DEFEAT AT HALESOWEN

The Marketmen's three league match winning run ended with a frustrating 2-0 defeat at Halesowen Town.

The Yeltz curled wide of the top right-hand corner on 4 minutes, before Joe Neal (7') found space on the right-hand side at the other end, teeing up Luke Ingram whose low first time strike was straight at goalkeeper Platt.

Halesowen (9') then attempted an overhead kick - which was comfortably held by Bradbrook.

Ryan Miles latched onto a 13th minute long ball out to the left wing, albeit his cross-shot was flashed narrowly wide of the far post.

Good play from Myles Cowling won back possession high in the hosts' half, as Needham started very brightly a minute later, thorough Miles' left wing cross was deflected comfortably to Platt to hold.

Cowling beat his man dangerously outside the box before going down under a challenge of a defender in the 16th minute, though appeals for a foul were dismissed.

Reggie Lambe (23') capped a neat passing move, which also involved Tommy Smith, Cowling and Miles, hitting a 35-yard strike narrowly wide of the bottom left-hand corner.

Neal (24') found space on the right-hand side to tee up Cowling in space, although the latter's first time shot was headed away.

Fin Holmes was booked for a foul on Dan Morphew soon after, Ingram (27') raced down the right wing to win a corner, as his cross was cannoned behind.

Dan Morphew (28') saw a shot blocked from the resulting corner, as Needham remained the brighter side, enjoying the majority of the possession and chances.

Tommy Smith (31') danced into space inside the area, following a neat one-two, only to see his low shot deflected comfortably to Platt.

The Marketmen meanwhile (37') were denied agonisingly by the woodwork, Neal beat his man to exploit space on the left-hand side but to curl his thunderous strike back into play off the far side of the rattled crossbar.

Bradbrook then held a low shot at his near post soon after, while a low strike from the home side (43') was blocked by Dan Morphew.

Great football from Needham a minute later fed Neal through on the right wing whose dangerous low ball across was turned behind for a corner.

Needham remained on the front foot second half, Lambe latched onto possession - following Dye's surging run and partially cleared cross - to run into the box on 54 minutes only to fire over.

Halesowen (56') found space to rasp a first time strike straight at Bradbrook, who held onto the effort superbly well.

Bradbrook then held onto a far post header (62'), while the hosts - now on top - had a low strike across the edge of the box tipped wide by Bradbrook (66').

The home side however broke the deadlock a minute later, with Parker (67') finding the bottom far corner.

Chambers replaced Lambe, before Cowley (71') lashed home a penalty.

Chambers (77') on the other hand was fed through on the left-hand side, whose smart low near post shot was blocked away by the stopper.

Tommy Smith (85') saw a low strike saved, before Max Appauh, Jackson Nsofor, Eddie Barker and Brad Smith (making his competitive first team debut) all replaced Miles, Ingram, Neal and Dye.

Barker (92') dipped a smart free-kick at the keeper, before Nsofor (95') was slotted onto the right-hand side to wrap his shot past the keeper only to be headed off the line.

Needham travel to Stratford Town on Tuesday (7:45pm).

Manager Tom Rothery said, "really annoyed. I've just tried to regulate myself a little bit in there just because I'm so frustrated. I just think we've done it too many times this season where we've been really good and have let teams off and that's exactly what we've done today. We let them off in the first half, we were so dominant and didn't punish them, didn't put them to bed and then they've just played on moments in the second half and fair play to them.

At the end of the day, it's about winning games, isn't it? Scoring goals and we haven't done that so we've got what we deserve, but I'm just hugely frustrated, massively frustrated because I thought we were excellent in the first half but we just keep giving teams legs up and let-offs and we've let them off today, simple as that. I think anyone coming here and watching the game will say how excellent we were. I said this about three weeks ago to the lads. It's no good just being a really good footballing side. You've got to be effective and at the moment we're just not effective enough, and I don't understand it either. We've gone three league games on the bounce and we've scored eight goals yet we look a little bit in the first half like we're passing the bat and we're asking someone else to take a shot. We're asking someone else to cross the ball. We're not getting in dangerous areas.

