No cup joy for Mansfield
NLD Senior Cup Semi Final
NEWARK 18 MANSFIELD 15
A passionate contest is always to be expected for either a cup semi final or a match between these two great rivals. Combine both and you get a game with the lead changing hands four times and a large crowd kept warm and on tenterhooks on a freezing night. The chill conditions and tension as players looked to breach determined defences contributed to a number of fumbles on a night with few flowing moves and chances.
The opening quarter belonged to Mansfield and their failure to turn territory and possession into points in that time proved costly at the end of the evening. From Newark 's kick off Rushby and Symcox made their way into the home half and then the tackling prowess of Wills, Taylor, Grant and Richard Newton prevented Newark using possession to lift the siege. Holmes and Lee Kirk combined to send the hooker on a run that was opened out by Wills and Symcox down the left wing.
Kicks to clear the lines were countered by excellent line out work with Kirk's throws finding Taylor , Newton and Pritchard as they rang the changes and point of attack. With driving mauls directed by Davies and astute chips to open space by fly half Williams Mansfield camped out in the 22. Kirk and Drury took play to within five metres before a high tackle on Williams and the Blue and Whites worked the penalty and line out over the Newark line but were unable to cleanly touch down. Maintaining the pressure Taylor and Stringfellow worked their way to the line but again it was Newark hands under the ball that saved a try.
Opening up the play Robinson and Leighton Kirk combined but a knock on halted a promising move. Holmes was quick to respond to a back row move from Newark and Newton brought ball away for Williams again to kick Mansfield close to the home line. A Holmes burst was bundled into touch; Rushby with the crash ball allowed Symcox space for a run but once more with the line inches away from Pritchard and Taylor Mansfield were held up.
With twenty minutes on the watch Newark finally mounted some pressure. A couple of penalties moved play into the Mansfield 22 and it was Mansfield 's turn to show stern defence and hold up play over their own line. Two five metre scrums tested the defence who held firm, turned ball over and saw a fifty metre Williams kick send play back to the Newark half.
Expansive play through Symcox, Rushby and Robinson stretched the home cover and after Holmes carried the ball forward Mansfield were awarded a penalty thirty-five metres out. Williams was as cool as the evening as he stepped up and stroked it over for the first points of the night. However, within five minutes the lead had changed. After Stringfellow collected the restart kick Mansfield looked to move play back up field but the clearing kick failed to find touch and Newark had a springboard to attack from. A line out ten metres out was developed into a drive and a try near the corner flag.
The conversion sailed wide but after Mansfield again looked to move the ball out of their 22 a careless penalty offence had the kicking tee back out and presented a 8-3 half time lead to Newark . Both sides came out from the break and attempted to open up for their backs. Williams began by putting Mansfield well inside the home 22 only for a swift counter attack to develop. Robinson countered for Mansfield but the next action saw the full back needed for his tackling. Newark telegraphed their intention of spinning the ball down the backs and Wills read the signals. He swooped for an interception on the 22 and scorched seventy metres leaving defenders in his wake to touch down. Williams simple conversion edged Mansfield back in front at 10-8.
Using the long ball to gain territory Newark tested the Mansfield line out but Taylor and Pritchard provided clean ball and the boot of Williams turned them back. Unfortunately for the Blue and Whites he was to limp out of the game with a back strain and they had to reshuffle to accommodate Colley on the wing. He was immediately tested but his speed and tackles forced a turn over which Holmes and Stringfellow brought into the Newark half. Increasingly the home backs were pressurising and after a series of three five metre scrums desperately held outbt Mansfield their winger swooped on a blindside move to make the score 13-10. Tom Newton replaced his brother Richard and Eddie Simmons continued his education in senior rugby with an impressive scrummaging effort against the experienced Newark front row.
As time ran down with both sides drilling kicks well away from their own line the game had two more tries to offer. The first, which appeared to clinch the game, came when Mansfield had two men to cover a ball close to their corner flag. They didn't and Newark crashed over for an eight-point lead. However, there was going to be no time to coast to the finish and after Mansfield set up a rolling drive from a line out Holmes spun away blindside and over the line. Still the referee had time on his watch for one more drive, but no joy as the final whistle sounded and Mansfield were rueing the lack of points during the opening quarter when they dominated the Division Two outfit.
The Blue and Whites enjoyed a weekend off as they prepare for two games against Nottingham opposition. Moderns come to Eakring Road this Saturday and then the Blue and Whites make the short trip to West Bridgford . Two wins and any slip up by Spalding will mean the title is Mansfield bound. The statisticians will also be on alert as Mansfield require just 22 more points to make it a thousand points in competitive games this season. After that sequence the chance for revenge comes to Eakring Road when Newark travel for another Semi Final, this time in the County Cup .
