Newark Town want to finish Easter double with foot firmly in the play-offs

Newark Town are aiming to finish this weekend’s Easter Bank Holiday bonanza with a foot firmly in the play-offs, but manager Luke Parsons knows his side are in for two tough tests.

The Blues hit the road to face in-form Selston on Saturday and derby rivals Southwell City on Monday, ending a fast and furious spell of four games in the space of nine days.

And despite both upcoming opponents sat at the wrong end of the table, Parsons is adamant Town will have to be at their best to secure the desired six points.

“The majority of teams have things to play for and, if you look at the last 10 games, Selston have won a few and are high in the form table,” he said.

“Southwell beat (fourth-placed) Kirby Muxloe on Saturday. We know we could be playing Southwell bottom of the league and winless all season and it’d still be one of our toughest games as it’s a derby.

“Form goes out the window and it’s about who wants it more in those games.”

Town began the week third in the United Counties League Division One, with a top-five finish and a chance at promotion the aim.

But with a quarter of the side’s league matches coming in the final six weeks of the season, it will be a case of all squad members playing their part, especially over the Bank Holiday period.

“We’ll have to use our squad, and that’s why we’ve got a big squad,” Parsons added.

“It’s a tough period but the same for a lot of teams who have the same amount of games in that time.

“If we can win our games it puts the pressure on other sides who have to put points on the board while we’ll have them.”

On Saturday a blistering opening 11-minutes saw Town take a 4-0 lead at Holwell Sports, eventually winning the contest 5-0 to put back-to-back defeats to leaders Bourne Town and Saffron Dynamo - where they went down 2-0 last Wednesday evening - behind them.

“They never gave me time to be nervous on the sidelines,” Parsons joked.

“The lads, it was the best I’ve seen this season, definitely first half.

“And in the second half it was just professional. I said to the lads at half time that the strikers had won the game and it was our job to help the defenders get their clean sheet to round off a a superb afternoon of football - and we did that.

“Injury free, clean sheet, three points and a better goal difference; it was a great performance.”

At Holwell, Lewis Chambers netted in the second minute before Ryan Smith doubled the advantage on four minutes.

It was 3-0 on eight minutes when Sean Devlin got on the scoresheet, Chambers completing the early rout with his second.

Goal number five came in the 90th minute courtesy of substitute Lucus Cotterill.

Saturday’s contest at Selston kicks off at 3pm, with Monday’s trip to Southwell getting underway at 4pm.