Newark Town manager Luke Parsons happy to be on right end of last-minute winner in United Counties League Premier Division North win at Gresley Rovers

Substitute Sean Woolley headed a late winner to get Newark Town’s play-off bid back on track.

The Blues drew four successive games before losing 4-0 at Ashby Ivanhoe on Tuesday last week.

But they experienced that winning feeling again on Saturday with Woolley meeting an Andrew Tsolakis corner at the death in a 2-1 success at Gresley Rovers.

There’d been late disappointment for Newark during their winless run but they turned the tables with Woolley’s goal in the third minute of added time.

“It feels a lot better when you’re on the right end of it,” said manager Luke Parsons, whose side are sixth in United Counties League Premier Division North, one place outside the play-offs.

“It looked like it was going to be another week where we deserved to win and didn’t, but we finally got the goal. It was a great feeling.

“The dressing room has always been good, even over the last few weeks when we’ve dropped points.

“Obviously confidence takes a bit of a knock when you’re not picking up points but as soon we turned up on Saturday, the dressing room was great and we had the best warm-up we’ve had all season.

“We took that into the game and we were class in the first half. I couldn’t fault anything.

“We spoke about it at half-time but within three minutes it was 1-1 and I’m thinking let’s just catch a break.

“We pushed on and it was our turn to get a late goal.

“We’ve had late goals this season and there’s no better feeling than a last-minute winner.

“There were great scenes. The pitch was really wet - still five or six times better than at Ashby - and the players were doing knee slides and chest slides towards the fans.”

Matteo Perkins opened the scoring from Mitch Griffiths’ corner shortly before half-time Gresley levelled after the break but Woolley had the final say.

Newark’s attempts to play the conditions backfired at Ashby, so they decided to do things their own way against Gresley.

“We changed our game plan on Tuesday,” said Parsons.

“We said we wouldn’t be able to play on that pitch so let’s go long, like Ashby do, and pick up second balls.

“But that’s not how we play and they were much better at it than we were.

“On Saturday, we said, yes, it’s a bad pitch, but if we’re going to lose, we’ll lose playing the way we want to play, so get the ball down and pass it.

“That didn’t mean making six or seven passes in our own penalty box but, ultimately, once we’re up the pitch, let’s get on the ball and play how we do.

“We knew if we started going long it would be much less of an even game because it’s not our strength.

“We can mix it up when we have the right players but a lot of the lads who can play the long-ball game are injured.

“We went with what we had and the lads were brilliant.”

Newark are in League Cup quarter-final action at Skegness this Saturday (3pm).

Parsons will make at least two changes with Perkins and Will Norcross cup-tied.

“We’ve rotated in the cups this season,” said Parsons.

“We want to win every game but it’s also a chance to give lads who’ve been patient an opportunity to show what they can do and get us into the next round.

“All three subs who came on at Gresley did well, so they’ve put themselves in a position where they deserve to start, and others will as well.

“We want to get to the semi-finals, we’ve got a great squad and I trust everyone.”