LEAGUE LEADERS BEATEN AT BLOOMFIELDS

Needham Market made it 7 games unbeaten with a professional 2-0 win over league leaders Spalding United.

Tom Rothery named an unchanged team from Tuesday's 2-2 draw at Real Bedford.

Needham started brightly, as Myles Cowling (4') was fed free through on the left-hand side by Kyle Hammond, who'd broke through down the left wing smartly, only to be brought down from behind in the area with appeals dismissed strongly by the referee.

Reggie Lambe (6') was fed through down the left wing, in turn sliding Kyle Hammond into space on the edge of the box, whose low shot was fired wide.

James Bradbrook meanwhile recovered well to catch a one v one, ahead of Myles Cowling (11') exploiting space on the left-hand side to curl an excellent strike across goal, but for Dan Wilks to match it, taking a good catch.

Needham remained the better side, Luke Ingram was fed into space following good play from 25-yards, albeit his low driven strike was held by Wilks.

The Marketmen deserved broke the deadlock on 26 minutes, Reggie Lambe looping home following Kyle Hammond's partially cleared free-kick.

James Bradbrook on the other hand (32") was forced into an excellent save to get a strong hand to tip Sani's low curling strike behind at his bottom left-hand corner, while Reggie Lambe (34') broke clear on goal only to see his low shot through a defender's legs towards the gaping bottom far corner cleared virally.

Luke Ingram saw early appeals for a penalty after the break, before the home side went close to a second on 56 minutes.

Kyle Hammond's corner was glanced towards goal by the towering Luke Ingram at the near post, only to be headed away.

Needham did double their advantage just after the hour mark. Luke Ingram (59') saw his initial low ball across the area cleared back to him as the winger excellently Cruyff turn spun past his marker to bare down on goal only to be hauled down.

Ingram cooly stepped up (62') to send Wilks the wrong way to slot home into the bottom right hand corner, for his 10th League goal of the campaign.

Chambers (79') replaced Lambe, as Eddie Barker (82') took Ben Hunter's place.

Ben Fowkes (83') meanwhile fired a low strike straight at Bradbrook, in a rare chance for the visitors, while Joe Neal (85') returned from injury in place of MOTM Ingram.

Jake Dye came close to a third on 89 minutes, sliding in at the far post only to turn the exquisite low ball just wide.

Max Appauh replaced Cowling (90'+3'), and Reserves' captain Kell Fiddly was introduced in place of Kyle Hammond to round off a fantastic team performance from Tom Rothery's side.

Needham host 18th placed St Ives Town on Saturday 14th Of March, going into the game sitting 6th - a point off Redditch United in the final play-off spot.