DEFEAT ON DERBY DAY

Needham's 3 game unbeaten run ended with a frustrating 2-1 defeat to Leiston. 

Tom Rothery's side were unchanged from Saturday's 3-0 win at Bromsgrove Sporting 48 hours earlier. 

Leiston took the lead on nine minutes as a left wing low cross was turned home by Ronnie Blois unmarked from point blank range. 

Needham responded straight after, Joe Neal surged down the left wing but saw his dangerous low cutback just cleared, Needham though retained possession as Ollie Saunders' low 25-yard strike was blocked and appeals for handball from the resulting right wing cross were waved away on 12 minutes.

Needham then blocked a low shot on target from close range two minutes later, before Jamie McGrath smartly drove through down the left wing exchanging a smart one two with Neal, but curled agonisingly just over the top far corner from the edge of the box.

Needham continued to hunt for an equaliser on 26 minutes as Kyle Hammond and Jamie McGrath linked up smartly with a clever one-two, finding Joe Neal close range down the right-hand side to tee up Hammond arriving whose first time shot was well blocked.

Ben Hunter was fouled in a dangerous position from 30-yards out moments later, but Lambe's low set-piece was hit straight at Johnson.

Joe Neal was cautioned, while Needham equalised on 35 minutes. 

Long ball forward threaded a great long ball over the top to Luke Ingram free at close range on the right-hand side to head towards the top near corner. Johnson palmed it away by the forward was on hand to head home the rebound. 

Luke Ingram headed just wide at the far post on 44 minutes after Jude Frostick was cautioned.

Needham remained on top since going a goal behind, Reggie Lambe nearly gave the hosts the lead on 45+2 minutes when the Bermuda international break through on the left-hand side but fired agonisingly just over from a tight angle. 

Inside 30 seconds of the restart, Joe Neal slid Tommy Smith into space whose low ferocious strike was just held onto by Johnson. 

Needham began the second half on the front foot as Tommy Smith found Jamie McGrath inside the box but his towering header across the area was collected by Johnson on 49 minutes.

Two minutes later, Luke Ingram was threaded through down the right wing in acres of space picking out Jamie McGrath at close range whose header was straight at Johnson. A dangerous left wing cross then just evaded Ingram at close range, while Kyle Callan-McFadden was booked for a late foul just outside the box.

The resulting free-kick found Dan Morphew unmarked at close range on the right-hand side whose low half-volley was beaten away just by Johnson in the 54th minute.

Needham hit the woodwork four minutes later, Jake Dye was threaded through close to goal down the left-hand side but saw his shot agonisingly crash off the face of the crossbar.

Leiston then fired narrowly wide from the edge of the box on 63 minutes, while Bradbrook was smartly off his line a minute later to slide out and gather a through-ball. 

Seth Chambers replaced Ben Hunter, while Bradbrook held onto a 66th minute low cross into the six yard box.

Adam Mills fired over from the edge of the box on 75 minutes, after Neal made way for Ryan Miles.

Chambers broke down the left-hand in space soon after, but saw his dangerous squared ball gathered by Johnson.

Callan-McFadden then saw a 79th minute header comfortably held by Bradbrook, with Ingram replaced by Cowling moments later.

Cowling then won a dangerous right wing free-kick on 82 minutes, which saw Jamie McGrath's close range header then Dan Morphew's effort blocked before a third shot was denied

Leiston though scored on 84 minutes, with Fowkes booked for a foul on Hammond in stoppage time. 

Needham saw a dangerous low cutback just cleared in the six yard box on 92 minutes, but only as far as Lambe unmarked outside the box but curled his shot narrowly over, as Needham fell to a first hoek defeat of the season. 

Tom Rothery reflects on the defeat to Leiston.

DK: Disappointing one to take? 

TR: Yeah, really disappointing. I think the first half they started well. I thought it took us a long time to get to grips in the first half but I thought we finished the half stronger and better. Had a couple of chances towards the end of the half obviously after we'd equalised and in the second half I thought we were hugely on top, but if you don't take your chances that's what can potentially happen and that's been a completely sucker punch. So yeah, disappointing, very.

