Oxford City pick up their first league win of the season, inflicting a second straight league defeat on Needham Market at Court Place Farm.
Kevin Horlock's side made 2 changes to last week's Emirates FA Cup game, with Marcus Garnham and Jacob Lay starting ahead of Danny Cullum and Luke Ingram.
Both sides started brightly, with Tevan Allen threading a great ball into the path of Jamie McGrath down the centre, but the ball ran onto the onrushing goalkeeper inside the first minute.
At the other end, Oxford one the first corner of the afternoon a minute later after good defending from Jake Dye from a cross to the far post.
The hosts posed a threat from set-pieces, with Jalen Jones' towering header headed off the line by the well placed Ben Hunter from the resulting corner.
Jacob Lay was then threaded into space but a heavy touch halted the attack, while a right wing Oxford corner was headed narrowly wide by the leaping Josh Parker on 13 minutes.
A combination of Garnham and the woodwork thwarted Kpekawa from Ashby's left wing corner two minutes later, as the far post header hit the post before cannoning back into play off the post, before being smothered by the well placed Garnham and out to safety.
Needham created a great chance in the 18th minute, the ball broke for Jake Dye down the right-hand side in the box who wrapped an audacious ball across the face of goal, just needing a touch, but nobody in Needham red was around as it flashed out for a throw-in.
Josh Ashby meanwhile dragged a shot just wide of the bottom left-hand corner from outside the box in the 20th minute, before the hosts opened the scoring four minutes later.
Ashby's right wing free-kick picked out Josh Parker to head home into the bottom far corner.
Needham looked to respond as MOTM Jamie McGrath was threaded into the box, but saw a tackle from behind seemed fair in the 28th minute.
Kyle Hammond then saw a right wing free-kick well held by the keeper a minute later, while the hosts doubled their lead seconds later.
Alfie Potter's close range shot across goal was well saved by Marcus Garnham at his near, right-hand, post, McEachran then got possession ahead of the onrushing Garnham to tee up Reece Fleet to find the bottom right-hand corner.
Fleet then fired a shot, in space outside the box, comfortably over on 36 minutes, before Ashby's fierce shot was hit straight at Garnham on 44 minutes.
Needham however forced a good save out of the keeper in the first minute of first half stoppage time, Tevan Allen worked space to shoot well, on the left-hand edge of the box, but saw his ferocious low shot well held by the keeper at his near post.
The Marketmen withdrew Jacob Lay for Adam Mills at the interval, as the away side started the second half brightly but were unable to half the deficit.
Horlock's side though did see two successive crosses cause the home defence problems, but the second was headed behind for a corner after 51 minutes.
A good recovery save from goalkeeper Mitchell though did deny Kyle Hammond from getting Needham back into the game on 52 minutes, the midfielder caught the stopper off his line from distance, but Mitchell recovered to tip it over.
Adam Mills latched onto the resulting corner, whipping an exquisite cross into McGrath, whose header went agonisingly wide of the far post.
At the other end, Cole Kpekawa headed a left wing corner well wide of the far post on 56 minutes, before Needham introduced Ollie Fraser - who made an impact on the game - in place of Seth Chambers.
However, the hosts added a third on 65 minutes, a cross was cleared as far as Zac McEachran on the edge of the box to volley a powerful volley into the roof of the net.
Straight after, Cameron Jessup replaced captain Keiran Morphew for Needham, while Jayden Ashbourne replaced Jake Dye with 20 minutes remaining.
The visitors went close two minutes later, Allen's dangerous left wing free-kick was headed back into play by Jamie McGrath at the far post, finding the arriving Adam Mills whose ferocious volley was blocked as far as Ben Hunter who curled his shot over.
Lewis Coyle meanwhile was first to be shown a yellow card for the hosts, after a dangerous tackle on Jayden Ashbourne, before Kyle Hammond drove into space before threading McGrath through on goal, albeit the latter's shot was plucked out of the air by the keeper at full-stretch on 76 minutes.
Oxford then looked to catch Needham on the counter two minutes later, but the shot inside the box went wide.
Josh Parker was then booked for a late challenge on Dan Morphew, before McEachran saw a shot beaten away well by Garnham down smartly at his near right-hand post on 85 minute, while Cam Jessup was cautioned two minutes later.
Coyle though curled a free-kick comfortably wide moments later, before Jayden Carbon saw his shot smothered away well by Garnham down low to his left-hand side in the 93rd minute, before Dan Morphew was dismissed for an incident off the ball.
Interview with captain Keiran Morphew can be found by clicking the link below.
Needham will look to end their run of 3 straight defeats in all competitions in the first of two straight home games at the Ecologic Stadium Bloomfields, as they look to begin their defence of the Endeavour Automotive Suffolk Premier Cup against Long Melford on Tuesday 1st October (7:45pm).
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