Tony Smith reports
ON A bitterly cold day at the end of the festive frivolities, Newark Flowserve kept the dreams alive as they painted a picture of the future at Lowfields.
There was every chance that this would be a case of “After the Lord Mayor’s Show” as The Highwaymen took to the field for the first time in the wake of their thrilling top of the table clash against Selston the previous Saturday which had drawn a season record crowd of 673 to Hawton Lane.
But 198 of the Flowserve faithful - the league’s highest gate of the day - turned up for more against Teversal, and their heroes made it 12 wins out of 13 at their unbreached home fortress which have come in front of a remarkable average attendance of 213 supporters.
With joint-manager Craig Roche continually exhorting his troops to maintain a high tempo, the orange onslaught blew away Teversal in the first half and Flowserve finally ran out 4-0 winners to maintain top spot in the East Midlands Counties League.
Jammy Lloyd and Daryl Price, the men on target against Selston, popped up again for a second successive week to give them a 2-0 cushion early on, Danny Meadows got a goal of the season contender, and the league’s leading marksman Sam Agar ended a two-game drought in the second period to wrap up the points.
While Selston struggled to a 2-0 win against Heanor Town, in a match in which they had their captain sent off, and third-placed Sherwood Colliery scraped a 1-0 win at home to bottom four side Rainworth Miners’ Welfare, Flowserve continued to fly the flag in style in their first season in football’s step six.
Left-back Will Rawdon returned to the starting line-up after serving a three-match suspension following his dismissal at Stapleford in the cup, and Price started in place of the injured Jordan Thomas.
Lloyd made it six for the season in the 14th minute with a glancing header to convert a Tyrell Shannon-Lewis cross from the left after an intense period of pressure finally paid off, and Price had time to walk the ball into the net three minutes later after a great ball from Sol Miller released Agar and Price got on the end of a square ball to make it three for the campaign.
Price went close with a left-footed half volley and Rhys Lewis just failed to connect with his outstretched right foot after Shannon-Lewis headed back across the six-yard box, while keeper Joe Searson produced an outstanding point-blank save to deny a rare Teversal foray at the other end.
Then Meadows lit up a dull Arctic afternoon with his 16th of the season and a 34th minute goal that would have graced any stage. He got the ball on his unfavoured left foot on the right edge of the area, danced past two challenges, and unleashed a thunderbolt that thumped off the right-hand post and nestled in the far corner with the keeper a mere spectator.
Teversal made more of a game of it in the second period, and the half was only eight minutes old when Searson - having his best game of the season – produced a stunning right-handed diving save to keep out a headed effort from Aaron Williamson following a corner.
Nine minutes later the Teversal number nine had another chance when he blazed over a left-footed opportunity from the edge of the box.
But the final word went to the home side’s number nine. Agar had gone two games without finding the target after a successive six-game spree that had seen him add 11 goals, but number 28 - and 24 in the league - came in the 77th minute.
Meadows was the provider with a delightful pass from the halfway line in the inside-right channel and Agar raced away on goal. He was temporarily halted by a fine last-ditch tackle, but recovered the quickest to get back to his feet and waltz the ball round the keeper.
It was a never-say-die attitude that summed up the entire team performance as The Highwaymen took another three-point haul along their quest for glory.
Newark Flowserve: 1 Joe Searson; 2 Sol Miller (Curtis Price 55mins); 3 Will Rawdon; 4 Tom Potts (captain); 5 Rhys Lewis; 6 Jammy Lloyd; 7 Jack Beckett; 8 Danny Meadows; 9 Sam Agar (Michael Attard 83mins); 10 Tyrell Shannon-Lewis (Elliot King 66mins); 11 Daryl Price. Subs not used: Chris Richards, Ryan Broxholme.
Attendance: 198.
