Two goals in as many second half minutes condemns Needham Market to a disappointing 2-0 home defeat to Rushall Olympic at Bloomfields, ending a run of four home games with 2 wins and 2 defeats.
Manager Kevin Horlock made two changes to last Saturday's home over Stourbridge with recent Charlton Athletic loanee Ryan Viggars and Evan Collard starting in place of Taylor Clark and Christian Frimpong (the latter who was away on holiday, though Horlock confirmed that both he and Jamie McGrath will be back for Monday's trip to Hitchin Town), and were also boosted by the return of Noah Collard, from injury, on the substitutes bench.
Needham, who arguably shaded the first half, went close as early as the third minute, Ross Crane chipped a clever ball over the defence to thread Seth Chambers through one-on-one with goalkeeper Weaver, but could only shoot agonisingly just wide of the bottom far, left-hand, corner.
Crane, who was match sponsor Keith Nunn's Man Of The Match, went close himself to an early breakthrough in the ninth minute. The winger latched onto a great ball, in acres of space just outside the box, albeit his low shot went narrowly wide of the bottom far corner.
Two minutes later, Crane continued to create chances for the home side, this time Crane smartly drove through down the right wing, before cutting into the box, although his low ball across the face of goal was beaten away well by goalkeeper Weaver.
After some great passing play, the former looked to test Weaver once more, straight away. After being teed up by Jacob Lay, the forward's first time dipping shot was however straight forward for the goalkeeper to hold onto.
Crane was by far the standout player on the pitch for Needham, particularly in the first half, with the forward again posing a threat in the 19th minute. The forward cleverly cutting inside, past his defender, into the box, before firing low and wide into the near side-netting.
Rushall meanwhile had a great chance on 23 minutes, Keith Lowe picked up possession from 18-yards out, only to watch his curling strike go just wide of the top far, left-hand, corner.
It was Needham who ended the first half the stronger, with Crane once more involved in the 26th minute. The winger threaded debutant Ryan Viggars through with an audacious defence splitting pass, although the latter's strike was smothered behind by the onrushing Weaver for a corner, out on the byline.
Just after the half-hour mark, Kyle Hammond tried his luck at goal, albeit the midfielder's low 35-yard fierce strike was deflected behind for a corner, with the resulting Crane set-piece tipped away well by Weaver.
The majority of the chances during the game did fall to the Marketmen, who just couldn't make them count. That was very much the case in the 32nd minute as Crane was threaded through by Jacob Lay, albeit the former was offside when his low first time shot was well saved by Weaver.
At the other end, Rushall had a great chance of their own, five minutes later, a right wing cross picked out Richard Batchelor, free at the back post, but the captain's close range header went narrowly wide of the top right-hand corner.
The final two noteable chances of the first half, however, both fell to the Reds, after neat passing play saw Seth Chambers fed with his back to goal, the forward quickly teed up the arriving Kyle Hammond, whose shot was fired wide of the top left hand corner on 41 minutes.
On the stroke of half-time, Viggars went close to a debut goal, the striker broke through onto the edge of the box, but was unfortunate to fire his shot narrowly wide of the bottom right hand corner.
The second half was much more of a cagey affair, with clear cut chances very much at a premium, with Viggars close to bundling home soon after the restart.
A left wing cross into the six yard box was smashed in towards the forward, with the goalkeeper's punch rebounding off the forward, though he was deemed to be in an offside position as a defender hacked it away just ahead of the goal-line on 48 minutes.
The Pics though hit their hosts with a sucker-punch goal on the break, as Samuel Mantom drove through onto the right-hand side of the box, before firing home via the inside of the far post from a tight angle, 0-1 Rushall.
Just two minutes later, it was 0-2 to the away side, Andre Carvalho-Landell was fed into space on the right-hand edge of the box before finishing confidently into the bottom far corner.
Needham looked to respond on the hour mark, but Jacob Lay's shot on the turn, from outside the box, went over the crossbar.
Viggars meanwhile tried his luck at goal ten minutes later, although his low shot, having taken a deflection, forced a routine save from the goalkeeper.
Again, Crane showed why we was named Man Of The Match with a surging run downfield on 77 minutes, the forward exploited space well to drive through the Pics' half, only for his low shot to be comfortably held by Weaver down at his near, right-hand, post.
Seconds later, Crane's great low ball across picked out Viggars in space, inside the box, the latter smartly got a got a shot off towards goal, forcing Tyler Lyttle to divert it just past his near post for a corner.
Arguably, on another day a point apiece would've been a fair reflection, with Needham just unable to make their chances count. Viggars latched onto a great right wing free-kick, in the 81st minute, but saw his shot on the turn blocked well by the chest of Kristian Green. The rebound then fell kindly for Keiran Morphew, the Needham captain on the edge of the box, whose stunning curling strike needed a flying stop from Weaver to preserve his clean sheet, as he tipped the ball over the crossbar.
It turned out to be a frustrating afternoon for the Marketmen, with Weaver again thwarting the hosts from getting on the scoresheet after 82 minutes, Viggars again latched onto a great long ball on the spin, but again his low shot was palmed behind well by Weaver down at his left-hand post.
Needham will look for a quick response, as they travel to Hitchin Town on Monday, who will also be going into the game on the back of a defeat; finishing with ten men in a 2-1 defeat away to Bromsgrove Sporting, while Rushall pick up back to back wins.
Needham Market:-
1 Marcus Garnham
2 Kyle Hammond
3 Jake Dye
14 Evan Collard (70' Clark)
5 Keiran Morphew (c)
6 Daniel Morphew
7 Jacob Lay
8 Patrick Brothers
9 Seth Chambers (68' N.Collard)
10 Ryan Viggars
11 Ross Crane
Subs:
12 Noah Collard
15 Hugh Cullum
16 Taylor Clark
17 Archie Exworth
Rushall Olympic:-
1 Jacob Weaver
2 Kristian Green
3 Reece Mitchell
4 Thomas Thorley
5 Keith Lowe
6 Sam Whittall
12 Tyler Lyttle (85' Parry)
8 Samuel Mantom
9 Andre Carvalho-Landell (87' Atherton)
10 Alexander Fletcher
11 Richard Batchelor (c) (76' Masidi)
Subs:
7 John Atherton
14 Owen Parry
15 Jordaan Brown
16 Jourdain Masidi
17 Jayden Campbell
Booked: N.Collard (86'), Hammond (90'+2').
Goals: Mantom (51'), Carvalho-Landell (53').
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