MARKETMEN EARN POINT AT TOP OF THE LEAGUE

Needham Market picked up a fully deserved 1-1 draw at league leaders Chester.

Tom Rothery's side were unchanged from Tuesday's home draw with Leamington, though loanees Jake Watkiss (Watford) and Northampton Town's Josh Tomlinson returned to the bench, in place of Ollie Fraser and Keiran Morphew. 

The Seals however took the lead inside four minutes, Declan Weeks' free-kick from the right-hand edge of the box picked out captain Rawlinson at the far post to head it back across goal for debutant O'Kane to tap home. 

Overall, it was a game of two halves with a draw the right result. 

At the other end, Needham grew into the game well a minute later as Ted Collis' header from a right wing free-kick looped just over. 

The home side however found Peers inside the box but skipped as he skewed his shot wide on 7 minutes. 

A big save from MOTM Marcus Garnham thwarted Callum McIntyre's side two minutes later, after Mooney saw a shot blocked, Lambert then latched onto a dangerous cutback only to see his low shot smothered behind excellently by Garnham. 

Needham then drew a good save from home 'keeper Storer in the 11th minute, Luke Ingram latched onto Tommy Smith's pass before wrapping a brilliant defence splitting pass round the right-hand side for Ted Collis' to drive onto, albeit the striker's shot was smothered away by the advancing Storer. 

Kyle Hammond meanwhile volleyed a great powerful cross into the box on 13 minutes, finding Jamie McGrath at the far post whose effort was saved by Storer. 

Two minutes later, Garnham denied the home side again with another great save, after Weeks had been slotted through down the left-hand side the stopper narrowed down the angle expertly to smother the shot behind. 

Rothery's side promptly equalised on 21 minutes, Tevan Allen's left wing corner found Teddy Collis at close range, whose initial near post effort was parried away by Storer, down at his near post, with the striker first to the loose ball to slot his maiden Needham goal into the bottom far corner. 

Tevan Allen was also the provider as Needham went close six minutes later, the midfielder's right wing cross was met by Kyle Hammond in acres of space whose header was straight at Storer.

Great defending from Dan Morphew on 32 minutes saw the stand in captain put his body on the line to block Woodthorpe's shot behind. 

Chester meanwhile hit a low shot straight at Garnham in response, while the hosts hit the woodwork twice within seconds.

Jordan Hunter's shot from the right-hand edge of the box curled back into play off the inside of the top far corner, falling to Woods arriving at close range whose effort went over off the top of the crossbar after 37 minutes.

Garnham advanced off his line to deny a close range shot a minute later, while Teddy Collis thumped a well hit low free-kick from distance towards goal only to be blocked by the wall on 43 minutes. 

Needham started the second half brightly, and were arguably on top, Iffy Allen fired a shot over from the left-hand edge of the box on 50 minutes, while Dan Morphew forced Woods to drill his low shot wide of the bottom far corner four minures later. 

A outstanding match-saving stop from Marcus Garnham prevented a certain goal on 58 minutes, turning Peers' shot from the right-hand side behind for a corner, which was headed just wide at the far post. 

After Garnham then comfortably held onto a low shot on the hour mark, Needham introduced Josh Tomlinson in place of Dan Morphew, before Luke Ingram's right wing cross towards McGrath was caught by Storer inside his six yard box on 69 minutes. 

Seth Chambers and Jake Watkiss replaced St Albans loanee Iffy Allen and goalscorer Teddy Collis, with the latter substitute seeing a left wing cross into the danger area held by Storer, before Chester fired a shot over on 75 minutes. 

Needham went close to taking the lead twice, sixty seconds apart, as Jake Watkiss' exquisite right wing corner found Seth Chambers at the far post, unmarked, whose header went agonisingly over from close range on 77 minutes. 

Ingram meanwhile wrapped a superb right wing cross to McGrath free at the far post whose header back across goal towards Bermuda International Reggie Lambe was claimed by Storer. 

Garnham however held onto a deflected shot well with 11 minutes remaining, before the stopper tipped away a dangerous low right wing cross back across goal ahead of a man arriving for a tap in on 83 minutes. 

Jacob Lay replaced Ingram as the clock ticked down, before Jake Watkiss was cautioned for kicking the ball into the net following an offside flag on the verge of stoppage time. 

Connor Woods almost snatched a late winner at the death for the leaders, but fired just wide.

Needham remain 21st but are 2 points behind 20th placed Oxford, while Chester sit level on points with second placed Brackley Town.

The Marketmen switch focus to their Endeavour Automotive Suffolk Premier Cup defence on Wednesday when they face Felixstowe and Walton United at Ipswich Wanderers in the semi finals (7:45pm). 

