DEFEAT AT STEP 2 WESTON-SUPER-MARE IN THE FA CUP

Needham Market's Emirates FA Cup journey ended in the Fourth Qualifying Round at second placed Enterprise National League South side Weston-Super-Mare.

Despite a spirited and proud Needham performance, a soft second half goal proved the difference.

Needham created the first chance of the afternoon, after 7 minutes of the home side having the vast majority of possession, the visitors fed Joe Neal down the left wing with an excellent long ball to find Tommy Smith only for his clever cross to be headed narrowly over by Kyle Hammond, towering highest around 10-yards out.

Weston however fizzed a dangerous low right wing cross just wide of the bottom far corner on 13 minutes, while James Bradbrook expertly claimed a left wing corner on his line three minutes later.

Needham then had two chances in the 21st minute. The first saw Jake Dye play a quick one two with Luke Ingram at a throw-in, but the right-back's low dangerous ball across the six yard box was cleared ahead of Chambers.

Chambers was then released through one on one, but was deemed offside when he latched onto a brilliant ball over the top on the right-hand side to see his low shot across goal saved.

Will Dawes was arguably fortunate to not be booked in the 24th minute for a reckless foul on Myles Cowling, which Chambers flicked on the set-piece lofted into the box though nobody in Red could beat the keeper to it.

Ben Hunter meanwhile rasped a 25-yard low strike straight at the keeper on 25 minutes, during a good spell of possession for the Marketmen.

Bradbrook again expertly claimed a left wing corner on 28 minutes, while a crucial perfectly timed sliding challenge from Dan Morphew thwarted a dangerous attack on 35 minutes, he reading play superbly to win back possession.

Although the Marketmen were on the back foot for much of the half, Tommy Smith intercepted a through-ball at the expense of a corner on 39 minutes, very much holding their own against a National League South side.

Neal latched onto a brilliant 44th minute cross though his delivery evaded Ingram at the far post.

The Marketmen arguably had the better of the possession and chances after the break, as Neal weaved smartly onto the left-hand side from Chambers' pass on 50 minutes, seeing his effort deflected behind for a corner.

Hammond's resulting corner however went just wide at the far post off Dan Morphew at close range.

The hosts however broke the deadlock on 54 minutes, a mistake at the back saw the ball looped into the net at point blank range by Britton.

Hammond's left wing dangerous 60th minute corner was headed narrowly over at the far post as Needham searched for an equaliser.

Ryan Miles replaced Chambers, while Hammond spotted the keeper off his line only to fire narrowly wide from distance on 65 minutes as the Marketmen remained the more likely to score.

Hammond meanwhile was fed free from 25-yards to lash a fierce strike at goal only to fire straight at the keeper two minutes later.

At the other end a crucial 68th minute save from James Bradbrook denied the hosts, after a quick break down the left wing and cutback, the Needham stopper dived instinctively low to his left to beat the shot away.

Weston then curled just wide of the top far corner from inside the area on 74 minutes, ahead of a Needham double change introducing Jackson Nsofor and Ollie Saunders.

Jamie McGrath replaced Neal, before Needham went close on 82 minutes.

Brilliant play saw Saunders find Dye whose exquisite right wing cross was met by Ingram whose great low strike cannoned off the front off the post and agonisingly just wide off the keeper.

Barker replaced Hunter, as the referee controversially dismissed Nsofor for two yellow cards.

Bradbrook however narrowed the angle well to smother a 95th minute strike, before a looping header from Needham was held by the keeper.

Needham return to Bloomfields on Tuesday, for the first of three home games, when Brantham Athletic visit in the Suffolk Premier Cup second round (7:45pm).

Manager Tom Rothery said, "I'm gutted to be honest. I don't think we could have done anymore obviously other than scoring, but I'm really proud of the effort that we've given. It's what we said at the start of the day, you know, just give everything that you've got, don't play in fear and I thought we did that."

"I thought the first half was really tough, they moved the ball well, but I thought we grew into the half, got better as the half went on and then second half, I thought we played really well, tried to get on the front foot, moved the ball really well and for large segments of the game, I thought we had them pinned back, but it's just we didn't create loads. Probably Luke's the closest we've come. We've had a couple of sort of shots and opportunities from the edge of the box or just inside the box with Ollie and hunts that I can remember, but yeah, it's tough. You're not going to come here and create five or six chances. You're going to create two, three maybe and you've got to be really clinical and ruthless and take them and we haven't done that and on the flip side, if you look at that, I can't think of any chance they've had apart from, I remember one from a cross early doors in the first half and then obviously the goal they've scored. I may have missed one, but they certainly weren't opening us up at will, even when we started chasing the game with 10 men. So yeah, gutted, absolutely gutted."

