A night to forget at Bloomfields for Kevin Horlock's Needham Market on Tuesday nightas they slump to a 3-0 home defeat against Alvechurch.
Although positives of the night included home debuts for Academy winger Ollie Fraser and recent signing Dylan Williams, there were little clear cut chances throughout, though the game livened up more so in the second half.
Alvechurch struck early, taking the lead after just 4 minutes, a low left wing ball found Harry Williams in space inside the box who slotted home into the bottom near corner from close range, 0-1.
Needham meanwhile looked to hit back 8 minutes later, Jamie McGrath was found inside the box only to see his low shot well blocked.
Alvechurch on the other hand cut the ball back well to a white shirt free from close range though the deflected shot was well held by the diving Marcus Garnham after 20 minutes.
While Dylan Williams could only head a Kyle Hammond audacious cross into the box wide of the near post five minutes later, a shot on the turn following a free-kick was brilliantly tipped behind by the sharp reflexes of goalkeeper Garnham on 39 minutes.
The second half saw the Marketmen enjoy the lion share of possession but not trouble the visiting goalkeeper as much as they would've liked.
Noah Collard though did force a great stop from the Church goalkeeper seven minutes after the restart, the midfielder was threaded through one on one with Jezeph only to see his close range strike tipped behind by the goalkeeper diving down well to his right-hand side.Needham again tested Jezeph on 55 minutes, brilliant play saw Jake Dye break through smartly down the right-hand side of the box, the defender's cutback picked out home debutant Dylan Williams in acres of space from close range but his low shot at the near post was palmed away by the keeper.
While Garnham was on hand to thwart a low shot with a forward one on one inside the box on 67 minutes, the visitors saw a close range unmarked diving header go wide of the bottom near corner following a right wing free-kick 11 minutes later.
Alvechurch though doubled their lead on 79 minutes, after Garnham's clearance was blocked by Danny Waldron, the striker was first to the loose ball on the right-hand byline to squeeze the ball home from point blank range.
At the other end, Dylan Williams saw his shot inadvertently diverted wide of the bottom near right-hand corner for a goal-kick three minutes later, before a great back post header dangerously across the face of goal, following a brilliant right wing corner from Ross Crane, just evaded substitute Seth Chambers who was stood just next to the post as the ball flashed just wide on 88 minutes.
Chambers then saw a dipping looping header comfortably held by Jezeph in the third minute of stoppage time, Alvechurch added salt into Needham wounds two minutes later with Garnham only able to divert Waldron's effort the other way into his own bottom right-hand corner.
Horlock's side will target a response to three straight defeats when Kings Langley travel to Bloomfields on Saturday in an important encounter between two sides currently sat towards the bottom of the table.
Comments