DEFEAT AT HOME TO BISHOPS STORTFORD

Tom Rothery's side made 1 change from Saturday's 4-1 home win over Stamford, for the third straight home game of four, Reggie Lambe starting in place of Jamie McGrath.

Bishops Stortford broke the deadlock in the 3rd minute, breaking down the left-hand side to smartly pick out the bottom far corner.

In response, Luke Ingram broke into space down the right-hand side on 7 minutes but smashed his shot-cross went wide of the far post, just ahead of Ryan Miles.

Kyle Hammond's right wing cross a minute later picked out Ryan Miles whose low shot was well blocked, before a 14th minute right wing low cross was turned home by Jake Dye into his own net for 0-2.

While the game remained even, despite the scoreline, Bishop's Stortford

saw a low shot from distance easily controlled by James Bradbrook on 16 minutes,

The visitors shot over on 24 minutes, before 20 two minutes later fired narrowly wide of the bottom corner from outside the area.

Needham however slipped Reggie Lambe through onto the left-hand side on 28 minutes, though his tight angled shot was parried by the keeper.

The Marketmen went agonisingly close on the half-hour mark, Joe Neal drove onto the right-hand byline before crossing low for Ryan Miles whose goal-biund saw was acrobatically cleared over off the line.

Needham went close from the resulting corner, Jake Dye's header was held by the keeper at his top left-hand corner, with the stopper penalised for holding onto the ball too long, albeit he claimed the dangerous corner.

Arguably, despite the two goals, not much really separated the two sides, though the visitors turned a dangerous right wing corner just wide on 34 minutes, as the visitors made the majority of their chances count.

Joe Neal broke into the box but saw his shot well smothered by the keeper two minutes later, while Reggie Lambe's curled shot from the edge of the area was vitally looped over by a defender.

Ryan Miles picked out Dan Morphew with a sumptuous right wing cross on 37 minutes whose dangerous far post header back across flashed across the face of goal with nobody around to provide the finishing touch.

Da Silva then shot a long range free-kick comfortably over on 41 minutes, while the away side had a 45th minute shot from distance saved by Bradbrook.

The visitors shot over a minute later, as the away side led 2-0 at the break.

A triple Needham change at the interval saw Kyle Hammond, Reggie Lambe and Ryan Miles replaced by Ollie Saunders, Seth Chambers and Jamie McGrath with Jake Dye seeing a 47th minute header at point blank range held.

James Bradbrook was adjudged to have given away a 50th minute penalty, which Cole Da Silva dispatched just past the keeper two minutes later down the left-hand side.

Great play from Needham saw Neal feed Tommy Smith down the left wing on 56 minutes, whose dangerous low cross was met by Ingram whose low shot was vitally blocked, while Jackson Nsofor replaced Ingram.

Bradbrook held onto a 65th minute low shot at his near post, before Nsofor was thwarted at point blank range for a corner.

Tommy Smith arrived onto the ball from 30-yards out but saw his first timed shot deflected wide, while Joe Neal's left wing clever corner was headed just wide of the far post for another corner.

Hunter was replaced by Cowling, while the away side added a fourth on 81 minutes.

A surging run down the right wing saw a low shot across goal parried by Bradbrook with the rebound turned home by Rehan Field.

Neal meanwhile weaved into space to shoot on the left-hand edge of the box, only to lash his 88th minute strike wide.

Needham saw an effort from a corner denied by the keeper on 90 minutes, before Neal wrapped a dangerous 94th minute free-kick over.

Needham welcome Witham Town in the 3rd Qualifying Round of the Emirates FA Cup on Saturday (3pm).

Manager Tom Rothery reflects on Tuesday's defeat.

DK: A tough one to take tonight?

TR: Yeah, extremely. Yeah, it's never nice to lose at home, so... It's not gonna be nice to lose one at home, is it? But, yeah, it's one of them. We've got to take our medicine and move on. Simple as that.

DK: How would you describe the performance tonight?

