DRAW AT BARWELL

Needham Market returned back to league action with a frustrating draw at Barwell.

Reggie Lambe was unavailable on International duty with Bermuda, while Myles Cowling and Keiran Morphew started from the Leiston league game, with Dan Morphew and Cowling the alterations from the FA Cup win.

Needham dominated the first half, as an early foul on Myles Cowling saw Kyle Hammond's dangerous left wing free-kick crossed back into the box by Jake Dye after Tommy Smith's through-ball. Myles Cowling picked up the loose ball to work space to shoot from 12-yards out but fired straight at the keeper, at head height in the third minute.

Three minutes later, Joe Neal broke through clear onto the left-hand side but saw his tight angled near post low shot blocked away by the keeper, with Myles Cowling looking to latch onto the rebound seeing penalty appeals dismissed.

Ben Hunter disected the home defence to thread Joe Neal on the left-hand side, whose cross was cleared, as Needham remained on top on 15 minutes, with Jamie McGrath reaching the left-hand byline himself moments with the visitors winning a corner.

Jake Dye met Kyle Hammond's right wing corner 10-yards from goal on 17 minutes, but Dan Morphew was adjudged to have fouled the keeper, challenging for the ball.

The Marketmen went agonisingly close on 22 minutes, McGrath broke onto the left-hand side but shot agonisingly just wide of the bottom far corner, before Mancinelli fired well over on 33 minutes, who had not long been booked for a late foul on Myles Cowling, with Ben Hunter booked minutes later.

Needham deservedly broke the deadlock on 37 minutes, great play from Joe Neal lifted a brilliant ball over the defender for Luke Ingram to latch onto down the right-hand side whose low cross was partially cleared to Neal to lash home into the gaping bottom far, left-hand, corner from 15-yards out.

Neal then broke down the right-hand side on 40 minutes but the angle was too wide for the forward, whose ferocious strike went into the near side-netting.

Barwell wrapped a low 44th minute free-kick straight at Bradbrook, while Myles Cowling broke onto the left-hand side four minutes into stoppage time. The midfielder weaved into space but saw his low shot across goal held by the keeper.

Needham started the second half just like the first, with Myles Cowling driving onto space on the edge of the box before looking to slip Tommy Smith through down the left-hand side, earning a corner on 50 minutes.

Kyle Hammond broke onto the byline from the set-piece, but the hosts cleared the danger.

Barwell shot wide on 53 minutes, before Myles Cowling was threaded into the box by a great flick on by Ingram but the keeper was first to it to intercept.

Ben Hunter was slotted down the left-hand side on 56 minutes, only to see his thunderous low half-volley deflected narrowly wide into the side-netting, although Tommy Smith gave away a 59th minute penalty, which the striker sent Bradbrook the wrong way to find the bottom left-hand corner.

Needham looked to respond when Kyle Hammond threaded Jamie McGrath through one on one on 66 minutes, albeit his low shot across goal was held by the keeper, while Chambers replaced Neal.

Chambers broke down the left-hand side brilliantly on 74 minutes to smartly find Ingram free at close range who poked it wide of the near post.

McGrath made way for Saunders, while Hunter fired over on 81 minutes.

Cowling meanwhile broke clear on goal on 82 minutes but fired his low strike straight at the keeper, before Ingram shot over from distance six minutes later.

Smith saw a fierce 30-yard 89th minute shot blocked, while the full-back fed Hunter into acres of space from distance soon after but dragged his low shot wide.

Needham travel to Royston on Tuesday (7:45pm). coach details can be found https://www.needhammarketfc.co.uk/post/coach-details-for-royston-away

Manager Tom Rothery reflects on yesterday's draw.

DK: having felt like it's two points dropped today, you must not be too pleased?

TR: No, I've just said to the lads, I think whenever you get away points, you're grateful because they're not always easy to get, but look, I think anyone at the game today knows we should win that game. The lads know we should win the game, and if they're being honest with themselves, we should, but we've only got ourselves to blame, simple as that. We haven't been clinical enough, we haven't taken chances and that's what happens. I don't think it's a penalty either, by the way. For their penalty, which obviously got them the level. I don't think it's a penalty. Tommy is saying he hasn't caught him, live it felt like he didn't catch him. It felt like he got a toe onto the ball and put it out for a corner. So that is a double frustration, but, you know, ultimately, it's our own fault. It's as simple as that.

DK: Yeah. Overall, though, another good performance, if not the result?

TR: I thought it was a really good performance, but again, like I've just said to the players, you know, obviously you want to perform well. We've spoke about this many times over the years, but you want to perform well, but ultimately, it's about, you know, football's about winning games. But if you're performing well, you hope and you believe that over time you'll get results off the back of that, but we've got to be more clinical, but again, if you're at the game today and looking at it from an honest view, it's a good performance. There's no doubt about it. We moved the ball really well. We created a number of chances. They clearly didn't really know what to do with us at one stage. They didn't know whether to press, whether to sit off. You know, we had them exactly where we wanted them, really, but, you know, like I said, we didn't take advantage of that. At half time, we should have been two or three ahead, and like I've just said to the lads, really, we should be coming in having scored three, four goals at least and being annoyed that that's all we've scored, really, but, yeah, performance was good aside from not being clinical.

DK: I know you just said that even one nil at the break didn't feel like it was a fair enough reflection, but still, it was good that we were in front at the break.

