MARKETMEN WIN AT MILDENHALL

Two well worked second half goals earn Needham Market another pre-season victory at newly promoted Isthmian North side Mildenhall Town.

The Marketmen started brightly, Ben Hunter was fed 30-yards from goal, whose low fierce shot at goal was saved well by Ollie Kellett-Green at his near post, after 2 minutes.

A minute later, Seth Chambers was released racing through the hosts' half, one-on-one with Kellett-Green, though his low shot was beaten behind by the 'keeper at his near, left-hand, post.

The Marketmen tested Kellett-Green again from the resulting corner a minute later, Dan Morphew curled an audacious shot from outside the box, dipping over a packed penalty area towards the bottom right-hand corner, which was beaten away well by the goalkeeper.

Needham continued their living start, Tevan Allen's, 5th minute, right wing corner found Trialist A whose close range header went just over.

Tevan Allen then broke through down the right wing before putting a dangerous great low ball across the face of goal, though a defender was there first to turn it just wide of the near post on 14 minutes.

Seth Chambers saw a fierce shot well blocked on the edge of the box a minute later, while Ben Hunter saw a shot outside the box well blocked by a defender on 16 minutes.

At the other end, Marcus Garnham was forced into a couple of good saves a minute apart, the first saw the Needham 'keeper diving down to his bottom right-hand corner to comfortably hold onto a shot at goal, before the second saw a first time sidefooted shot towards the top left-hand corner brilliantly tipped over by Garnham after 19 minutes.

Mildenhall then thought they had broken the deadlock, albeit the offside flag was already up on 29 minutes, followed by great passing play from Needham two minutes later.

Garnham started the move finding Tommy Smith with a great long ball, the full-back then played quick one-twos with Jacob Lay and Ben Hunter before seeing his cross in fall to Hunter, the midfielder then fed Jamie McGrath through inside the box who lost his balance as he shot wide.

Mildenhall flashed a dangerous low cross narrowly wide of the fat post on 32 minutes, before Jake Dye latched onto a great ball through onto the right-hand side of the box, the defender then beat his man before seeing bis cross turned behind for a corner on 39 minutes.

A minute later, a good strike from Ben Hunter, after weaving into space on the left-hand edge of the box, went narrowly wide of the top far corner.

Just over a minute after the restart, the Marketmen broke the deadlock, substitute Adam Mills' left wing cross was whipped smartly on a plate to Seth Chambers, in acres of space, at the far post to tap into the net from point blank range.

The goalscorer then curled a good shot agonisingly just wide of the bottom far, right-hand, corner on 48 minutes, before Adam Mills' excellent left wing cross just evaded Luke Ingram in the centre a minute later.

Ingram then weaved into the box, in possession, before trying his luck at goal, but saw his low shot collected by Kellett-Green, across to his far, right-hand, corner on 51 minutes.

Needham kept the pressure on their lower league hosts, creating another good chance just seconds later, Hunter ran the majority of the pitch, joined by Chambers, who he slipped through onto the left-hand side - albeit his shot went narrowly wide of the top near corner.

A long range Mildenhall free-kick meanwhile saw a right wing cross headed just over onto the roof of the net, at the far post on 53 minutes, followed by another good save from Kellett-Green on 55 minutes.

Trialist B found space to shoot from the left-hand edge of the box, curling a great strike towards the bottom far corner, which the 'keeper was equal to, palming it behind for a corner.

Mills was next to test the 'keeper a minute later, as his fierce shot from outside the box was tipped wide by the shot-stopper, down low to his bottom left-hand corner.

Chambers towered above at the post, from the resulting corner, but was denied a second goal, as his header at the bottom right-hand corner was poked off the line on 57 minutes.

Jacob Lay then saw a good cross-shot tipped behind by Kellett-Green for another Needham corner on 61 minutes, which saw Ingram's set-piece finding Chambers tower highest once more, but headed wide into the bottom far side-netting.

A dangerou low squared ball across the face of goal found Olly Hughes free at point blank range, but the Mildenhall striker shot just wide of the bottom near corner after 64 minutes.

Another brilliant strike from Kyle Hammond, adding to his stunning haul from the summer so far with arguably the best of the lot, doubled Needham's lead in style on 69 minutes. The midfielder had acres of space from 35-yards out before hitting a rocket of a shot into the top left-hand corner.

Kevin Horlock's side then fired a low shot narrowly wide on 75 minutes, before Patrick Brothers saw a shot on the left-hand side of the box beaten away by the keeper, at his near post 5 minutes later.

Needham wrap up their pre-season schedule with a trip to Southern League Central Premier Division side AFC Sudbury on Saturday (12pm), ahead of their first ever Vanarama National League North trip to Curzon Ashton the following weekend.