ANOTHER STEP CLOSER TO PLAYOFFS

Needham Market kept their hopes of securing a play-off place alive with a 3-1 comeback victory at AFC Sudbury, confirming the Suds' relegation in the process.

Tom Rothery named a completely unchanged team to Friday's return to winning ways at home to Bromsgrove Sporting, with 6 of the Marketmen's 7 former Sudbury players starting. Record goalscorer and appearance maker Luke Ingram added to his ever growing tally with a hat-trick. The longest serving Marketman struck twice in the first half after an early opener for the home side, firstly converting from the penalty spot after recent recruit from Sudbury Marcel Lewis was fouled, having been found by fellow ex-Sudbury man Ben Hunter.

Another Ex-Sudbury Myles Cowling provided arguably the assist of the season for Ingram's second ten minutes before the interval, ahead of Joe Neal - yet another man haunting his former club, alongside the hat-trick hero - setting up the Needham number 7 to fire home a late third in the second half.

Sudbury (4) broke the deadlock, Pearce was fed through down the right-hand side to fire home into the bottom far corner.

Needham however were awarded a penalty in the 6th minute, an excellent ball over the top from Ben Hunter threaded Marcel Lewis one-on-one with Jack Munson down the left-hand side, with the keeper taking out the attacker.

Luke Ingram (7') drew Needham level, firing home into the bottom left-hand corner.

Lewis (10') was forced off due to injury, with Seth Chambers on in his place, as Kyle Hammond (17') curled a dangerous left-hand free-kick over after a foul on Ingram on the edge of the area.

At the other end, James Bradbrook (18') dived smartly low to his right-hand side to strongly palm Marcel-Dilaver's shot behind, while Bradbrook (20') held onto a close range shot comfortably at his left-hand post.

Seth Chambers (24') deflected a Sudbury shot over from outside the box, after defensive headers from Ingram and Smith cleared a corner, prior to Joe Neal's low cutback from the left-hand side falling just behind Ingram (29').

Kyle Hammond then forced a good stop from Munson (31'), beating his man following a blocked left wing free-kick to swing a great strike towards the top near corner, requiring Munson to tip it away.

Needham, who had grown into the ascendancy, took the lead on 35 minutes. An excellent defence splitting pass from Myles Cowling threaded goalscorer Ingram through in the area to net his second of the afternoon, placing into the bottom left-hand corner from close range.

Sudbury meanwhile (41') hit the post, Jacob Goredema rounded the onrushing Bradbrook - who forced the winger wide onto the left-hand byline, though the resulting shot from a tight angle rebounded wide of the outside base of the near post.

After the restart, brilliant play from Needham (49') drew a smart double stop from Munson. Keiran Morphew's header back into the 6 yard box from the right was glanced towards the bottom far corner by Dan Morphew, forcing a strong reaction stop from the diving stopper. Tommy Smith picked up the loose ball just outside the box, whose ferocious strike was also well kept out.

Pearce weaved into space, only to thunder wide of the top corner on 58 minutes, while Cowling (60') exploited space to curl wide of the far corner.

Ingram (64') was found in space, to turn smartly onto the left-hand edge of the box, but fired narrowly wide of the bottom near corner.

Chambers (67') turned past his man smartly onto the right-hand side to fire low at goal, whose good low strike was deflected just wide into the side-netting for a corner. The striker was withdrawn for Ollie Saunders (76'), before Ingram completed an excellent hat-trick.

The winger gave Needham a two goal lead on 82 minutes, Smith was released racing down the left wing to cut back to Neal, the striker held the ball up expertly to tee up Ingram on the left-hand edge of the box to thunder home his third of the afternoon into the bottom far corner.

Saunders' (83') low strike was well blocked, before a fantastic double save denied Needham a fourth on 87 minutes.

Hammond was set through down the left-hand by a brilliant dinked ball over the top by Neal, whose strike was thwarted by the face of Munson, falling to Cowling, the attacker's goal-bound strike only stayed out because of a spectacular deflection from Goredema on the line to turn it over.

Neal and Cowling made way for Max Appauh and Eddie Barker (88'), ahead of Reggie Lambe (91') replacing hat-trick hero Ingram, followed by Max Appauh going close to a fourth two minutes later.

The winger drove into space down the right but for Munson to hold firm, to dive low and keep the shot out at his near post.

Needham return to Bloomfields on Saturday, for the visit of relegation threatened Barwell (3pm).