TR: Yeah, of course, and that's what we reiterated to the lads. It was a really good performance first half, but, you know, the warning to the lads was that we hadn't been clinical in that first half and we needed to make sure that we took more responsibility in that final third and made sure that when the chances came that we finished them, because football don't change. You always know when you're on top of the game, you've got to score and you've got to take advantage of that, because you know a team's either going to have a spell, a bad decision or something's going to, you know, a set-piece, something's going to fall for them. You know something could happen. And that's what's happened. Like I said, it's a bad decision from a referee who I thought had a good game, but I don't think it's a penalty. But like I said, we've got ourselves to blame, simple as that.

DK: Other than the performance, did anything else pleased you today?

TR: Oh, look, a big thing for me is, Harborough we definitely didn't start well, did we, but I've reiterated to the lads, I want to be able to play away from home like we play at home. I want us to play how we play. That's our style of football. That's our identity and I want us to do that whether we're at home or away, and I think after Harborough, we've done that. So that is definitely pleasing. Four points from six from two away games, and like I said, Bromsgrove and Barwell were never easy places to go, but it is, you know, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't frustrated that we haven't got six out of those two games. But we haven't. So again, like we've just said to the lads, you know, we can change that. They're on the pitch, we're on the sidelines, we can change that. So it's important now that we go to Royston and prepare properly and look to get a positive result there.

DK: Do you think it could have possibly had an impact, the fact that we're missing a couple of players today?

TR: Yeah, I don't think that's helped. I think, like I said, the performance was good. But then you're looking at the bench and you're thinking, right, positive attacking changes that I can make. You know, and you've got Seth, obviously, as a striker and then outside of that, and that's not a reflection of them. That's not their fault, is it? But if you had Ryan and Reggie on the bench or if they were starting and you had other players on the bench, then obviously that would give you different attacking options to maybe get you over the line. So yeah, I do think this hurts today. But Reggie's on international duty and Ryan wasn't available. So we knew that before the game, but yeah, I definitely think that limited what we could do from the bench today, but again, it goes back to, you know, we should have had enough on the pitch to have been more comfortable than we were, but ultimately, we weren't, and it has, you know, I don't think the two players not being here has cost us today. I think not taking our chances is the thing that's cost us.

DK: Like you said Tuesday, probably a similar style of game to what you could expect from Royston?

TR: Yeah, look, Royston have been in this league a number of years. We've had many, many battles with them. So it'll be tough. I know it will. I think since Chris has been in there, you know, they play more football than maybe previous Royston teams used to do, but it'll be a tough game. Royston, away, is never an easy game. So that'll be a tough game and we'll have to be ready for it. And look, it's down to the lads now to prepare and make sure that we're ready for Tuesday, which obviously we'll try and be.

DK: Is the message from you to be more clinical?

TR: Hundred per cent. It's as simple as that. I think we're already sitting here after six games saying we should be on more points. That's a fact. Well, that's my opinion, definitely, whether other people agree with that or not. But that's my opinion. But we're not. So we can't change that. What we can do now is make sure that going forward and in the future that we are more clinical, but again, it's easier said than done. It just takes, you know, people taking responsibility, choosing the right things to do, and what they'll get from me and the coaching staff is, you know, we'll continue to work on it. We'll continue to be positive around it, because we've got good players, as simple as that. I think we've demonstrated that in our performance. We just need that little final finishing touch, which will get us more points, which hopefully that will happen.

DK: Is it a concern that we haven't quite got as many points as perhaps we should have? Are you still thinking that it's early days and not really concerned about that?

TR: It's early days. I think all managers are always concerned when you're not taking chances or when you're conceding a lot of goals. I think any manager that says they're not is lying, to be quite honest. So I think you're always concerned because I just think naturally as a manager, you're always worrying about what's around the corner and what's over the hill. But I'll go back to, if you're performing well, you hope and believe that things will change. And that's what I believe will happen.

Midfielder Ollie Saunders reflects on the season so far.

DK: A bit of a frustrating one today, really?

OS: Yeah, I mean, first half I thought we started really well. Got on the front foot. Again, though, it was probably we just got to convert our chances a little bit better. We've had two or three really good chances, especially in the first half an hour, where we've got to really start taking them and putting games to bed.

Dak: The positive thing, though, is the performances?

OS: 100%. Like I said, I thought first half we were really good. Again, second half they came out a little bit, but we probably had the better chances. I don't think, from what I remember, Bradders has actually had to make a save, really, other than their goal. So, yeah, performances are positive, but like I said, we've just got to start converting our chances now.

DK: How have you found it at the club after a month or so of competitive action?

OS: Yeah, mate, I love it here. All the boys are great. Management staff are great. The fans are great. Just a really good club to be involved in. So, yeah, I'm really enjoying my time here. So moving on, hopefully more of the same.

DK: Before the start of the season, a lot of you players set the targets high, despite the points not quite being what we feel we deserve to have. Is that still the aspiration?

OS: 100%. Always has been. I think we were saying in there, I don't think you're going to go all season and it's going to carry on the same as this. Performances have been there. It's just obviously converting chances, and I think it will change. It will change definitely at some point. So we've just got to keep believing in ourselves, keep putting in the performances, and I'm sure the goals will come and we'll get the points that we deserve.