As dominant as we were in the first half, we didn't work the keeper enough, other than Joe Neal. I think there was a clear foul on Milo in the penalty area. Wasn't given. Joe's hit the bar. Other than that, that's not enough. We've got to be more effective and unfortunately it is hurting us at the moment. It really is, and it's really frustrating.

I think there's a number of games now that we're walking away with less points than we should have. Like I've just said to the players as well, like I said, I've had to try and regulate myself because I don't want to go overboard, but the good thing about football is we've got a quick turnaround now to really respond and show that we're going to learn lessons and take things on board because it is hugely frustrating at the moment. It's starting to aggravate me to say the least.

"Keiran's held his hands up, so that would tell me that he's caught him. I didn't fully see that one. It was tough because of the angle of it, but obviously Keiran, it looks like he's had a heavy touch or taken a touch and then the forwards reacted well. As much as obviously you miss players like Hammo and Ollie, they're both really good players and obviously key players for us and start a lot of games, but at the same time, they didn't have a bearing on the first half because the first half we were excellent and dominant. I don't think that's affected the game. I think what's affected the game is us not being clinical enough, not being ruthless enough and not doing what we should do in the first half, we've let them off, simple as that. We've let them off and we've been punished for it. So, like I said, credit to them and fair play to them. It was always obvious. I walked in at half-time with Munno into the changing room and I said to Mano, I think that's going to cost us. We've let them off. They'll reorganise and they'll come with a different energy and probably change the shape, and they did that and played on moments. Like I said, they obviously took their moments better than we did.

"Ollie's got only a little strain on his calf. So, Ollie will be OK for Saturday. Hammo are obviously a one-game ban, so he'll be back for Tuesday. So, yeah, that will be the only change there."

Speaking about Brad Smith's first team debut, "it's a huge positive for him and another feather in the cap for the academy. The 18s are doing really well in the FA Youth Cup, so it shows, and I'd like to think they know that I think highly of them anyway. I had five or six of them involved in pre-season, so they'll get opportunities. It's just about, one, being sensible about when they get those opportunities. They've got to be ready for them. Also, from their point of view, hopefully that's a little bit of a motivation and a target for them to get into the first team and then try and stay in the first team. There's a good five or six players in there. Like I said, we saw a lot of them in pre-season, so they'll get opportunities. There's a really good group there with Luke and Grogs and Manty doing a brilliant job. So, yeah, that's about the only nice story I can think of today, if I'm honest."

Focusing on Tuesday night's ge, Rothery added, "every game is important..That's what I've said to the lads, that's where I'm frustrated because, you know, we've scored 13 goals in the last four games but eight in the league in the last three games. I just don't understand why we were a little bit tepid and a little bit indecisive in that final third today. I don't understand. We could have been accused of doing that earlier in the season, and I get that and I agree with that as well. Last three games, eight (goals) in the league, last four games, 13. So, yeah, but we've got to find a way to be as dominant as we are but then be ruthless and clinical.

At the moment, for one reason or another, we're not consistently showing that and it's hurting us. It is definitely hurting us. So, like I said, that's the beauty of football.

We've got a quick turnaround now. As I always state, and I'm sure everyone's bored of hearing it, every game's tough. Stratford away on a Tuesday night is not going to be easy.

So, yeah, we'll have to regroup and refocus and, you know, assess everyone today who's got little knocks and see where they're at and then try and pick a side that can go and get three points on Tuesday. We've been there before and taken a few beatings, so it won't be easy, but we've been there and won, so it's normally quite a tough place. The pitch is normally decent, so it'll be a good playing surface, hopefully, and it'll be a tough game. They've got some good players and, like I said, at this level of football.

Today's a demonstration of it. You're not quite at it, you get punished and that's what happened in the second half today. So, it'll be no different Tuesday. If we're not right and we're not clinical and we're not ruthless and we don't do everything spot on, then we'll get punished.

It's trying to put a bit of fire in there, but also not be too overboard. Learn from lessons. And that's what football is about. When something isn't quite right or isn't going quite right, it's about learning from it and making sure it doesn't happen again. So, pretty much what I've just said to them now in there. They're a good group in there.

It's a great bunch of lads. So, they'll be hurting, but hopefully not too much and hopefully we can turn it around on Tuesday."