Match Report  |  Newark & Sherwood United vs Gresley Rovers

The last time Rovers’ supporters could celebrate an away win was back in September when their team beat Belper United. Since then, it’s been very sparse pickings with just two points claimed away since that match so this win on the road tasted sweet.

Rovers, under the interim management of chairman Gary Norton, Courtney Belford and Jacob Sturgess, brought in three new players Max Jemson, Mitchell White and Sam Lockley with Sturgess returning from Coalville to bolster the defence.

Also returning to the squad was Oscar McClure, Tarun Rohilla and Jack Bostock all taking a place on the bench alongside another new signing Ashton Frost.

With a heavy downpour just before the kick off the pitch was soft with players at times struggling to keep their feet.

Rovers started well but found themselves behind after just 9 minutes from a hotly disputed penalty. Two players seemed to collide on the edge of the area and with both lying on the pitch and the referee wandering around looking as I he wasn’t sure what to give. Rovers were sure it would be either a drop ball or a foul to them. The referee was encouraged to have a word with the assistant over on the far side by the Newark players and despite the collision being only a couple of yards in front of the referee and his assistant 40 yards away, the referee awarded an penalty which Kameron Campbell duly converted.

To Rovers’ full credit they did not allow the setback to affect them and were back on level terms after just 4 minutes. A good ball from Fin Barker sent Lockley through in on goal and he fired a low shot which home keeper Nykah Liburd-Hines seemed to have covered but the ball beat him and Lockley had his debut goal.

Things got better for the visitors when on 20 minutes they took the lead. A great cross into the box by White was guided into the net by Sam Moore with the keeper helpless. It was nothing more than Rovers deserved as they were having the better of the two teams.

Rovers went close to extending their lead minutes later. They forced three consecutive corners taken by Nathan Banton with the first having to be tipped over the post as the ball looked to bt dipping into the net.

With the first half coming to a close Rovers had one more effort which threatened the home defence. Lockley fired a low shot from the edge of the area which the keeper fumbled down by his post and he was relieved to see the ball roll just past the upright and over the bye-line for a corner.

The second half could not have begun any better for Rovers. On 48 minutes Fin Barker was put through and he made no mistake firing past the oncoming keeper to give his side a two-goal advantage.

The home side finally started to play and after making four changes they were back in the match, but it was a bizarre goal. A shot from distance seemed to fly off the wet surface and Harvey Woodard couldn’t hold onto the ball as he dived to his left. Thinking the ball had gone into the net he lay on the pitch annoyed with himself but the ball had come off the post and was rolling along the goal line but after realising neither Woodward or a defender racing in could stop substitute Kieran Cummings from tapping home with his first touch of the game after coming on a minute previous.

As was to be expected, Newark sensed that they might get an unlikely share of the points, but Rovers were defending well and despite pressure could have added to their tally. With a minute of the game remaining of normal time Moore raced in on goal and with just the keeper to beat was brought down from behind. Amazingly the referee gave just a free kick with no punishment for the perpetrator of either colour card which was fully deserved.

Rovers managed the final minutes well and were buoyed by the knowledge that Kimberley had lost in the final seconds of their game which meant Rovers leapfrogged them and out of the bottom two. The result made for a happy journey home for the Moat faithful who had made the long journey to Grantham.