Needham Market register their first point in the Vanarama National League North with a well deserved 1-1 draw on the road to fellow newly promoted side Radcliffe.
The Marketmen were without the injured Luke Ingram and Kyle Hammond, as Adam Mills and Jamie McGrath returned to the starting eleven. Jayden Ashbourne was unavailable, while Ollie Fraser returned to the bench, alongside new loan signing Josh Tomlinson.
In truth it was a very even affair, with not much separating the two sides.
The Marketmen started brightly as Tevan Allen's left wing corner was swung in dangerously towards Seth Chambers but was cleared by a defender in the fifth minute.
A minute later, Hancock saw a shot at point blank range deflected behind for a corner while great defending from Dan Morphew prevented the hosts a clear shot at goal in the tenth minute.
Tommy Smith then put in a great challenge to prevent a cross into the box, at the expense of a corner, before Hancock was fed into the box to curl a shot towards the bottom right-hand corner, albeit denied by a brilliant block from Jacob Lay in the 19 minute.
Radcliffe captain Jordan Hulme was then cautioned 3 minutes later for a foul on Jake Dye, while great play from Needham saw Jacob Lay find Seth Chambers on the edge of the box, whose smart low shot on the turn was hit straight at Mateusz Hewelt after 24 minutes.
Adam Mills then saw a sumptuous right wing cross deflected away from Allen for a Needham corner, with the latter's resulting corner dropped by the keeper with Dan Morphew behind him beaten to finding the loose ball by a defender, denying an open goal.
Mills picked up the loose ball on the left-hand edge of the box, but saw his low ferocious shot blocked.
The game continued to be an end to end even affair, with Hancock booked for throwing the ball away in the 31st minute.
Radcliffe then had a good chance a minute later, Hulme was fed into space on the left-hand edge of the box, though his shot on the turn went just wide of the bottom far corner.
Dudley then saw a shot outside the box tipped over brilliantly by Marcus Garnham in the 36 minute,
A minute later, Jude Oyibo saw saw a fierce shot from the edge of the box well blocked, before the visitors went close again in the 38th minute.
Jamie McGrath was fed into space to shoot outside the box, whose audacious curled shot went agonisingly just wide of the bottom right-hand corner.
Radcliffe then saw a cross-shot from inside the box well held by Garnham, above his head height on 40 minutes, while Brad Roscoe was the third Radcliffe booked for a dangerous foul on Jacob Lay. Advantage was played however, as Seth Chambers breaks through in space but the eventual challenge from a defender was deemed to be fair.
Radcliffe then saw a cross into the box from the right-hand byline cleared superbly by the well placed Keiran Morphew, four minutes after the restart.
The game continued to be an even affair, with a point apiece a fair reflection, although the Marketmen had enough chances to potentially find a winner.
Great play from the Marketmen saw McGrath feed Chambers, the forward in turn found Jacob Lay, making his 100th Needham appearance, as Ben Hunter tried his luck at goal but fired over the crossbar.
The midfielder then turned provider in the 54th minute, Hunter kept possession well before feeding Adam Mills into space on the left-hand edge of the box whose low driven shot was well blocked.
The home side though broke the deadlock 3 minutes later, a right wing cross found Josh Hancock at the near post to head home into the top near corner.
The Marketmen looked to respond instantly, drawing a great save out of the home goalkeeper, McGrath was fed into space onto the right-hand side of the box before seeing his low shot across goal palmed out by the keeper, in the path of Chambers, although a well placed defender prevented a shot at the vacant net by putting the ball behind for a corner.
Allen meanwhile saw a shot deflected narrowly wide of the bottom near, left-hand, corner a minute later, before a low Needham shot was hit straight at the keeper on the hour mark.
Oyibo then broke through down the left-hand side of the box, but saw his ferocious shot towards the top corner tipped away brilliantly by Garnham on 65 minutes.
Needham then made a double change as McGrath and Lay made way for Dylan Williams and Harley Curtis, while the Marketmen netted a deserved equaliser five minutes later.
Adam Mills' exquisite left wing cross picked out summer signing Ben Hunter, arriving in acres of space at the back post, who finished smartly at point blank range for his first Needham goal.
Chances continued to arrive at both ends with Keiran Morphew well placed to head a shot, from the left-hand edge of the box, behind the near post on 77 minutes, while Ollie Fraser replaced Tevan Allen for Kevin Horlock's side.
Substitute Dylan Williams almost found Chambers with a brilliant right wing free-kick, but for a defender to get in first and concede a corner.
The midfielder then slid in cleverly to block Sargent's shot, while Navarro's shot from the left-hand side went just wide of the bottom far corner in the 81st minute.
Williams however floated a dangerous left wing cross just wide of the far post on 87 minutes, before Fraser found Chambers inside the box, albeit the striker just couldn't quite get his shot off at close range.
Needham then had the remaining 3 notable chances, after Fraser was fed into space onto the right-hand side of the box, the winger drew a good save out of the 'keeper, down low at his near post on 89 minutes.
Needham Man Of The Match, Jake Dye meanwhile looked to pick out Fraser inside the six yard box - with an audacious cross - but again was turned behind by a defender deep into stoppage time, before Adam Mills wrapped a direct right wing corner just wide of the top far corner.
The Marketmen will look to build on today's point when they welcome Alfreton Town on Monday (3pm).
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