MATCH REPORT | Gedling Miners Welfare 1 -v- 7 Newark Flowserve

Newark reign in the rain at Plains Road

Gedling Miners Welfare ……… 1 (Spiers 55’)
Newark Flowserve ……………… 7 (Shannon-Lewis 6’, 44’, Meadows 39’, 69’, 85’, King 52’, Beckett 81’)
(HT 0-3)

A hat trick from Danny Meadows put Gedling Miners Welfare to the sword as table topping Newark Flowserve ran riot at Plains Road on Saturday afternoon in the East Midlands Counties League. Additional goals from Elliott King and Jack Beckett and a brace from former Welfare forward Tyrell Shannon Lewis ensured The Highwaymen cemented their place in the standings on goal difference.

The visitors travelled to Plains Road in fine form having only lost twice all season and in treacherous conditions looked to continue where they left off after beating Eastwood Community last time out that extended their unbeaten run to 12 in all competitions.

Sam Agar, the league’s leading frontman, delivered a telling cross in the first 20 seconds that had Lance Walker scrambling to collect before he did so at the second attempt. A minute later and Agar’s splitting through ball was just too powerful for strike partner Tyrell Shannon-Lewis to latch onto as Flowserve started brightly.

Continuing to battle it out with Selston at the top of the EMCL, Newark pushed for that all important go ahead goal to settle any complacency and after only 6 minutes, they got what they were after.

After Jamie Lloyd had broken up play in the middle of the park, his pass found Solomon Miller and, with time and space, the full back delicately crossed for Shannon-Lewis who nodded home the game’s opening goal.

As expected, Newark enjoyed the better of the early exchanges but Gedling were resilient and hoped they might upset the pre-match odds as they set about making it difficult for the visitors who often tried to force the initiative when in comfortable possession.

The travellers continued to pour forward, however, and after a quarter of an hour Agar’s direct run down the left lead to an excellent cross for Shannon-Lewis and after he was just out of reach, Danny Meadows, arriving late at the back post, could only flash his effort wide of the post from an acute angle.

Gedling were good when in possession as they looked to emulate recent performances that have warranted a better run of results and looked impressive on the ball. However, a goal down and facing a side who had only conceded 18 goals all campaign, their task was made harder 18 minutes in when goalkeeper Lance Walker, one of Miners’ stand out players of late, was forced off after an innocuous collision with Meadows and was replaced by midfielder Matt Fowler, on his debut, for the remainder of the game.

Fowler was called into action 7 minutes after taking the gloves but after Jimmy Spiers’ back pass to him fell short, the stand-in ‘keeper did more than enough to delay Shannon-Lewis and the striker was wasteful in his efforts before Luke Smith hacked clear.

Now up against it, Gedling offered very little going forward but continued to frustrate the visitors who, despite attacking with menace and intent, were limited to only half chances in the opening half hour.

From range, Jack Beckett took aim but he couldn’t keep his volley from all of 30 yards down as the ball sailed just over Fowler’s crossbar.

The hosts’ best chance came on 33 minutes and Joe Meakin kept Joe Searson-Southard on his toes as the away custodian, uninterrupted for the most part, did well to tip around the midfielder’s effort creeping towards the far corner. At the other end, Lloyd’s tempting cross wasn’t met by the committed Shannon-Lewis and the opportunity to extend The Highwaymen’s lead went begging.

However, they didn’t have to wait too long, when 6 minutes from the interval and with the weather contributing aplenty, Newark doubled their lead.

Standing over a free kick 40 yards from goal, only Meadows knew his intentions but as his swirling free kick took flight, the ball found its way nestling into the far corner after deceiving Fowler in the home goal.

The goal sparked Flowserve into putting the game out of sight before half time and, in a flurry of chances before the break, should have just done that. Firstly, after Agar had cut inside Charlie Roberts to find some space, his bending effort aimed for the far post lacked accuracy and the ball curled just wide.

A minute later and Elliott King, cleverly breaking the offside trap, charged down on goal but his stinging shot was excellently saved by Fowler who did well to keep the deficit at 2 by palming around for a corner. From the subsequently taken set piece by Beckett, Agar rose highest but once again Fowler preserved the scoreline with a wonderful one handed save before the ball was thumped clear.

The away side continued to flex their muscles and their movement off-the-ball was unmatched as they continued to pour forward in droves and with 44 minutes played Gedling’s resolve gave way once more as Newark furthered their lead.

Down the left and after Shannon-Lewis had feigned to shoot, his deceptive movement to place the ball on his favoured right foot was neat and he powered his effort into the near post slightly out of reach of Fowler for his side’s third.

