Needham Market fall to their 3rd away league defeat of the season 3-2 at St Ives Town.
Kevin Horlock's side were without Luke Ingram through injury, but were boosted by the return of new signing Adam Mills - who started on his return, while Byron Lawrence returned to the squad for a league game since his horrific injury on the bench. Dylan Williams returned to the starting eleven against his old side, with Nico Valentine starting on the bench.
The game started end to end, with Needham in their away yellow kit having the first chance on 4 minutes. Jamie McGrath was fed free down the right hand side of the box, the forward found Tevan Allen with a good cross in but the midfielder was denied a shot from 8 yards out by a crucial interception.
Good passing play four minutes later saw Adam Mills fed free on the left wing, albeit his cross in towards McGrath was well claimed by the keeper.
Mills' low dangerous left wing cross into the danger area a minute later meanwhile flashed by with nobody in Needham yellow around to capitalise, while a great right wing cross found McGrath towering unmarked like a salmon from 8-yards out but glanced his header narrowly wide of the bottom far corner on 11 minutes.
The Ives though broke the deadlock on 16 minutes, Alexandrou was threaded through free onto the right hand side before finishing low smartly into the bottom near corner.
S4 then saw a free kick on the left hand edge of the box well blocked by the Needham wall three minutes later, before a Needham free kick, dangerously positioned on the right hand edge of the box, was laid off twice finding Mills whose driven shot was blocked. Williams then saw a shot blocked, prior to whipping a great cross in but nobody was around .
The Marketmen however were level on 26 minutes, a left wing cross into the box found Kyle Hammond free from close range to poke home the equaliser.
Needham continued to build on their momentum, prior to finding the equaliser, as a good save from the goalkeeper thwarted Kevin Horlock's side on 31 minutes. Jacob Lay drove through on the left hand side of the box, tees up Mills who fires ferociously towards the top far corner but the keeper flies across and beats away.
St Ives then shot a low right wing free kick into the near side netting from close range on 36 minutes, while Adam Mills looked to have been pushed from behind down the left hand side of the box but the referee was uninterested on 43 minutes.
As the half ticked onto 45 minutes, Marcus Garnham was alert to tip away a dangerous right wing corner at his far post, as both sides went in at half time level.
Inside a minute of the restart, Marcus Garnham was on hand to deny the Ives, tipping a shot over while off balance. Garnham was then alert to lunch the resulting corner away firmly, on his goal line, on 47 minutes, while Needham went close themselves on 49 minutes. Tevan Allen was threaded free down the right wing before hanging a great cross up to the far post, finding Adam Mills whose header across the face of goal towards Jamie McGrath saw the keeper almost take it into his own net.
The hosts meanwhile saw a fierce 30-yard strike, towards the bottom left hand, near, corner held superbly by the diving Garnham on 54 minutes while St Ives regained the lead on 64 minutes. Jordan Williams was found on the penalty spot to sweep home into the bottom left hand corner.
At the other end, a right cross was headed back across dangerously to McGrath from 6-yards out but a defender smacked it away from going into the open goal on 70 minutes.
St Ives then saw a shot from a long throw blocked on 72 minutes, before Needham equalised two minutes later, Nico Valentine had only just been on the pitch a matter of seconds when the Ipswich Town loanee weaved into space onto the right hand byline in the box, the young winger then cut the ball back to McGrath, unmarked from 8-yards out to first time fire home into the top far corner, despite a slight deflection.
Needham almost took the lead on 76 minutes, McGrath drove forward into the hosts' half before threading substitute Seth Chambers free down the right wing, the forward's great cross in found Adam Mills free at the back post whose dangerous header across the six yard box was held by the keeper diving low off his line.
St Ives though struck what proved to be the winner on 79 minutes, Alexandrou was found free on the right hand edge of the box before finishing well into the top far corner, before the hosts shot wide of the bottom right hand corner from in space on the edge of the box on 87 minutes.
The Marketmen arguably should've equalised in the 90th minute, as Tevan Allen's right wing corner found Seth Chambers free at the near post but headed wide from close range.
Two minutes later, Keiran Morphew looped a header over from another Tevan Allen right wing corner, while the Marketmen had the ball in the net 3 minutes later, albeit adjudged to be offside. Tevan Allen rolled a free kick on the left hand edge of the box short to Kyle Hammond, whose clever first time cross lifted to the far post found Keiran Morphew free at the far post to nod across to Dan Morphew unmarked at the left hand post from 8-yards out to volley in.
Needham host Telford United at home on Saturday (3pm).