Needham Market's second home league game in the Vanarama National League North ended in a harsh, narrow, 1-0 defeat to last season's runners up in Scunthorpe United.
The Iron came into Tuesday's clash having won both league games 3-0, but found the Marketmen tough to break down, with chances for the visitors few and far between.
Kevin Horlock's Reds however looked dangerous when able to break, and were unfortunate not to make their chances count, and get what would've been a deserved draw, with Seth Chambers making his first step 2 start, as Jacob Lay also returned to the starting eleven while Jamie McGrath and Adam Mills dropped to the bench.
The visitors had the first chance after 2 minutes, Alfie Beestin's shot though was beaten behind well by Marcus Garnham, down at his bottom near, left-hand, corner.
Michael Kelly then saw a shot fly over the crossbar a minute later, before Jacob Lay weaves into space on the left-hand edge of the box, but saw his fierce shot well held by Scott Fitzsimons in the fifth minute.
Garnham was then on hand to catch a far post header, across goal from a right wing long throw, which was on target on 11 minutes, before great defending from Needham forced Kian Scales' cross-shot from the left-hand edge of the box to dip comfortably into Garnham's gloves at the far post two minutes later.
Great play from the Suffolk side then saw Hammond win back possession inside the Iron's half, the midfielder threaded Jacob Lay through on goal with the ball falling to Ben Hunter, he found Tommy Smith whose audacious cross in just evaded Seth Chambers.
Danny Whitehall's 30-yard free-kick then clattered back in dangerously off the underside of Garnham's crossbar, with the rebound ricoshading behind off the goalkeeper on 17 minutes.
Garnham meanwhile was alert to beat away a dangerous right wing long throw into the danger area on 23 minutes, while Maxim Kouogun looped a header over from another long throw in a minute later.
Kouogun was then booked for a foul on Chambers, on the left-hand edge of his box, which was almost punished by Kyle Hammond, fresh from his goal from a similar position on Saturday. This time though his shot dipped agonisingly just wide of the bottom far corner.
Needham remained to hold their own, looking dangerous when they had possession, but couldn't quite find the back of the net, although great play from the hosts saw them go close on 31 minutes. Garnham held onto a header from outside the box, finding Luke Ingram whose flick on released Chambers through onto the right-hand side of the box. The forward tried his luck at goal but saw Andrew Boyce deflect it behind for a corner.
On the balance of chances, the game continues to be fairly even, and entertaining for all in attendance - or watching on NLTV - with Brogan driving into a bit of space onto the right-hand edge of the box - but for great positioning from Garnham to dive down, at his near post, and hold onto the shot on 40 minutes.
Great play saw Ingram threaded into space on the right-hand side of the box whose dangerous shot-cross drilled across goal just evaded Chambers at the back post a minute later.
Brogan though volleyed over from the edge of the box just on 44 minutes, while the away side saw a shot deflected just wide of the bottom left-hand corner by a Needham defender in the 1st minute of stoppage time.
The second minute saw Chambers look to thread Allen clear on goal, but the ball over ran through to Fitzsimons, as both sides went in deservedly level at the break.
After the restart, Scunthorpe saw a cross well held by Garnham down low at his near, right-hand, post in the 50th minute, while Whitehall received possession inside the box but was prevented a shot by a brilliant tackle from Jake Dye to concede the corner two minutes later.
The Needham defence remained resilient, Tommy Smith slid in brilliantly inside the box to prevent a close range shot at goal in 58 minutes, before the Needham left-back won a crucial header close to his own far post three minutes later.
Andrew Boyce then became the second Scunthorpe man to be booked for a foul on Chambers on 65 minutes, while Brogan's ferocious 25-yard shot, out on the left-hand side, beaten away by Garnham - standing firm on 69 minutes.
Dan Morphew was then cautioned for Needham for a foul soon after, before a great counter attack from the Marketmen forced a great save from Fitzsimons on 72 minutes.
Jacob Lay flicked his header from a Needham clearance past his defender before racing through the opponent's half. The winger threaded Adam Mills, fresh off the bench in place of Seth Chambers, whose first involvement was to rifle a shot towards the bottom near corner - from the left-hand side of the box - which Fitzsimons reacted quickly to tip it behind after 72 minutes.
Needham continued to push for the breakthrough, four minutes later, great play sparked another effective counter-attack, as Jake Dye found Adam Mills, the substitute then released Ingram racing upfield, the winger advanced into the box but saw his shot held by the keeper at head height.
Scunthorpe though rattled the woodwork on 77 minutes, Whitehall's ferocious strike thundering back in off the inside base of the bottom left-hand post.
Jamie McGrath then tested Fitzsimons with a great strike on 80 minutes, clever team play saw Hunter feed Jacob Lay, the forward then drove into space, feeding the substitute - on in place of Kyle Hammond - inside the box down the right-hand side, whose shot was turned behind for a corner, as Harley Curtis replaced Luke Ingram.
The action intensified late on as Marcus Garnham thwarted Scunthorpe brilliantly a minute later, pushing out a dangerous low strike down to his left-hand side.
Tevan Allen however was adjudged to have brought down his man inside his own box, as Scunthorpe struck the sucker punch from the penalty spot on 83 minutes. Whitehall stepped up to send Garnham the wrong way, finding the bottom left-hand corner.
At the other end, Needham looked to earn a draw as Kouogun almost headed an audacious left wing corner into his own top far corner, albeit Fitzsimons was there to catch and spare his blushes on 86 minutes.
With 925 packed round the Ecologic Stadium, Needham had the remainder of the chances.
Ben Hunter's right wing cross found Jacob Lay at the far post whose header towards the bottom right-hand corner was comfortably held by Fitzsimons in the first of six added minutes, prior to Jamie McGrath being fed through cleverly onto the right-hand side, whose shot was critically diverted just wide for a Needham corner midwau through stoppage time.
Needham then thought they had the moment they carved in the 95th minute, Tevan Allen's audacious right wing corner was glanced agonisingly over off the top off the crossbar by the unmarked Mills at the near post.
Allen then found Jake Dye with another great corner, but the latter's header looped over.
Match sponsor Keith Nunn selected captain Keiran Morphew as Needham's Man Of The Match, with the Reds moving onto Saturday's trip to Radcliffe (3pm).
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