DERBY DAY WIN UNDER THE LIGHTS FOR NEEDHAM MARKET WOMEN

Derby Day delight at a floodlit Bloomfields as Needham Market claimed their first win of the new season with a 5-0midweek victory over promoted Suffolk League club Brantham Athletic.

Brantham have held the upper hand over the hosts when playing our development team, but this was the first time, they had faced our first team since the very first season the club came into existence in the 2018/19 season.

And under the lights the home side dominated, but they only found themselves a goal to good at the break thanks to another opener for Annie Posnett.

But they made their dominance count in the second half with first goals for Anna Sullivan and Faith Witmore in between goals for captain Laura Bloomfield and Emma Drake.

The opening stages belonged to Needham and saw early chances for Sullivan and Posnett before the latter, who else to open the scoring this season, wasn’t to be denied with a strike from outside of the box into the left bottom corner.

Brantham had hardly got near the goal let alone test keeper, Danni Clarke, but they say your most vulnerable after scoring and this was true with Clarke making an excellent save only minutes after Posnett’s opener.

After that it returned to the pattern of the opening 25 minutes with Needham dominate but disappointed not to have extended their lead further at the break.

In games like this the longer it goes with the opposition still in the game the more they grow in confidence, but Needham put that to bed early in the second period with Sullivan opening her account for the club with a close-range finish in the box.

Then the game was polished off as a contest only moments later as a trademark long range Bloomfield free kick rifled into the roof of the net.

It was almost four straight away with Keira Topple being denied by the keeper, but she did turn provider in the final quarter - with a little help from the bar – as her shot rebounded for Drake to tuck home.

To round things off it was one of the club’s JPL graduates in attacking wide player Witmore scoring a blockbuster long range strike to open her account and bear immediate fruit from the new provision that has only been going at the club for a single season.

A Derby victory is always welcome but more importantly Needham have collected their first three points and a clean sheet and remain unbeaten after two away draws to open the season with, with this result hopefully kick starting the season from here.