Crucial game ahead in survival fight

STRUGGLING Newark Ladies 1sts face a crucial match on Saturday in their battle against relegation.

A 5-1 home defeat to league leaders Shrewsbury left them third from bottom of Midlands Division Two, three points clear of Burton in the relegation zone.

They travel to Stourport on Saturday, who are just two points above them.

Last weekend’s defeat was Newark’s fourth in a row.

The game started evenly, but Shrewsbury opened the scoring on six minutes when a speculative strike into the circle was deflected in off a defender’s stick.

Shrewsbury went 2-0 up eight minutes later with a well-worked goal.

Newark created chances but had to wait until the 22nd minute to pull one back. Sarah Pask broke through the defence and released Camilla Johnson, whose cross found Megan Beard to fire home.

Paul Halfpenny’s side went close to equalising two minutes into the second-half when Katie McMunn found Beard, whose effort was saved.

Newark were 3-1 down on 42 minutes thanks to another deflection off a defender.

Deflections were the order of the day as the ball struck Laura Donaldson’s stick and looped over her keeper, Molly Usborne, to put the game beyond Newark’s reach at 4-1.

Shrewsbury added a fifth late on, but Halfpenny refused to be too down-hearted.

He said: “I don’t feel we deserved a 5-1 scoreline today. This was possibly the best performance by the team for some time. Good chances were created throughout, but sadly we didn’t get any penalty corners in our favour.”

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IN CONTRAST, Newark Mens 1sts boosted their promotion hopes with a 2-1 home win over Oundle.

Ben Brown and Sam Smith scored to keep their side in second place in East Midlands Two.

Newark started the match at a ferocious pace and Benjie Groom’s fierce drive found Brown near the back post to deflect in the opener.

The hosts maintained their pressure and doubled the lead midway through the half.

New signing Sam Dixon’s pass to Scott Robinson freed room in the centre of the circle for Smith to score.

The second-half was a tightly-contested affair.

Newark had a succession of penalty corners but their goal-bound efforts were blocked on the line.

The visitors clawed a goal back when they were awarded a penalty stroke and keeper Jim Bob was sent the wrong way.

Dixon, Robinson, and Nick Crouch had chances to stretch the lead but were kept out by a valiant Oundle defence.

It was Newark’s ninth win in ten games.