MARKETMEN RETURN TO THE LEAGUE WITH A BIG WIN

Needham Market returned to winning ways in the Southern League Central Premier Division, after 4 straight cup matches (winning their last outing in the Suffolk Premier Cup), with a 3-0 Victory over Stourbridge.

Needham recorded their second league win in three matches, stretching Stourbridge’s winless run in the league to four matches in the process, as the Glassboys dropped into the bottom 4, while Needham finished the afternoon in 13th.

Seth Chambers (10’) got Needham off to an ideal start, pouncing on the rebound after a low Kyle Hammond shot was saved, before Joe Neal found Myles Cowling (25’) to cooly open his account for the club. Luke Ingram (45’+2’) finished the first half in ruthless fashion, dispatching a penalty after a foul on the winger.

Tom Rothery’s side made two changes to Tuesday’s win over Brantham Athletic, Seth Chambers and Joe Neal returned to the starting eleven in place of Ryan Miles and Jamie McGrath.

Needham worked an early chance within 45 seconds, Jake Dye fed Luke Ingram into space to shoot from 30-yards out, the winger spotted the keeper off his line but wrapped his shot just over the crossbar.

Joe Neal was fed into acres of space down the right-hand side, only for his close range low strike to be tipped wide at the bottom near corner by Price, for the first corner of the game in a bright start from Needham on 4 minutes.

Kyle Hammond’s resulting corner was taken short, with a quick one-two, though his cross-shot went narrowly wide of the far post, while the defender’s 30-yard 7th minute 30-yard free-kick was blocked.

The Marketmen however broke the deadlock on 10 minutes, great play from the Marketmen saw Neal hunt down a long ball down the left wing, expertly cutting inside to feed Hammond free from 35-yards out. The defender took a touch before rifling a low shot at the bottom left-hand corner, which was palmed away as far as the onrushing Seth Chambers to poke home at point blank range!

The goalscorer looked to turn provider on 17 minutes, after skinning his marker down the left wing, the striker sent a great cross in towards Joe Neal, though the ball just evaded the leaping forward from around the penalty spot.

At the other end, Storubridge forced a good low stop from Bradbrook two minutes later. Shay Willock fed Jai Verma running towards goal, whose low strike to the keeper’s left-hand side was beaten behind for a corner, which Needham cleared.

Kyle Hammond looked to thread Chambers through onto the left-hand side on 22 minutes with an excellent defence splitting pass, although a defender got across to concede a throw-in.

The hosts soon doubled their lead following a superb move on 25 minutes. Neal was found on the edge of the area to neatly turn and set Myles Cowling through into the penalty area to cooly find the bottom left-hand corner.

Chambers continued to trouble the visiting defence, breaking onto the left-hand side a minute later, beating the ‘keeper once more but saw his low shot across goal cleared off the line.

Bradbrook smartly read a through-ball into the area to start a quick counter attack in the 29th minute, resulting in Chambers exploiting space on the left-hand side once more, again close to goal, albeit his low shot across goal went just wide of the far post.

Kyle Hammond won a free-kick just over 30-yards from goal on the right wing, playing a quick one-two from it before crossing straight at Price at his near post on 32 minutes.

Storubridge then had a mixture of a free-kick and a few corners within a spell high in the hosts’ half towards the end of the first half, though the Reds added a third in stoppage time.

Luke Ingram surged onto the right-hand into a dangerous area close to goal, prior to being brought down, which the winger duly smashed into the left-hand corner, sending Price the wrong way to finish a clinical first half.

Cowling broke into the visitors’ box inside 20 seconds of the restart, unselfishly opting to find Neal on the right-hand side, but for the flag to go up against the latter.

Joe Neal drove into space onto the left-hand byline on 54 minutes, whose shot went just wide of the bottom far corner, ahead of Luke Ingram seeing a low first time shot from distance held by Price - two minutes later.

Eddie Barker replaced Hunter, after Cowling was tripped in a dangerous area on the left wing just outside the area. Hammond’s resulting set-piece however was beaten away by Price on 59 minutes.

Barker looked to release Chambers clear on goal in the 60th minute, though his exquisite ball round the defence just ran onto goalkeeper Charlie Price.

Ryan Miles was introduced in place of Seth Chambers, with Bradbrook holding onto a ball into his six yard box well on 68 minutes.

Bradbrook then denied a low strike from the left-hand side a minute later, though a free-kick was given for a foul on a Needham defender in the process.

Barker had a 70th minute right-hand byline effort turned behind for a corner, before Reggie Lambe replaced Luke Ingram.

Oliver Shaw (78’) half-volleyed a partially cleared left wing free-kick over and wide of the target, as James Coton made his senior league debut in place of Neal.

Jack Fletcher weaved onto the left-hand edge of the box on 81 minutes, only to see his fierce strike rattle back into play off the crossbar, as Stourbridge looked to break the Needham clean sheet.

Cowling meanwhile fed James Coton onto the right-hand side, whose 85th minute strike was hit off target.

Coton latched onto a great ball over the top two minutes later, as the substitute cleverly fed Eddie Barker into space to see a fierce low strike deflected behind off Jenson Sumnall, just wide of the far post.

