MARKETMEN RUN RIOT

Needham Market extended their unbeaten run to 5 games with a 6-1 victory at home to struggling Royston Town.

Tom Rothery made 1 change to Saturday's 2-2 draw at St Ives, as captain Keiran Morphew returned from illness, with Ollie Saunders dropping to the bench. James Coton and Ryan Miles also returned to the bench, as Brad Smith dropped out.

Three goals in each half for the Marketmen and a 22nd minute red card for Royston keeper Louis Chadwick made it 6 home league wins from 9 this season, the current best record in the division.

Kyle Hammond opened the scoring prior to Seth Chambers being clattered out by Chadwick in the area, which Luke Ingram dispatched from the spot.

Joe Neal rounded off the first half scoring, while Max Appauh and Ollie Saunders hit their first goals for the club in between a second for Neal - who joined Ingram on 7 league goals for the campaign.

The Marketmen started brightly, Joe Neal drove forward in the second minute to thread Myles Cowling free in the area, whose neat turn to shoot was deflected behind for the first corner of the night.

The hosts continued to start on the front foot (6'), Myles Cowling threaded Jake Dye down the right wing whose second ball into the box - after the first was cleared - found Luke Ingram at close range at the back post whose low strike was well smothered away by a great save from Louis Chadwick.

Kyle Hammond (9') saw his right wing free-kick into a good area punched clear by Chadwick, while Keiran Morphew released Ingram clear down the right wing a minute later whose dipping cross-shot was well held by Chadwick on his line.

Loud appeals for a penalty (11') after Seth Chambers appeared to be held back were dismissed by the referee, before Hammond (14') floated a long range left wing free-kick just passed the far post.

Dye (16') had a cross-shot comfortably held by the keeper, though Needham broke the deadlock on 21 minutes.

A thunderbolt from Kyle Hammond on the left-hand edge of the box arrowed into the bottom far corner.

Straight after, Needham were awarded a penalty (22') as Chambers burst through clear on the left, prompting Chadwick to steam out, go to ground and take out the striker - receiving a red card.

Despite a delay, Ingram (26') ruthlessly sent Archie Locke the wrong way, smashing home into the bottom left-hand corner.

Joe Neal (32') was fed free on the right-hand edge of the box to fire smartly towards the bottom far corner but for a good save from Locke to hold onto it.

Kash Odiase (36') saw a shot from distance deflected behind for a corner to the Crows, as Needham went close to a third on 38 minutes.

The ball fell to Ingram, who spotted Locke off his line, only for his brilliant lobbed 40-yard effort to go just wide of the far post.

Joe Neal (40') got in on the act, finishing off a sublime move. Hammond's left wing free-kick was teed back across to the unmarked striker to simply slot home into the bottom left-hand corner from close range.

Royston though grabbed a goal back (42') before the interval, as Will St Clair-Burton's right wing effort looped over Bradbrook into the far corner to make it 3-1.

Ollie Saunders replaced Dan Morphew at the break, with Ryan Miles and Max Appauh replacing Ingram and Chambers after an uneventful opening 8 minutes to the second half.

Eddie Barker was introduced for Hunter, though Appauh (58') saw a left wing effort deflected just over off the crossbar.

Hammond (59') meanwhile flashed the resulting set-piece invitingly across the face of goal but no Red shirts could capitalise.

Great football (67') from Needham however prompted a good stop from Locke, an exquisite cross-field ball from Smith picked out Miles to weave onto the edge of the box before seeing his low driven strike beaten away.

Miles (69') raced onto the right-hand byline only to see his low squared ball towards Neal blocked behind, ahead of Neal appearing to be synched down in the box a minute later but the referee was uninterested.

Max Appauh then netted his first Needham goal on 72 minutes, after Locke was caught off his line the resulting left wing cross was brilliantly headed over by a recovering defender (71'), which the winger looped home.

MOTM, chosen by Match Sponsors H20 Plumbing, Joe Neal (72') added a fifth and his second, Appauh turned provider, breaking down the left wing to square it across to the forward for a simple tap in.

Myles Cowling made way for James Coton, as Kyle Hammond was found open on the right-hand edge of the box in the 76th minute but saw his fierce low strike across goal held by Locke.

James Coton (80') found space on the right-hand side to cut a great ball across which Neal stabbed towards goal, albeit comfortably gathered by Locke.

The Marketmen remained relentless in the final 20 minutes, adding a sixth on 84 minutes, Ollie Saunders got in on the act, exploiting space on the right-hand edge of the box to rocket home into the top far corner. 

James Bradbrook (90') was required to tip over a looping strike, while Appauh's low strike from the left-hand side was tipped wide by Locke on 93 minutes.

