Needham Market begin their quest for a third consecutive Suffolk Premier Cup triumph with a comfortable 5-0 win over Isthmian League North Division side Felixstowe + Walton United at Bloomfields.
Kevin Horlock made 3 changes from Saturday's home defeat to Ilkeston Town as Christian Frimpong, Jacob Lay and Ross Crane (away) were replaced by Hugh Cullum, Jamie McGrath and Patrick Brothers.
The higher league Southern League Central Premier hosts started brightly and created the first chance after just 3 minutes. Kyle Hammond was threaded through dangerously down the right-hand side of the penalty area only for the defender's low brilliant cross into the six yard box to be cleared away by Joe Whight.
The game started in an end to end fashion with Harry Blackburn's right wing cross-shot well claimed by Marcus Garnham guarding his top near corner.
Needham then broke up the other end as Patrick Brothers' left wing low cross into the box found Jamie McGrath, although the forward couldn't quite take the ball under control.
Luke Brown meanwhile worked space to shoot from 30-yards out but for his low fierce strike to be deflected narrowly wide of the bottom far right-hand corner for a Needham corner. The resulting corner a minute later then saw Noah Collard's shot blocked, while Patrick Brothers also saw a low fierce effort well blocked.
While Felixstowe saw a dangerous low ball flashed across the face of goal go untouched, Needham broke the deadlock from the resulting counter-attack after 15 minutes. Luke Ingram, who notched a brace in his side's 2-0 win over AFC Rushden + Diamonds at home last Tuesday, opened his side's account in this season's County Cup, ghosting in from 3-yards out to stab home Patrick Brothers' brilliant low cross in on a plate at the near left-hand post, 1-0 Needham.
Felixstowe however fired a great strike just wide of the bottom far corner, from the right-hand edge of the box on 28 minutes, before the Ingram doubled his and the Marketmen's tally for the night sixty seconds later.
A brilliant long ball from Tom Fitzgerald threaded the forward one on one, drawing Robinson off his line, where the forward expertly chipped the goalkeeper from 20-yards out, with time almost standing still as the ball bounced down and up into the far left-hand corner, 2-0 Needham.
Noah Collard then emulated Ingram's second goal on 39 minutes, albeit denied by the offside flag. Luke Brown threaded the midfielder through with a brilliant through-ball which saw the midfielder delicately chip Robinson from 35-yards.
Needham though were awarded a penalty on 41 minutes, which saw Ollie Canfer booked in the process. Up-stepped Ingram, who completed his hat-trick by emphatically placing his spot-kick perfectly into the bottom right-hand corner despite Robinson getting a hand to it, 3-0 Needham after 42 minutes.
Needham continued to be ruthless after the restart, Dylan Williams fed Patrick Brothers into space, the midfielder unselfishly threaded Luke Brown into acres of space down the right-hand side of the box whose deflected shot was beaten behind by Robinson at his near post on 50 minutes.
The striker went close to making it 4-0 just 4 minutes later, Brown was threaded through by a brilliant defence splitting pass only to see his close range strike well smothered just over the bar by the onrushing 'keeper.
Dylan Williams then made the night even better from the hosts' perspective, notching his maiden Needham goal in style on 64 minutes. The midfielder curled an absolutely audacious 30-yard free-kick well out off reach of Robinson and into the top near left-hand corner, 4-0 Needham.
While Jake Dye's great low ball across the face of goal was well held by the diving Robinson on 72 minutes, the hosts nearly added to their lead further five minutes later. Brown cleverly threaded Noah Collard throughk down the right-hand side of the box, with a brilliant through-ball on the spin, although the midfielder's shot went agonisingly just the other side of the bottom far corner.
Needham though rounded off the scoring on 88 minutes, Collard threaded Seth Chambers through one on one down the right-hand side of the box, although his first low shot was well smothered by Robinson, off his line well down to his right, the forward buried home the rebound into the bottom right-hand corner, 5-0 Needham.
The Needham substitute almost notched a quick brace in the fourth and final minute of stoppage time. Brown found the forward, after exploiting space down the right-hand side, with a great ball into the near post, although Chambers' bullet header downwards was brilliantly smothered by the diving shot-stopper.
A terrific win for Needham, who will look to end their wait for a second win on the road this season when they travel to another team towards the bottom of the table in Bedford Town on Saturday.
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