Needham Market pick up their first pre-season victory with a 2-1 win at Felixstowe & Walton United.
Kevin Horlock's side handed starts to Trialist A, Dylan Williams, Adam Mills and new signings Harley Curtis and Ben Hunter, with Patrick Brothers (ill) and Jamie McGrath (holiday) unavailable.
A terrific save from Marcus Garnham denied Callum Harrison's curling strike, from the edge of the box, leaping high to his top right-hand corner to beat it away in the 4th minute.
Three minutes later, a great tackle from Trialist A started a good counter attack for the Marketmen, Tevan Allen latched onto a smart through-ball onto the right wing, the midfielder's cutback found Ben Hunter on the right-hand edge of the box, but his first time shot was easily blocked.
Garnham, meanwhile, denied the Seasiders once more in the eighth minute, holding onto a shot low just to his left-hand side.
Seth Chambers meanwhile kept possession well, driving into space before seeing his shot just outside the box deflected up off Tom Bullard, looping up for a routine catch for Harry Wright towards his top left-hand corner on 10 minutes.
A minute later, Adam Mills broke onto the left-hand side of the box but dragged his shot-cross wide of the bottom far corner.
Mills caused problems for the Felixstowe defence again in the 16th minute, his first of two dangerous left wing crosses was blocked, while the second was hung up perfectly for Chambers at the far post to leap like a salmon and head towards the bottom near corner, albeit Wright dived down to beat it away.
Great play again from the Marketmen saw Mills feed Tommy Smith through onto the left wing overlap, whose great first time low cross into the six yard box, towards Seth Chambers, was cleared away by a crucial sliding challenge by a defender on 19 minutes.
Kyle Hammond then fired a powerful 39-yard strike, in acres of space, over the bar after 20 minutes, before smart play from Harley Curtis saw the attacker break through into the area before playing a smart ball round the defender to thread Chambers through on goal, whose low shot from point blank range was again denied by a crucial sliding block behind for a corner on 22 minutes.
Mills again looked to find Chambers with a dangerous right wing cross but Wright intercepted with a good catch on 23 minutes, while the Marketmen broke the deadlock four minutes later. Miscommunication saw Adam Mills break through past Wright to square a great low ball across the face of goal, on a plate for Seth Chambers, but for Tom Bullard to slide in and put into his own net.
The Marketmen continued to be the better side in the first half, with a great long ball from Allen finding Molls free on the right wing, who played a smart first time pass to Kyle Hammond, before receiving it back and having a ferocious shot blocked on 31 minutes.
Dylan Williams then worked space to shoot inside the box, towards the bottom far corner, though Wright was there to hold onto it on 32 minutes, while a left wing Felixstowe cross was headed behind at the far post by some good defending for the Marketmen a minute later.
A strong catch from Marcus Garnham held onto a thunderous, swerving, first time well struck, 35-yard volley from Billy Holland on 36 minutes, before a low right hand ball across the face of goal was watched past his far post by the diving Garnham three minutes later.
Six minutes after the restart, after the Marketmen made 8 changes, it was 2-0, courtesy of a sensational own goal. Billy Holland looked to pass it back to Harry Wright, but lobbed the keeper dipping into the bottom right-hand, near, corner.
Felixstowe however were awarded a penalty on 56 minutes, after Jake Dye was adjudged to have brought down Zak Brown. The number 9 stepped up a minute later, but saw his spot-kick brilliantly denied by Danny Cullum, low to his left-hand side to push it away.
Needham then saw an effort from the right wing go just wide of the bottom near corner on the hour mark, before the hosts pulled a goal back on 63 minutes. The Seasiders' corner was palmed away by Cullum, Tom Bullard then saw a shot blocked by Dan Morphew as far as Noel Aitkens from around 12-yards out on the left-hand side who sidefooted a smart shot into the top far corner, through a crowded area.
Cullum was forced to hold onto a dangerous right wing low cross on 65 minutes, while the 'keeper was on hand to deny the number 9's fierce low shot, diving to his bottom left-hand corner smartly to tip it behind three minutes later.
The resulting corner meanwhile saw Holland's downward header bounce up awkwardly for Cullum, who held onto it superbly.
The Felixstowe number 9 then saw a close range shot well blocked on 70 minutes, before Needham's Trialist B leapt up well to get first to a dangerous cross hung up to the far post to prevent a clear header at goal from 3-yards out on 77 minutes.
Ben Hunter then saw a shot well held by the Felixstowe keeper on 81 minutes, while a long ball at goal was claimed well by the back peddling Cullum.
Charlie Warren then saw a 30-yard free-kick blocked by the wall, before slamming the rebound shot wide of the bottom right-hand corner on 84 minutes, while Eddie Barker was found in space on the edge of the box for the visitors, only to curl his first time shot just wide of the top near corner after 87 minutes.
Seconds later, another terrific save from Cullum thwarted the hosts again, with the shot-stopper diving low across to his bottom left-hand corner to beat away a low shot across goal, with the rebound shot shot wide into the bottom left side netting.
Felixstowe then squared a dangerous ball across the box to number 16 free in acres of space, but with the goal gaping couldn't sort his feet out and didn't take advantage.
Felixstowe, who had edged a fairly end to end second half then thundered a shot narrowly wide on the 90th minute, before a low dangerous right-hand cross into the six yard box was pushed away by the foot of Cullum with Dan Morphew on hand to mop up the danger.
Needham host another Isthmian North side in Maldon & Tiptree on Saturday (3pm), in the first of consecutive home games (Isthmian North side Brightlingsea Regent on Tuesday 23rd, 7:45pm).
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