This was a perfect occasion on which to serve up what was probably Newark's most impressive victory this season.

Playing in front of a vociferous Kelham Road crowd, the Seconds produced another pulsating all round performance to make it four wins in a row. If last week's victory over Birstall was satisfying revenge for defeat earlier in the season, then this was doubly so.

Mosborough put almost 90 points on us at their place back in October and surely couldn't have been expecting such a dramatic reversal of fortunes. This was an emphatic case of getting back a huge dollop of pride.

There was much to admire in this bonus point victory. Fly half Matt Cox's nerveless place kicking contributed a vital 21 points. Johnny Marshall scored two tries, as did 18-year-old colt Finn Teal - making his first senior performance.
And another youngster, hooker Mateusz Dogiel, ran in an absolute peach of a crowd-pleasing try from deep in his own half.

The lineout functioned well throughout the game with flanker Josh Codd acrobatically claiming almost all the pinpoint throws from Sam Cobb. And after weathering a few early creaks, the scrum held its own to provide a secure base for a number of attacks.

It was also great to welcome back centres Ed Armstrong and Kent Birch, making their first appearances of the season. Both of them made significant contributions.

Newark took the lead after just two minutes when Cox cleared from his own 22 to just outside the Mosborough 22. The visitors - using a tactic they were to display throughout the match - used big ball carriers to punch holes but when they eventually spun it wide the carrier was nailed by Armstrong and Cox kicked the resulting penalty.

Mosborough regained possession from the restart and another series of drives threatened to end in a try before prop Haydn Godfrey - demonstrating the kind of determination he was to show all afternoon - , stole the ball in a tackle and won a penalty.

However, after regaining possession, another series of pick and goes ended with Mosborough going under the posts for a converted try.

Solid tackling by Newark near the Mosborough 22 eventually earned another penalty which Cox converted and the fly half added his third after skipper Ben Wells carried strongly in midfield and the visitors were caught offside.

The Sheffield side regained the lead with their own penalty in front of the posts before another Godfrey tackle led to a Newark penalty which restored a two point lead. Advantage swung back to Mosborough when they scored from a retreating Newark scrum on our line.

Then came what was probably the match highlight. Dogiel ripped the ball from a big Mosborough runner just a few yards outside Newark's 22. He stepped inside one player before outsprinting the chasing winger and centre to touch down in the corner to level the scores at 17-17. Cox's touchline conversion attempt unluckily came off the post.

Another series of drives ended in a Mosborough converted try but a solid Newark scrum enabled Cox to send over a double miss pass to fullback Marshall who cut inside to score. The conversion and another penalty gave Newark a three point lead at half time.

Early in the second half, Kent Birch, coming on for his first game in 18 months, took a pass from Marshall and with his first touch, handed off a would-be tackler before shipping the ball to Teal for his first try. The conversion gave Newark a ten point lead. Shortly afterwards Armstrong was denied a try when a high tackle felled him just short of the line following some neat handling along the backs. The Mosborough second row received a yellow card.

Another series of short range drives and a tapped penalty gave the visitors a converted try to bring them within three points which set up a frenetic last 15 minutes.

Newark seemed to have scored the decisive try when another clean line out catch from Codd gave a solid platform for some fluent passes along the backline. A miss pass and loop put Birch into space. Marshall took it on and a perfectly timed pass gave Teal his second. Cox converted to restore a ten point lead which was quickly reduced by a Mosborough penalty.

In a nail biting last five minutes a penalty in the corner ended in a try for Mosborough and the failed conversion made it a two point game. But after winning a penalty, carries from Luke Fisher, Dogiel, Wells and Codd eventually saw the ball end up with Marshall out wide. The fullback jinked inside one player and powered his way through two others to score a try which confirmed the victory.

Another strong all round performance. There's now a bit of daylight from the relegation zone but we're not safe from the drop yet. Next up: Ashby.

Tries: Finn Teal (2), Johnny Marshall (2) Mateusz Dogiel
Conversions: Matt Cox ( 3)
Penalties : Cox (5)

Message from Ben Wells

I would just like to provide some feedback on today. Yes the result for the 2s is brilliant but I think it was more than that today.

I would like to pass my thanks on to the board and members for coming out today and supporting the club and the 2nd team. To see so many members and 1st team players supporting a fellow team really does show how far we have come as a club. The togetherness we have is unmatched.

Thanks
Ben Wells