HONOURS EVEN AS NEEDHAM AND SPORTS PLAY OUT A GOALLESS DRAW

Needham Market's ninth clean sheet of the season earns Kevin Horlock's side a home Emirates FA Cup 3rd Qualifying Round replay against Vanarama National League North Division side Peterborough Sports after a 0-0 draw at PIMS Park. 

Horlock's side made 1 change to Tuesday's 6-1 home win over St Ives as Keiran Morphew was unavailable with a sore neck and was replaced by Reece Harris. 

Needham had a good chance early on, with just 16 seconds on the clock when the goalkeeper rushed off his line to gather a through-ball just ahead of Luke Ingram. 

At the other end, Sports had a good chance themselves in the fifth minute, but the low shot from the edge of the box, following a left wing low cross, was hit straight at goalkeeper Marcus Garnham who gathered comfortably. 

A great through-ball then released Jacob Lay surging down the right wing, riding a sliding challenge in the process, as his low ball into the danger area was smacked away by the home defence in the 10th minute. 

Dylan Williams created the next notable chance of the game on 33 minutes, as his clever left wing corner, in search of Luke Ingram, was claimed by the goalkeeper. 

While clear cut chances were few and far between at either end, Dan Morphew leapt highest, unmark to meet a right wing free-kick from distance, at the far post, only to glance his header wide on 39 minutes. 

Dan Lawlor though sidefooted a shot, after being fed into space outside the box, wide of the top near, right-hand, corner a minute later, before Jordan Nicholson was set through down onto the left-hand side of the box only for his shot to be struck straight into Garnham's chest, standing firm at his near post on 45+1 minutes. 

The best chance of the half however arrived on 45+4 minutes, Luke Ingram spotted the goalkeeper off his line before smashing a great long range strike towards goal which clattered just wide off the outside of the far, right-hand, post with last action of the first half. 

The second half was more of the same, with Sports looking to break more so on the counter and the Marketmen enjoying more of the possession. 

A great recovery tackle from Kyle Hammond however denied Nicholson a clear shot on goal inside the box on the hour mark, while ex-Marketman Ben Fowkes saw a low fierce cross, following a driven run onto the left-hand byline, driven across the face of goal but well dealt with by Garnham, down smartly to his right-hand side to beat the cross away on 71 minutes. 

On the other hand, Sports had a great chance on 74 minutes, but were unable to beat Garnham, a right wing cross found Jones unmarked at the back post, whose header at point blank range was well held, comfortably, by Garnham down quickly to his right-hand side. 

Nine minutes later, the hosts were unable to take advantage of their best chance of the afternoon, as a right wing cross again swung to the far post was glanced just wide of the top left-hand corner. 

Needham broke quickly and nearly grabbed the match-winner just moments later as Jacob Lay threaded a brilliant defence splitting pass through to Seth Chambers, who appeared to be in an offside position, who poked home past the onrushing goalkeeper into the bottom right-hand corner. 

Needham then went on to have the better of the chances, with Seth Chambers' smart turn and shot in space, from outside the box, was hit fiercely at goal but straight at the goalkeeper on 90+2 minutes. 

Chambers nearly provided the assist for the winning goal two minutes later, his mazy run down the left wing - after a great low ball fed the influential substitute into space - seeing the forward break onto the left-hand byline close to goal whose cutback passed through the box agonisingly with nobody around to provide a tap in. 

The two sides will meet again on Tuesday night at Bloomfields, with both sides' attention on Monday's Emirates FA Cup 4th Qualifying Round draw on TalkSport2.