When asked about having pride in the performance, he added, "at the start of the day, you're asking the lads to play and play our game and don't play within themselves and don't play the occasion. I thought we did that. Like I said, I thought the start was tough, but after that, I thought we worked really well and look, give them credit. They're flying in their league, they're second in their league, which is the league above us and they moved the ball really well and like I said, I thought it's a compliment to us that they've had to sit off in the second half and really, we've had big spells in the game and big segments in the game where we've really pinned them back. Like I said, it is what it is. Good luck to them in the first round. Like I've just said to the players now, we've got nothing really in our way now. The league is our main focus and we've got the Suffolk Cup, which is a chance where we can win a trophy. So they're our two objectives now and we've got to go full steam for them, simple as that. We've got to start showing consistency, especially in the final third. We know we've got to score more goals. I think defensively, we've looked really good in the last two games, but we haven't scored in both of those games."

"Clearly we need to start doing more in the final third. So that's something we've got to improve on."

When asked if it's just fine margins, "yeah, probably. Again, I don't think we've certainly not been humiliated, embarrassed or even outplayed. I think we've been very competitive, but it's to find margins.

"The higher you go up the football pyramid, those fine margins become really important. Like I said, you're not going to come here and create seven or eight chances. If you take two of them, you're happy. You're probably going to get three or four chances and you've got to be really clinical. That's tough to create three or four. Like I said, I think we've probably had two or three chances today. You've got to be really ruthless and really clinical. At the moment, that's unfortunately letting us down a little bit for whatever reason, but like I said, defensively, again, against a very good side, I think we've contained them and dealt with them really well, and that isn't just by sitting back and allowing them to have loads of the ball. Like I said, in the first half, we grew into the game and I thought we got better as the half went on. Second half, like I said, I think we had them pinned back for large segments in the game, personally."

On the mood in the changing rooms, Rothery said, "they're going to be gutted, aren't they? Same as me. They're disappointed. They're gutted, but like I've said in there, we've got to try and take the positives out of it. It's hard now and sometimes it's harder after the game to talk about positives, but like I said, they're flying in the league above. We've certainly come here and given them a really good game. So yeah, at the end of the day, that hasn't been enough to get us through to the next round, but we've got to take the positives from that, but now it's all about trying to build momentum back in the league, really. That's obviously down to me and that's critical that we now do that."

On whether lacking a clinical touch in the final third, is the only area to improve on, the manager agreed, "I think so.

"I think if you come and watch us defensively, we're normally quite strong, solid. Not because, like I said, not because we get loads of bodies behind the ball, but we defend properly. I think we're organised. I think we've shown that in the vast majority of the games. Obviously, there's a couple of games that stick out, like Bishop's Stortford, Harborough clearly, but I think in general, defensively, we're solid. We move the ball really well. I think we look after the ball really well and we've just got to do more in the final third, and I think sometimes in the final third, it's not from the lack of creating chances, it's not taking the chances."

"That's clearly where we've got to do more. That's something that me and the staff have got to look at and that's something that we've got to improve on. The buck stops with me, so it's down to me to get the best out of the lads that we've got and make sure that we start doing that from now, really.

When asked if Nsofor's red card epitomised the day, Rothery replied, "yes. I don't think the referee's given us too much all day, to be fair.I thought there were two, not bad tackles, but 15 and the 8 for them, especially the 8. He's caught Hunts really late. He's not even spoken to him, and then Jackson, the first one, is silly. He's caught him. He's definitely caught him. Again, in the context of the game, he's quick to flash the yellow card. He's not even speaking to their players. And like I said, the one on Hunts wasn't a great tackle and he's not even spoken to him. He's flashed the yellow card quickly, and then, look, for me, Jackson has won 100 per cent of the ball. But when you're on a yellow card, you can't challenge like that because it gives the referee the opportunity."

"He's obviously seen it as Jackson's been a little bit over-aggressive, which maybe he has, but he has won all of the ball, but has he sort of reached out a little bit too far? I don't know. I don't know. It's a tough one. Like I've just said to him there, it's a lesson he's got to take from it. Like I said, the first one's silly, in my opinion, and the second one, you just can't make tackles like that when you're on yellow cards.

"So, yeah, he'll learn from it. And that's part of his development. That's why he's at this club, isn't it? To try and learn and progress through his career, and I'm sure he'll do that.

Looking ahead to Tuesday's Suffolk Premier Cup clash with Brantham Athletic, he concluded, "every game's important, and we've lost the last two. We're on penalties now today. It's important that we show a response.

"We'll have to dust ourselves down, obviously, see who's a few walking wounded in there, a couple of little knocks. We'll have to assess them and see where everyone's at. And then we'll pick a team to try and win Tuesday, and obviously, like I said, we need to start getting some kind of momentum and consistency and results starting Tuesday. The Suffolk Cup's important, it always is. But like always with the Suffolk Cup, they're a local derby, so it won't be easy."