A DRAW TO END THE LEAGUE SEASON FOR NEEDHAM MARKET WOMEN

Needham Market ended their Eastern Regional league campaign with a battling 1-1 draw away at Toby FC.

The conditions were like the ones faced in September’s FA Cup match up with a very dry and bobbly pitch making passing football very difficult and causing chaos as was the case with Ellie Emmerson’s opener.

In a second period like the first, Needham hit back from the penalty spot thanks to Megan McCrae-Robinson as a draw seemed a fair result in a game of few chances.

The playing conditions contributed to a poor game and so it wasn’t a surprise that the first chance came midway through the half.

But after 24 chanceless minutes it was a surprise the first one was a goal as Needham failed to clear an awkward bouncing ball in the area and it fell to Emmerson who stabbed the ball low past Danni Clarke in goal.

And it would be the last moment of the half as neither team could muster any meaningful efforts on goal.

The second half started in very similar fashion, but Needham were given a way back into it early when the referee gave a penalty for a coming together involving Esme Marsh.

McCrae-Robinson stepped up and rolled the equaliser to the left of the keeper.

There were moments where Needham tried to build a head of steam but like the first half getting shots at goal and more importantly on target were at a premium.

It was the same though for Toby with Clarke not having much to do until pulling off a brilliant one handed save in stoppage time to make sure that there was a share of spoils.

It was an underwhelming end to the campaign, but the pitch conditions did make it hard to get anything going for either team, so a draw was a fair outcome.

The league season is now over for another year, but the football isn’t quite finished with a County cup semi final to come next month for a chance to return to a Portman Roadfinal for the first time in eight years – since our first season as a club.

The Development team were 3-2 winners at home to Woodbridge in Suffolk League action to keep their impressive season going.

Goals from Immy Porch, Lexie Ferris and Eve Boggis gave Needham the win as they continued to maintain second in the Premiership behind Sudbury Reserves.