NEWTOWN & Chilwell will assess the fitness of Michael Foster before next week's big clash against Grovedale after he left the field with a suspected hamstring injury on Saturday.
Foster came off the ground in the third quarter and didn't return, adding to Newtown's woes on what was a long day for Jacob Spolding's men at Hamlyn Park. The Eagles, who entered the game on a five-game winning streak, were found wanting against Bell Park, the team they were eliminated by in last year's first semi-final.
"We knew how they play and we knew what we had to do to counteract that but we were unable to do that," Spolding said.
"We didn't play the way we wanted to play and we didn't execute the game plan. If you don't execute your game plan you're always going to find it difficult to win."
The Eagles were eventually beaten by 52 points on Saturday, the biggest losing margin they had suffered since they last visited Hamlyn Park, when they were beaten by 84 points by the Dragons last year.
There were some positives out of the match, however, with interleague star Jai Sheahan again playing well and youngster Alex Hyslop performing well in his second senior game. It was also a milestone game for former captain Michael Stanley, who played his 100th game.
Spolding said the focus would immediately turn to Grovedale.
"They're top two for a reason," he said.
Last Modified on 23/01/2014 18:43