Newark & Sherwood player-manager Tom Ward doubtful for FA Vase first round match against former club Grantham due to injury
Player-boss Tom Ward is a doubt for Newark & Sherwood’s FA Vase match this weekend after joining the injured list.
Defender Ward went off at half-time of the Highwaymen’s Knockout Cup tie against Atherstone last weekend.
Ironically, they recovered from a goal down to win 3-1 as the manager watched from the dugout.
He’ll be touch and go for United’s FA Vase first-round tie at home to his old club Grantham on Saturday (3pm).
“I came off injured - that seemed to spark a positive performance!” said Ward.
“We’ve been at bare bones. We finished with 11 fit players on the pitch and everybody that wasn’t on the pitch was off injured.
“So we’re still in a crazy spell, which I’ve never known in all my time in football, but they grafted really well together.
“There’s a chance I’ll be back for Saturday but, if not, then a couple of weeks at most.
“It’s not that bad. If it had been a league game, there’s a chance I could have stayed on.
“I was open to staying on but we were 1-0 down and wanted to try and be a bit more positive and leave defenders one-for-one, which didn’t suit me when I’m struggling to run.
“We’ve got one eye on the Vase as well, which is an important fixture for everyone at Step 5.
“So we made that decision to take me off at half-time and it gave the lads either an excuse to crumble or to knit together, and I think they did really well as a team.”
Jack Wightwick reacted quickest from a Luke White free-kick to equalise but later went off with a recurrence of his troublesome hamstring.
Recent signing Finlay Armond powered home a header from a White corner and man-of-the-match Javanne Smith won and scored a late penalty to clinch victory.
“It was a really good result because I thought Atherstone were good as well, so it was nice to turn a good performance into a win. The players deserved it,” said Ward.
“We had some really good individual performances, including Luke up front, after we asked him to play in a different type of role to what he’s used to.
“He did a lot of the ugly stuff for people around him, where he’s normally one of our prettier players.
“He put in a captain’s performance.
“Josh Parker with his pace was a constant threat and he hustled their full-back and gave us a lot of joy from his side and went close to a couple of goals.
“And then Jav came on with some real positivity and put the icing on the cake when we were 2-1 up.”
It was a first Newark & Sherwood goal for Armond, who’s joined from Step 4 Basford on dual-registration. Ward is hoping to keep him around.
“He’s a very good player who brings a lot of energy to us,” said Ward.
“He’s not a prolific goalscorer but he definitely enjoyed his goal because I’ve seen him with massive chunks of skin missing on his knees where he did a huge knee-slide when he scored!
“It’s lucky he doesn’t score many or he’d be down to bare bone.
“He comes in with some real positivity, real energy, he backs people up, so as soon as someone goes in a press, he immediately goes with them.
“That’s something he’s done for us at other clubs.
“While he’s had opportunities to go higher it’s not quite worked at the moment.
“He’s kind of in between where I think Basford would like him around but they’re also happy for him to get minutes, so we’ll see how that develops over the next few weeks.
“But he’s enjoying it while he’s with us and long may that continue. It’s better that he’s in our dressing room than elsewhere.”
Newark & Sherwood’s lack of league action has seen them slip to the foot of the United Counties League Premier Division North.
This weekend’s Vase tie, at their temporary Harrowby home ground, pits them against a Grantham side who are fifth.
“It’s an important competition as a financial return and there’s the dream of playing at Wembley,” said Ward.
“It’s a tough draw against Grantham - they’re doing really well in the league - but we tend to do well against really good sides so hopefully it’ll be one we’re well motivated for.
“We play in Grantham, in terms of Harrowby, so I expect there to be a good fanbase from both sides to create a bit of an occasion.
“Charlie (Ward, brother/assistant manager) and myself were both captains at Grantham and we’re lucky some of those fans have come and supported us at other clubs when Grantham have been away.”