TR: Strange, really, if I'm honest. I thought first 15, however, like 10, 15, whatever, we definitely didn't start right. Credit to them. They started very well, took advantage of our really slow start, and then from that point, really chasing the game, and we kind of... I wouldn't say played into their hands, but just a night where we made lots of mistakes, whether that's, you know, how we started, how we performed or actual mistakes in the game.

DK: In some way, do you kind of feel a little bit aggrieved that some of our chances on another day didn't go for us?

TR: Yeah, I mean, that's the crazy thing about it. I think if you look at the game on chances alone, we had more chances than them, but, I say it's not important. It is important, because if you take those chances, maybe the game's different, but like I said, the start, and then... It just felt like we were always chasing the game off the back of a bad start, and then going ahead, it felt like we were always chasing the game, and then, you know, you're then missing chances, and then, like I said, giving them easy chances or making mistakes to give them easy goals. So it's kind of a perfect storm, really, from our point of view, for lots of reasons. You know, I'm not sure why. I didn't see that performance coming, if I'm honest. Obviously, if I had seen it coming, then I'd have done things differently. So that's definitely something I need to reflect on. And that's what I'll do between now and Thursday, certainly.

DK: After being two-nil down at the break, it was the worst possible start to the half.

TR: Yeah, but again, we started the half well. We had good possession. We created a good chance. And then again, you know, like I said, because you're always then chasing the game. And they were good on the break. So like I said, give them credit as well. They were dangerous on the break. They committed a lot of players forward, and like I said, we kind of played into their hands by just not doing the right things, whether that be in possession or decision-making or, you know, whether that be offensively or defensively. We just, like I said, it was just a perfect storm, really. Like I said, I thought they carried a threat, clearly. Hence why they've scored four goals, but they were also very clinical, and we certainly weren't.

DK: We haven't really been able to get any momentum in the league this season. Is that something that's starting to become a bit of a problem?

TR: I wouldn't say it's a problem. It's annoying because, like I said, I turned up tonight expecting us to perform really well. Yeah, so people can say what they want. If they think it's a problem, that's fine, but I wouldn't say it's a problem. We've lost two games in nine before tonight. Look, things can be painted however people want to paint them. Is it five unbeaten before tonight? I don't know, but two of them have been draws. So then people go, well, you've drawn too many games. It is what it is. We are where we are. It's a bad result, a really poor start. And yes, it's halted any momentum we had in the league, but we can either feel sorry for ourselves or try and put it right. So I know where I'll be at. So it's down to everyone else to think what they want. You want to win every game. So I don't think it matters whether it's league or cup. I think, like I just said to the players in the changing room, the big thing for me is to not go in your shell, not feel sorry for yourself and make sure that you react and you want to put it right. That's certainly how I feel about it. I'd be happy if the game (Saturday) was tomorrow, to be quite honest. So I don't care whether it's FA Cup, FA Trophy, League, Suffolk Cup. The next game is important because I want a reaction off the back of that result. Simple as.

DK: It's a rather kind of favourable draw on Saturday, but we can't underestimate Witham.

TR: I think, like I said, people turn up tonight. Bishop Stortford have lost four on the bounce. One of them in the FA Cup. Everyone's turned up tonight thinking we're going to win. That hasn't panned out, has it? So, yeah, they're a league below us. So that makes us favourites, but we still have to turn up and perform correctly and perform right. We've had them watch, like we do with all teams. I'm under no illusions. If we don't turn up and we're not right, we won't win. Simple as that. So I don't think you should ever underestimate anyone in football. Simple as.

DK: How important is it that we are still in the FA Cup?

TR: It's always important. The FA competitions are always important. The Suffolk Cup's important because you want to try and win trophies or progress as far as you can in the cup competitions. Because, again, that does create momentum. Obviously, the FA competitions generate money, generate, you know, raising the profile of the club. You know, you can get some big draws like we've had in the past. So it's important, but it will be important to win them as well. So every game of football is important. I don't care what competition it is. You should want to turn up and you should want to perform and you should want to win. So every competition is important. And I'm not underestimating anyone or any competition. I just want us to do well. So, like I said, I'll reflect off the back of tonight, the players will, I'm sure. And we'll come in Thursday and look to show a positive reaction on Saturday.