Assistant Manager Nathan Munson said, "a satisfying win to get the three points is very pleasing. It's good for the goal difference as well to get six at home. I think we've been threatening that for a few weeks and so very pleasing to get that number of goals. I thought we started well. We've started well over the last few weeks and we always demand that off of the players. We thought that we did that today well again and eventually we got the reward with Hammo, a great strike and then the incident that undoubtedly does impact the game, the second (goal), the penalty which Luke has dispatched. It's strange really because the complexion completely changes and actually Royston for a period of time probably had their best spell. We were playing better against 11 than we were against 10 for a period of time and that's sometimes how it goes until we got the third and then the second half we just had to run their legs really. They kept going but I think that's what quality showed. They had a spell where they sort of matched us a bit. We weren't able to play as free-flowing as we wanted to. We got caught in a little bit of a battle which we said at half-time we wanted to avoid and they gave it a real go because at that stage if they'd have got a second then they'd have been really up for it and might have been able to get something from the game, but we made a couple of tactical changes. Tom called it right. One or two subs just sort of opened the game up a bit for us again and then when we got the fourth, and really pleased for Max because I thought when he'd come on down that left side he was a real threat, and he just sort of swung it firmly back in our favour again and so really pleased for him to get the fourth and we were able to make one or two changes and give some of the other lads a few minutes and that worked for us when we got the fifth and Ollie with a great strike for the sixth."

Asked if a lot of those goals will likely make the goal of the season contenders list, Munson thought, "we've scored a number already haven't we that you think will be up there, whether they're team goals where we've passed any amount of times to create an opportunity. We've had a few of those already. We've had Dan's from long range. Ollie's was good today. So we have scored some really attractive goals in different ways so that's pleasing but at the same time Tom and I would be really happy with a deflected one off somebody's shin that goes and rolls in the back post. I don't think we've probably had enough of those yet this season so maybe we get one as a winner Saturday."

On remaining focused, but now being in play-off places, Munson added, "I think we look at what we've got in the dressing room and we think we've got some good quality players in there. We think we've got some experience in there and we'll be all the better for last season as well.

So we know what we've got and we just want to keep turning up and performing to the best of our abilities and we want them to work hard and that's the ethos and the standards that we expect from the lads. Now where that takes us, it depends a little bit on the other teams we'll have to see but we think we've got a bit of the dressing room and we've now started to put together a run of performances particularly at home where you know what you're going to get out of us. I think at the start of the season it was a little bit hit and miss, you weren't really sure we'd win one, we'd lose one but now it looks like we've got into our groove a little bit more and at home we've been quite good. So we need to continue to do that, we need to continue to pick up points away from home and if we keep performing to our levels we won't be far away.

On the illness in the camp last week, "we recovered well. I think Saturday was probably a better point than a lot of people realise. I know it's odd to say that when you're winning in the 90th minute and you give a penalty away and you feel disappointed but you know with several players that had been ill all week, were really struggling so putting that performance Saturday was a really strong effort and then today we've still got one or two that aren't 100% but you know they're coughing and spluttering but they come on and they wanted to work hard for the team which is what they did so we'll have a light session Thursday and hopefully we've got no knocks and we're over the sickness and we'll have a full squad available for the match on Saturday at Spalding. They've started really well, they're a good side, I know a number of their players are experienced at this level, good at strong, I know they've played a number of games away at the start of the season, did well there and now they've started to get a bit of running games at home and doing well. It'll be really, really difficult so we've got to turn up, we've got to want to work hard for the points, I think it'll be a really exciting game."

MOTM and double goalscorer Joe Neal said, "it's nice to be scoring a few. Obviously, before them, I've only had four, which isn't quite as many as I would have liked, but yeah, those three in the last two put me up to seven all in the league. So yeah, I'm happy with that now."

On being level with Ingram as our league top scorer, "Obviously, the more goals we score as a team gives us better chances of winning games, which is all that matters really. There's that end goal of wanting to finish top scorer, and I'm sure Luke's the same. So like you say, it's a good little battle, but as long as the team's winning, that's all that matters. I think Saturday's was a good finish from across that I haven't maybe had enough of. Like I say, tonight, another one from a knockback from Dan and then another little tap-in at the end. So goals are goals. I'm happy with however they come, as long as they keep coming and help the team. Last week was tough, obviously, as Tom mentioned. After Saturday, we weren't able to train. I think winning tonight puts Saturday's point and performance better off, obviously, with how we had the week building up to that and still people struggling, three or four of us, even five, and obviously missing Keiran. So four points in two games in such a short amount of time, with the busy schedule we've got, we'll definitely take that with the prep we had last week, for sure. It's always nice getting that (MOTM bottle). Like we said, we said at half-time, we wanted a professional performance second half and then we knew the job weren't done. Just because they had a man sent off and a player in goal never means it's going to be any easier.

They'll come out fighting like they did, but a professional second half performance, and yeah, that bottle of wine tops it off. We said it after the game tonight as well, that's the minimum that we want to achieve is play-offs.