing Bridgford ahead on 12 minutes, and that was the way it stayed until the break.
Three minutes into the second period the rallying calls in the away dressing were nullified as Jack Oldham made it 2-0 when he latched on to a mistake by Jammy Lloyd, who again began in the centre of defence.
Lloyd was immediately restored to his Duracell bunny role in midfield, with Rhys Lewis adding his presence to the back four and Sol Miller putting pep into the forward line as joint-manager Steve Kirkham made early substitutions.
Flowserve pulled a goal back when Lloyd made a typically surging run through the middle and was mugged by two defenders in a pincer movement in the box, and Sam Agar tucked away his 64th minute spot kick.
But enough of this. So what? Newark Flowserve are promoted. Let’s get the party started.
Newark Flowserve: 1 Joe Searson; 2 Jahred Russell; 3 Will Rawdon; 4 Tom Potts (captain); 5 Jammy Lloyd; 6 Sean Woolley (Nathan Kelly 72mins); 7 Blair Anderson (Rhys Lewis 52mins); 8 Danny Meadows; 9 Tyrell Shannon-Lewis (Sol Miller 52mins); 10 Elliot King; 11 Sam Agar.
Attendance: 117.