A young Needham Market side, made up mostly of the club's Reserve team, scored a deserved late equaliser to send the Suffolk Champions Charity Cup game to penalties, before goalkeeper Danny Cullum became the hero to win it for James Mant's side.
Adam Mills, Patrick Brothers and Ollie Fraser picked up important minutes ahead of tonight's (Wednesday's) pre-season clash at Mildenhall Townfor Kevin Horlock's team with the home side starting brightly.
Mant rotated his squad slightly from Saturday's Thurlow Nunn Eastern Counties League First Division North opener, while it was Trimley that had the first shot of any note in the fifth minute.
Good defending from Bailey Burrowes though blocked it behind the bottom near corner, before Shane Murphy hit a ferocious shot wide from the resulting corner.
Murphy then gave the visitors the lead on the 9th minute, firing a low shot from distance which Cullum pushed onto the inside of the post but couldn't quite prevent from going over the line.
At the other end, Adam Mills dispossessed a defender on the left wing midway through Trimley's half, with the winger's great dipping cross in towards Evan Gledhill was punched away by goalkeeper Ben Punter after 12 minutes.
Great play from the Marketmen forced a good piece of goalkeeping from Punter four minutes later, Burrowes leapt well to win a great header from a Trimley throw to find Gledhill, the forward then set Ollie Fraser through onto the right wing, whose audacious cross low into the six yard box was well held by the diving keeper.
Mant's side however, arguably deservedly, got back on level terms in the 20th minute with a well worked goal. Oliver Reynolds played a quick one-two with Ollie Fraser before the defender then fed Josh Evans, the latter than spun smartly before driving into space to then thread Fraser through, down the left-hand side, for the winger to cooly find the bottom far corner.
Two minutes later, a good through-ball almost threaded Bailey Burrowes through onto the right-hand side of the box but for the goalkeeper to rush off his line and gather the ball.
Another well worked goal soon saw Needham take the lead on 25 minutes, this time Fraser was the creator - breaking through onto left-hand side of the box before rounding the onrushing keeper and squaring the ball on a plate to Evan Gledhill to tap home, into an empty net from 3-yards out.
Burrowes meanwhile played a great one-two with Fraser to break through down the right wing, but saw his dangerous cross-shot go just wide of the top far corner on 28 minutes, before Adam Mills fired a 30-yard free-kick over the bar 3 minutes later.
Trimley though created a great chance on 33 minutes, a right wing cross round Murphy free at point blank range, but headed over at the near post.
Needham then won a corner out on the right wing, with Mills' set-piece finding Ollie Fenn towering highest at the far post to head it into the six yard box, but Punter was there to claim possession on 35 minutes.
Three minutes later the lower league side ensured both teams would go into the interval on level terms, Ryan Chidlow was fed free into the right-hand side of the box to slot home into the bottom far corner.
A great tackle from Oliver Reynolds then halted Trimley from creating a shot at goal in 41 minutes, before Evan Bolt curled a free-kick wide of the top left-hand corner.
Two minutes later, Cullum was forced into a comfortable save as the half drew to a close, Murphy received possession back on the edge of the box before shooting low and straight at Cullum.
After the restart, Needham arguably still had the better of the possession and had the majority of the chances in the second half.
Patrick Brothers' sumptuous left wing low cross round the defence just required a touch towards goal inside the six yard box, but a defender got there first to clear on 55 minutes.
Burrowes then won possession smartly following a long ball from the hosts, finding Mills in the process, who in turn fed Josh Evans to fire a shot wide of the bottom far corner a minute later.
Mills tried his luck at goal with a thunderous strike seconds later, but saw his strike go agonisingly just over the top left-hand corner, while great defensive work and driving run from Ollie Fraser created a good chance for Needham on 59 minutes.
The winger drove into space into the visitors' half before picking out Mills with a brilliant cross-field ball, the former ran across to receive the ball back to find Kellen Fiddy on the edge of the box, whose low shot was straight into Punter's chest.
Fraser meanwhile went on a mazy run on 66 minutes down the right-hand side, beating the defender to chip and audacious cross into the box - which was headed back to him - with his follow up powerful strike deflected just over onto the roof of the net for a corner.
Trimley then forced a good catch from Cullum off his line with a shot outside the box on 68 minutes, while the visitors went in front against the run of play on 73 minutes. Murphy broke through down the right-hand side before beating Cullum to smash home into the roof of the net.
Substitute Olly Bowman though ensured the game would go to a penalty shootout, a long ball released the forward one-on-one with the onrushing Punter, who beat the keeper to it before taping into an empty net, making it 3-3 on 84 minutes.
Great defending from Reynolds kept the scores level in the 89th minute, blocking two dangerous shots in succession while the third effort went over the crossbar.
With that the tie went to penalties, with the Reds taking first in front of the Dillon Lockwood Stand.
An dramatic penalty shootout followed, with Josh Evans sending Punter the wrong way to confidently find the bottom right-hand corner, while Ryan Chidlow equalised, sending Cullum the wrong way, chipping into the top right-hand corner.
Captain Ollie Fenn stepped up next for Needham, ferociously finding the bottom left-hand corner, despite a finger tip from Punter, while Adam Hart blasted his spot-kick into the top left-hand corner, 2-2.
James Coton oozed confidence with Needham's third penalty, sending the keeper the wrong way to find the bottom left-hand corner, before Ross Driver kept things level with a great penalty into the middle right-hand corner, despite a hand to it from Cullum.
Brad Smith then fired a brilliant penalty into the bottom left-hand corner, followed by Dom Arnold curling a great spot-kick of his own into the top left-hand corner, 4-4.
Flynn Bobby however saw his low penalty beaten away by Punter, down to his right, though Murphy was denied by a brilliant diving save from Cullum to divert the ball behind.
Cullum followed that up by scoring what proved to be the winning penalty, sending Punter the wrong way to slot home into the bottom left-hand corner, with Couto curling his penalty towards the top right-hand corner, but saw his effort crash out off the crossbar.
An entertaining night, with important funds raised for the British Heart Foundation, drew to a close with Mant's side back in home league action on Saturday against Swaffham (3pm).
Comments