Fraser Bayliss snatched a dramatic late winner to claim three precious points for Boston Town.
He came on as a second half sub and struck the only goal of the game after 89 minutes.
After three defeats in a row, this felt like a must-win game for the Poachers – and they started brightly.
They carved out several good chances in the first half, with Harry Limb looking lively on the right. But the Highwaymen also looked dangerous at times, belying their lowly league position.
After the break, Chris Funnell’s side continued to look more solid at the back than in recent weeks, with debutant Finley Ging impressive at right back.
They were creating fewer clear-cut chances although Limb came close to a spectacular goal when his dipping shot from outside the area crashed against the crossbar.
But just as home fans were starting to become reconciled to a goalless draw, up popped Bayliss with his first goal since October. His jinking run on the left cut through the Newark & Sherwood defence and his shot found the back of the net via a deflection.
The Poachers remain second in the league and have a chance to close the gap on leaders Sherwood Colliery when they visit the Mortgages For You Stadium next Saturday (28 February). Kick-off is 3pm.
Town: Portas, Ging, Smith (Graves), Priestley, Ford, Wilson, Munton (Gibbons), Archer, Nuttell (Bayliss), Limb (Hudson), Cotton; unused sub: Gurney
Boston Town FC 