Extra-time goal sinks Newark in Trophy tie

The Newark Hockey Club ladies 1st XI travelled to Wisbech on Sunday in their long-awaited English Hockey Trophy Third Round tie and were narrowly beaten in extra-time.

The team were rather apprehensive prior to the fixture, as the host club play their hockey two leagues higher than Newark and are run-away leaders in East League Division One North. The Newark side also lost 3-0 in a friendly at home to Cannock the previous day.

Wisbech started the brighter team, having the majority of possession, but it was the visitors who took the lead after Wisbech had two players yellow-carded in quick succession for continual stick tackling.

It was Emma Sanders who opened the scoring with an unstoppable lifted strike after some wonderful swift team passing, but the umpires intervened again as Newark’s Jaz Bixley was then yellow-carded for another stick tackle.

Newark managed to hold on to the interval, but the second half followed the same pattern, with Wisbech dominating possession and Newark defending resolutely, with captain and player of the match Holly Powell in magnificent form.

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