Newington Village FC played their final warm-up match before the start of the new season against Sheppey League high fliers White Horse.
A series of no-shows on the day left Newington struggling to field a full side and the general make-up of the team was unbalanced, something that White Horse were quick to exploit as they raced into a two goal lead.
Newington pulled one back through Ben Huntley from the penalty spot, but White Horse further dominated proceedings to take the score to 4-1 at half time. Newington improved immensely after the break and were able to hold the White Horse strikers to speculative shots from distance and with a bit more luck could have added to their tally at the other end.
Newington Village FC played their opening friendly of the new season against Sheppey League side Grove Park, at Co. Steel, Sheerness.
Fielding a new and unfamiliar line-up Newington were slow out of the traps, with Grove Park's midfield soon gaining dominance. The use of roll-on roll-off subs gave Newington the opportunity to experiment with their formation and try and find a balance that would suit their game.
Half-time found the scores still equal, though Newington's Tony Jarrett had certainly been the busier of the keepers. Further changes were made at half time to try and give all involved a fair crack, but it was this uncertainty in the line-up that further unsettled Newington and they soon found themselves 2-0 down. A solo effort by Shaun Speller reduced the deficit before Grove Park restored their two goal advantage.
Luke Parker provided a great finish to a good team move to bring the score back to 3-2 and with a little better finishing Newington could possibly have gained a draw. The result ultimately wasn't important as Newington just strived to gain experience and some degree of understanding within the team before the season starts.