Needham Market maintain their 8 point lead at the top of the Southern League Central Premier Division after a 3-0 comfortable win over 19th placed AFC Sudbury.
Kevin Horlock's side were unchanged from Good Friday's 2-0 win over Hitchin, with the only addition to the squad seeing Harrison Podd on the bench.
The Marketmen now need 5 points to clinch the league title from their remaining four matches, after a professional performance against their Suffolk rivals.
Needham started brightly, as Tevan Allen curled a great left wing cross-shot just wide of the top far corner after 4 minutes, before ex-Needham striker Joe Neal saw a shot from inside the box deflected behind defiantly by Dan Morphew two minutes later.
Adam Mills then saw his cross-shot swatted over for a corner by ex-Needham keeper James Bradbrook in the 8th minute, while the hosts found Jamie McGrath inside the box whose shot on the turn was well held by Bradbrook at his near, left-hand post on 9 minutes.
Having struck the only goal in the reverse fixture on New Year's Day for Sudbury, Adam Mills practically scored at the same time for Needham this time round to cap off a great move from Horlock's side. Tommy Smith wrapped an audacious left wing cross into the winger who stuck out a leg to stab it home, despite a hand from Bradbrook, into the bottom far corner for his second goal in as many games, 1-0 Needham after 13 minutes.
Needham had a great chance to quickly double their lead three minutes later, Luke Ingram was threaded driving through into space onto the right-hand side of the box but lasered his shot wide from a tight angle.
At the other end, Josh Allen saw a deflected strike well held by Marcus Garnham at his top right-hand near corner on 23 minutes, followed by a low Sudbury shot from the left-hand edge of the box was again well held by Garnham at his bottom near corner three minutes later.
The Marketmen meanwhile doubled their lead right on the stroke of half-time, great play saw Luke Ingram drive through into space before thumping an 18-yard fierce shot towards the near, left-hand corner, the forward's effort though was swatted onto the face of the crossbar by a good stop from Bradbrook, only for the rebound to fall for super sub Seth Chambers to race onto the rebound on an awkward half volley to smash home into the bottom near corner, from a tight angle from 6-yards out for his tenth league goal of the season, 2-0 Needham after 45'+3' minutes.
Needham continued to search for more goals in the second half, Jacob Lay was fed into space just inside the left-hand side of the box whose curled shot was fired straight into Bradbrook's chest at his near post on 49 minutes.
At the other end, Marcus Garnham was on hand to excellently beat away Ben Hunter's fierce low strike from distance, down well at his bottom right-hand corner on 53 minutes, while Luke Ingram's left wing cross three minutes later just evading a leaping red shirt in the centre. Jacob Lay then whipped the rebound back in from the far side, whose cross was tipped away by Bradbrook off his line.
Sudbury's Oluwatimilehin however smashed a shot comfortably over Garnham's crossbar on 61 minutes, before Page saw a shot from the left-hand edge of the box palmed away by Garnham, launching himself high up to his left-hand side two minutes later.
Needham though wrapped up the three important points on 70 minutes, Tevan Allen's cutback found Dylan Williams in space on the edge of the box to rasp a brilliant thunderous half-volley arrowing into the bottom left-hand corner, 3-0.
Jacob Lay then tested Bradbrook with a curling shot, which the keeper beat away well, across to his far right-hand side two minutes later, while Garnham was on hand to beat behind a low shot at his bottom left-hand corner with 79 minutes played.
Substitute Ollie Fraser then tried his luck at goal on 85 minutes, but fired his shot over the crossbar.
Needham host Royston Town on Saturday (3pm), looking to get a step closer to sealing the league title.
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