DK: The positive thing like you say is the reaction from going a goal behind to going to break level? 

TR: Yeah, that was positive. Said that at half-time really, showed a bit of character and like I said actually towards the end of the half I think Reggie's had a really good chance isn't he? I think there was one over, I can't remember now to be honest. It's tough to recall it but we had two, Reggie's especially, two good chances towards the end of the half after we equalised. So yeah, that's what we said at half-time but I felt first half we didn't get it down and play enough and that's what we asked them to do in the second half and I thought we did that really well. Like I said, the only criticism you can have is we haven't taken our chances, multiple chances, haven't taken them and then we've been sucker punched which obviously is not good. We've lost the game so I was always taught as a very young player, if you can't win a game make sure you don't lose it. So the fact that we've lost the game, it would have been disappointing to not win the game to be honest and get a draw so the fact that we've lost it is very disappointing. 

DK: Yeah, like you say, second half we had all of it but it's just one of those days. 

TR: Yeah, it happens so we can either feel sorry for ourselves or react to it and now look to get a positive result on Saturday which obviously is what we're trying to do. 

DK: It's good a equaliser though from Ingers, it's good tenacity to keep going at it until the ball's in the net. 

TR: Yeah, it was a good ball from Reggie. Like I said, I think we had a number of crosses again today where we should do better with so we finished that one. There's a number of others that we should have finished or done better with so it's something we've got to keep working on definitely because like I said, we were really kicking ourselves that we haven't taken our chances today, especially in that second half. 

DK: Next up though, we have an opportunity to take our minds away from the league with a good home tie in the cup. 

TR: Yeah, look, I just said that to the lads, we can't affect it any further now so we can be annoyed with it, we can be frustrated, we can be disappointed, whatever expressive words you want to use but we can't change it now so we have to move on and we'll train Thursday ready for Saturday regardless of whether it's the FA Cup or the league. Next game's important because we've lost the last one so it's important that we show a reaction now and try and progress in the FA Cup obviously.

DK: Was there anything that you'd expect to be improved on for Saturday from today?

TR: No, like I said, first half I didn't think we got to grips with it early enough, I thought we went too direct but we got better as the half went on. Give them credit, I thought they pressed us really well in that first half, used the conditions really well, had a threat on the break but then second half, like I said, we asked for that at half-time and thought we did that really well and I think anyone that's here, if they're being honest, we created enough chances to win the game but we didn't so obviously the things that we need to improve are basically finishing from crosses really because we've had a number of opportunities today and we haven't taken them so and then, you know, key to all of that is if you can't win the game make sure you don't lose it and I think their goal, I think there's a foul on Hammo, I know Hammo is calling for it as well but it wasn't given so it is what it is but it's frustrating that we've then lost the game like I said because I'd have been disappointed with drawing a game because of the amount of opportunities that we've had in that second half and we haven't taken them so we've got to be more, you said on Saturday how clinical we were, we've got to be more clinical because I think if we are, we win that game in the second half quite easy.

DK: What kind of reflection does that make on the bank holiday period overall?

TR: I wanted six points so we've got three but again you can't change it so we've got three so that's what we've got so we'll move on but I wanted six, simple as. 

DK: Still though is the positive aspect as such is that it's still early in the season? 

TR: Yeah, like I said we can't change the defeat at Harborough and we can't change the defeat today so we just have to move on but it's disappointing because we get the result that I feel we should have got today with the performance especially in the second half then we're in a much better position further up the table and we've got three more points in our bag but we haven't so we have to move on and look to correct that during the season. 

DK: When Jake hit the crossbar towards the end did it kind of feel like it might not be our day? 

TR: No not really because it's just not how I think. I just think we had a number of opportunities and we just haven't taken them so no I didn't really think that. They're a threat on the break so you're just hoping that the lads stay switched on and eventually either take one of the chances that they've created or if they don't make sure that they're organised and structured and don't allow something on the break but you know we didn't do that today so I'm not a big believer it's not our day or whatever it's down to you to make it your day isn't it.