Back-to-back wins ease relegation fears

Coach Paul Halfpenny hailed his team’s fantastic weekend after Newark Ladies’ 1sts won two crucial games to take a big step away from the relegation zone of Midlands 2 Division.

Newark beat rock-bottom Hampton-in-Arden 5-0 before seeing off relegation rivals Bournville in a crunch match at the Magnus Sports Centre.

Halfpenny said: “The defence is starting to perform like the team of 2011-12, which is what the foundations of a team should be built on.

“The midfield and forwards seemed to run forever in the games. They gave 100% for 70 minutes in both matches.”

Newark took the lead against Hampton on 22 minutes when Megan Beard pounced on a loose ball to slot home.

She doubled the lead six minutes later after a good team build-up, before Becky Warner released Sarah Pask who converted the pin-point pass seven minutes into the second-half.

Beard notched her hat-trick and Trish Trafford added a fifth to seal a comfortable win.

Newark knew their real test was on Sunday when they welcomed Bournville, with whom they were level on points before the game.

Things looked bleak when Bournville took the lead seven minutes into the second-half from a penalty corner.

Halfpenny changed formation slightly, with Pask and Beard playing as high strikers, and the tactics paid off as Beard’s penalty corner strike found the net.

Four minutes later Beard unleashed a trademark drag-flick into the roof of the net, and she completed her hat-trick on 56 minutes with another powerful penalty corner.

She scored a fourth, and seventh in two games, when she rounded the keeper before Sarah Pask’s reverse stick shot beat the keeper’s dive.

Tom and Sam Smith pulled off a brotherly double as their goals gave Newark Mens 1sts a third straight win — a 2-0 victory at Nuneaton.

Newark took the lead midway through the first-half when Danny Hendrie unselfishly slipped the ball past the keeper, allowing Sam Smith to slot home into the empty net.

Nuneaton started creating chances, but James Wakeland had another solid performance in goal to keep his third successive clean sheet.

All the players put in a strong performance in defence and after Nuneaton had missed their chances, Newark sealed the win late on when Tom Smith latched onto a ball from the right to loop the ball over the keeper.