Jim Todd reports
27-10-2018: NEWARK TOWN versus STAVELY WELFARE RESERVES
Newark Town welcomed Staveley Welfare Reserves to Station Road last Saturday which, allowing for both team’s league positions, was again another six-pointer but saw Town come out of the match on the wrong end of a one nil score line. Chris Bennett returned in goal for The Blues and there was a debut for Connor Scott in the centre of defence. Town struggled to get into the game in the first half as some neat and tidy passing football from the visitors saw them hit the woodwork twice and go narrowly close with another couple of 20-yard shots. Town finally began to make some inroads in the last ten minutes of the first half and Rikki Petersen went close and then had a cross tipped over the bar.
Town started the second half with more urgency and Rikki Petersen again shot narrowly wide after a good movement between Matt Stevens and Kyle Nicholson and the latter then planted an excellent free-kick into the Staveley penalty area but two Newark players failed to get the vital last touch. Staveley then got back into their stride again and Chris Bennett was forced into making two good saves before he was finally beaten in the 69th minute by a 30-yard screamer into the top corner to see the visitors take the lead. With Staveley now having more possession of the ball with their passing style Town had a good chance for an equaliser in the 77th minute but Rikki Petersen could not quite force home a Josh Johnson cross. Staveley again drew a good save from Chris Bennett and went close with another couple of efforts before Joe Stanley denied them a second goal in the last minute as he cleared off the line after a Staveley forward had been put through and had his shot partially saved by keeper Bennett.
Another disappointing result for Town as stout defensive work meant that though Staveley had far more of the possession most of their efforts on goal where from outside the area, but on the day Town’s lack of creativity and bite when attacking continued to give Manager Dewey Chappell a headache.
Town now face a run of three away games starting with a tough local derby at Collingham tomorrow night with a 7.45pm kick off