Needham’s 3rd League win in 5 matches (2 in their last 3 league outings) puts the Marketmen into good form going into Wednesday's Suffolk derby against Bury Town.

Goalscorer and MOTM Myles Cowling said, “we've had a tough start. Obviously, we've got a couple of games in hand, but we've got to make sure that that counts.

Let's carry that on Wednesday. A tough game Saturday, but let's try and get a run together and sort the season out.”

Asked about scoring his first goal for the club, the attacking midfielder replied, “I think the lads have always been telling me to shoot more. In the second half, I probably should have done it as well, but I'm definitely happy to have scored that goal.”

“I would have loved to get some more goals in the second half, but the clean sheet, that'll do. We've got a busy schedule coming up, so we've just got to stay on top of it. Keep performances up like that and hopefully we'll be all right.”

Looking ahead to Wednesday's clash with Bury, Myles said, "it's a big game. I think we should take that performance into it, take the confidence. We've had two games here now, so it's not easy coming here. Let's keep it a tough place to come for other teams. Just the same as today. Keep it up and hopefully that can carry on now.”

Assistant Manager Nathan Munson reflects on yesterday's win.

“I'm absolutely delighted to get three points at home. We want to make Bloomfield’s a fortress this year.

We did it the year we were promoted. We were very good at home and I think we've had good performances at home but we haven't always got the results. So, it's very pleasing to get a relatively comfortable 3-0 win today at home.”

“It's always nice when you get an early goal. It helps you settle a little bit but I think throughout the course of the first half, we were absolutely excellent. We scored three and we could have had more. We were excellently moving the ball really well. We were landing on things.

We were threatening. We just looked really, really good today and I think after 30-odd minutes or so, they changed their shape to try and match us up, which is a bit of a compliment really because we were really looking very threatening whenever we got the ball.”

“You sort of think when you come in at 3-0 up that you go out and it will carry on in that same vein but football, it never really happens like that. Being involved in the game, it never does. So, I think it was really important to keep a clean sheet because if you keep a clean sheet, you've done the job and you've achieved your objectives. We're getting the three points. We'd have liked more goals. We had more chances actually in the second half but I think it was really important to keep a clean sheet. So, we managed the game to a certain extent in the second half. They made a few changes and we're obviously battling for their lives in the second half as well. So, we're just really pleased to have got the 3-0. Really delighted with the goal, delighted with the clean sheet. From a goalkeeping perspective, clean sheet, but today is one of those days that's all due to the players in front of him because they did their jobs excellently, and if you look now back over the four, I think we've let something near a clean sheet at Chatham, the one at Weston so then two clean sheets. So, three clean sheets out of four is what we want, of course, from the collective unit. It's not only the goalkeepers, the defenders. Defending from the front, that's what Tom, Patch and I reinforced with the lads as a unit. So, it's pleasing to see that that came off today, and we were carrying a real threat throughout the match as well. Really pleasing.”

“Whilst the performances have been good, we haven't got the results to show for that. So, it is important because we've had a bit of a run in the Cup, more so than a number of other teams in our league. So, then we've got games to catch up on. So, you look at the league table, you're a little bit further down. It is important that you get a few points on the board to get yourself back into a position which you think reflects the ability of the squad, which for us is up and around the play-offs, if I'm frank. We've got another big game, of course, Wednesday. I hope there's a big crowd. The form book goes out the window because it's a local derby. So, we look forward to that and we'll do our very best to get another three points.”

When mentioned if the team's recent league form could still be important he said, “Yeah, it doesn't do any harm, does it? To be winning football matches is something that is going to put and instil confidence in the players. If you look at the performances today, I thought Milo was outstanding. I think he got man at the match but he was excellent. The second goal where he finished it off is another fantastic move, team move. I can't wait to see it on video because it was any number of passes and it's probably the third, fourth or maybe fifth time this season we've cut teams to shreds like that. So, that's really pleasing. I thought Seth worked really hard, really pleased with his goal because he is a goal scorer and when the ball is bouncing around or it's in the box, he's there more often than not to tap it in. I thought Joe Neal worked so hard throughout the course of the game and his unselfish work was excellent. Ingers, brilliant to earn the penalty just as he pulled a trigger and put it away. I thought all the front boys were a real threat and the ones that come on as well. So, we go into Wednesday full of confidence but we recognise that will be another really tough match.

On James Coton coming off the bench, after impressing in the Academy, he added, “he was here on Thursday night for the youth game. He scored and looked really comfortable. He was probably a standout performer. We saw a bit of him pre-season. We got him involved then and there's a player there. He's a willing runner. He covers the ground. He's good on the ball. He had a chance, I think second half. We just thought he was about to shoot and the defender got across, did well and it broke to Ed and then it was cleared off the line. So, another opportunity. I'm really pleased for him.

He's a good lad. He wants to work hard. He's got ability.

So, we're certainly monitoring him, trying to integrate him where we can.

Asked what he's like to see on Wednesday, he said, “I think I'd like to see Muzza buy me a pint for a change because it's definitely his turn but I might be waiting a while for that one. Otherwise, I think it's important for us that we put on the sort of performance that we did today. We move the ball that we're threatening and that we're really up for the match and I think if we do all those things, you know, we're obviously hopeful that we'll get points on the board.”