The striker, who appeared for Miners in their 2-0 loss to Borrowash Victoria earlier in the season after joining from Clifton All Whites, could have notched his hat trick in the last chance of the half but his passed effort into an unguarded net was rightly ruled out for offside by Mick Newton.

2 minutes after the break and Lloyd’s pot shot from distance floated just over the crossbar as the rain continued to descend on Plains Road.

Newark continued in their customary manner and every time they ventured forward looked like they would add to the scoreline and 7 minutes after half time they added a fourth.

Carving through with poise and pace, Beckett’s run was undeterred and his deft reverse pass into the path of King was fantastic and the striker made no mistake in passing the ball past Fowler for his 11th of the season.

Not to roll over without fight, Gedling continued to push for a deserved consolation. Their retention of the ball was admirable but contributed very little in the final third with both Jack Jepson and Courtney Hastings absent from the game.

They were rewarded for their persistent efforts in the 55th minute when Jurgen Charlesworth found Spiers on the edge of the area and he duly dispatched his shot from distance into the bottom corner past a despairing Searson-Smithard to give Gedling an unlikely route back into the affair.

As it were, the goal was about as good as it got for the home side as Newark did little to let their blemished scoresheet impact their affect their performance.

Just after the hour and following Beckett’s fine pass to put Callum Smith in space, the substitute’s tantalising cross was again out of reach for Shannon-Lewis who, with a wry smile, couldn’t quite secure his personal treble. Not long after and Beckett took matters into his own hands down the left but after teasing and tempting a series of tackles, his shot flashed wide of Fowler’s post.

Gedling, meanwhile, offered minimal efforts going forward but tried in vain to restrict a Newark side aiming for a second successive promotion following their successes last season in the Nottinghamshire Senior League. The hosts were forever committed to the cause and was typically exemplified by Liam Corrigan and Smith’s efforts to superbly block King’s goal bound shot on 68 minutes.

However, they could do nothing to prevent Flowserve adding a fifth only a minute later.

Following a misplaced header in the middle of the park by Spiers, the ball was pounced upon by the lively Meadows and his driving run into the area created space to calmly slot the ball past Fowler for his second of the game.

Despite extremely encouraging performances of late, Gedling were always second best in this one, as will most teams who will face the relentless Flowserve force this season, as they visitors tirelessly pushed forward looking to add to their impressive number of goals scored so far this campaign.

15 minutes from time and Shannon-Lewis combined well with Michael Attard but the second half substitute’s shot was dragged wide under no real pressure. 3 minutes later and Attard had another good chance to rub salt into Gedling wounds but his hurried shot was matched once again by Fowler who, in unusual circumstances, was outstanding on the day. Though, he was powerless in the 81st minute when Newark continued the rout by adding a sixth.

Finding ample amounts of room between tired Gedling lines, Beckett took aim and confidently placed the ball into the bottom corner from 18 yards to give him a goal his performance had deserved.

By this stage, Miners were willing the final whistle to arrive and looked to forget this one in a hurry following some promising results of late that has seen them push away from danger at the foot of the table.

There was time for another, however, 5 minutes from the close when Meadows notched his hat trick and Newark’s seventh after collecting a through ball from Attard before stroking the ball home from 10 yards as he showed deserved appreciation to his colleagues and the Flowserve faithful who had made the short journey from the City borders.

A poor performance from Gedling on the day as they succumbed to a second defeat in as many games against a ruthless Newark team who will be difficult to overthrow as they lead the East Midlands Counties League going into Christmas. Miners will want to put this one behind them and they look to get back on track when they travel to Ingles next Saturday (22nd December), 3pm kick off.

Match Attendance – 76

Referee – Gary Lord
Assistant Referees – Mick Newton & Kevin Tietjen

Gedling Miners Welfare – Lance Walker (Matt Fowler 18’), Charlie Roberts, Ross McCaughey (c), Joe Meakin, Liam Corrigan, Luke Smith, Dwayne Brown (Abubakar Wadada 65’), Jimmy Spiers, Raheem Suban, James Rusby, Jurgen Charlesworth.

Newark Flowserve – Joe Searson-Smithard, Solomon Miller, Chris Richards, Tom Potts (c) (Curtis Price 60’), Rhys Lewis, Jamie Lloyd, Jack Beckett, Danny Meadows, Sam Agar (Callum Smith 45’), Tyrell Shannon-Lewis, Elliott King (Michael Attard 65’)
Unused Substitutes – Liam Moran, Yinka Adebowale