Manager Tom Rothery said, "like I said about previously, you know, we can only look at ourselves, so I thought we deserved a point. I'm sure they'll have different thoughts to that. Marco made some really good saves in the first half, but I thought first half we did carry a threat. I thought we started off not great. First 10 minutes we were under massive pressure, but then you've got to respect the fact they're top of the league. They're obviously flying, but yeah, I thought we rode out that first 10 minutes and I think after that, first half, we were in the game, thought we did really well."

"Okay, Marco's made a couple of really good saves, obviously, but their keeper's made a really good save off Teddy. Obviously, we've scored the goal as well. And then second half, just a little tweak at half-time, just thought defensively we were getting caught with a sort of direct pass, so we just narrowed off a little bit as a back four and I thought we nullified that threat. But then it does make it a little bit tougher to then get on the ball, so that kind of meant we carried a little bit less threat, perhaps, in the second half. But I thought we managed the game quite well. I thought we deserved a point, personally."

When asked if he felt it could've been a long day when his side went behind, Tom added, "Yeah, definitely, especially when it comes as early as it did, three, four minutes. I said the other day, Keiran's huge to us. He's just an unbelievable player. He carries so much physical presence, defensively, but also his talk and his leadership from the back. And he is a miss. That's not a slant on anyone else or a negative on anyone else. He's just a massive player for us. But I'm really pleased. Like I said, I thought the little tweak that we made at half-time, just defensively, we looked a lot more solid, I thought, personally. They had a couple of moments, but they were more from longer distance, weren't they? A couple of strikes.

Can't remember too many other than that, sort of long-distance shots and things like that. But yeah, I thought defensively, we did quite well. And like I said, especially when you factor in Kieran not being there.

I thought as a team and the subs coming on as well were important today. Obviously, the forwards worked really hard. You could tell they were really tired towards the end. So, obviously, we made changes to freshen that up, which helped us, obviously. Yeah, Marco was... I never liked goalkeepers being man of the match, if I'm being brutally honest, because it shows they've had a bit too much to do.

But he did make two, three really good saves. So, fair play to him. And it's good to see Marco in that sort of form.

He's had a tough season, like we all have. Do you know what I mean? He's been challenged this season probably more than he has for the last few seasons. He's had more downs than he's had in previous seasons, but he's coming out the other side of that now and he looks somewhere near back to his best, I think."

Ahead of Wednesday's semi-final, the gaffer said, "like I've just said to the lads, obviously, we'll see where we're at injury-wise. There's a couple that can't play because of eligibility. So, we'll see where we're at. But every game we go into, like I said, we want to win. So, that'll be no different. It'll be tough. Felixstowe, they'll be up for it.

Obviously, both teams have got the carrot of a final, obviously. So, it'll be a tough game. We'll pay them respect like we do everyone else. And we'll go as strong as we can, but also manage some of the situations that we've got at the moment with injuries and things like that. Like Keiran, obviously, Keiran won't be risked. He's still not quite right.

Obviously, he wasn't right today. I don't think he'd be right for Wednesday anyway, but we won't risk him anyway. We'll see where he's at for Saturday."

When asked where this result stands in the course of the season, he said, "Like I just said to the lads, really, I've had many ups and downs this season, probably more so than any other season before. But I really felt after Peterborough, it's probably the lowest I've been on New Year's Day. And then the Alfreton game, I saw a shift in us. I saw a real change in us where I felt we looked like we could play at this level. We looked like we understood how to play at this level. And we looked like a step two size, in my opinion, in that Alfreton game, not because of the result. Regardless of the result, I just felt we looked like we'd come of age a little bit, especially against Alfreton because of the way they play and the way they bullied us on the bank holiday. So yeah, it's a good point. You come away top of the league and get a point, it's always going to be a good point. So I just think hopefully it's another level of belief that it'll give the players that they can play at this level and they want to play at this level, more importantly. I think that is clear now. Whereas maybe at times during the season, maybe there has been questions as to, do we want to do this level? Do we want to do the travel and everything that comes with it? But I want to stay at this level, there's no doubt about it, and I'm sure the players do."

Goalscorer Teddy Collis said, "Yeah, buzzing. I mean, coming here in the first place, always a tough place to come, obviously in the top of the league for a reason, but the boys inside the dressing room, we all believe in ourselves to get something here and that's what we did. 

"I always try and find myself in between the defenders all the time, try and make it hard for them, which I did today. First one got parried, good save and yeah, I was there to mop up the second. I always back myself ability-wise and I know I can play at the highest level, it's just about proving it and coming here is a great step for me at this moment in time and I think I've shown that over the course of the last three games. I mean South Shields, everyone sees the footage, miles on side. I should have had it on my debut, but it is what it is. I know it will come again and it came today."