MARKETMEN WIN ON THE ROAD

Needham Market moved up to seventh with a 1-0 win away at Kettering Town.

Tom Rothery's side were unchanged from Wednesday's win over Bury Town, as they recorded a 3rd straight league win.

The Marketmen arguably dominated proceedings but were forced to wait until the 69th minute for the match-winner as Kyle Hammond turned home a good ball across the area.

Poppies' keeper Jason was selected as the hosts' man of the match, outlining the Suffolk side's performance.

Ryan Miles had the first shot of the afternoon on 4 minutes. The winger latched onto a long ball forward to lash his 30-yard strike just wide of the bottom left hand corner.

Great defending from Needham saw Luke Ingram and Ollie Saunders head two successive left wing crosses towards goal away, the second off the line on 11 minutes, as the visitors weathered the storm.

Needham then forced a vital save three minutes later. A brilliant ball down the left wing threaded Miles into acres of space to pick out Joe Neal with an excellent cross around the penalty spot whose bullet header at the bottom near corner was tipped onto the front base of the post.

Luke Ingram (16') saw a low ferocious 20-yard strike denied by the keeper, low to his near left hand post.

Kettering fired a 12-yard strike over on 25 minutes, while Hammond nearly threaded Ingram onto the right-hand side on 35 minutes but his dangerous cutback fell just behind Neal.

As both teams enjoyed spells of possession, Joe Neal (38') met a great right wing cross from Myles Cowling but saw his tight angled far post effort comfortably held.

Needham went close on 41 minutes, Ryan Miles found Joe Neal dangerously at close range, finding Ollie Saunders who, along with Ingram, saw his strike blocked - the latter winning a corner.

Needham continued to create the better chances, though possession became more even as the half wore on, as Needham arguably should've been ahead on 44 minutes.

A foul on Myles Cowling in the box saw Ingram's low spot-kick kicked away by the diving keeper, though the winger won the header finding Joe Neal at close range whose low strike was swatted behind.

Reggie Lambe replaced Saunders ten minutes after the break, before Ingram weaved onto the edge of the box before seeing a fierce shot blocked on 60 minutes.

Needham remained on top, as Neal (61') was fed free at close range who lashed agonisingly wide of the bottom left hand corner at close range.

Max Appauh replaced Ingram for his Needham debut, while Needham deservedly broke the deadlock on 69 minutes.

A brilliant low left wing cross found Kyle Hammond arriving at the far post to expertly find the bottom far corner at close range.

Miles and Cowling (76') both saw shots blocked in quick succession, as the visitors hunted for a second.

Neal (79') spun smartly outside the box before firing low at the keeper, while Appauh shot narrowly wide of the far corner.

Needham saw a dangerous left wing corner (82') into the six yard box cleared, as Miles made way for Eddie Barker.

Cowling (87') weaved onto the edge of the box before firing narrowly wide, who was replaced by Jackson Nsofor.

Kettering nodded a golden left wing cross wide at the far post (93'), as Jake Dye replaced Dan Morphew - who was forced off after a head injury.

Needham now face two more away trips, as they travel to Halesowen Town on Saturday (3pm).

Patrick Brothers said, "can't ask for much more. Three points, clean sheet and yeah, away to a tough place with a lot of fans, really good win.

"We had a few half chances, obviously we missed penalty, which is never nice, but we reacted well from that. We could have had maybe two or three, but we can't grumble at that. One nil win away from home is really good. We could have went into our shell when obviously they started bright. To be fair to Tom and Muno changed shape, we then matched them up a little bit, got back on top of the game and from there, we just, we grew with confidence, grew into the game. First half the keepers pulled off two or three very good saves and then second half, if I was honest, it was all us. It was only a matter of time until we scored and then when we did score, we managed the game, wound the clock down and yeah, here we are, three points.

"Great momentum. Obviously, we always fancied ourselves at home. Coming away to any ground in this level is always tough. So yeah, really, really positive. Keep pushing on. When obviously a lot of teams are in the Trophy, you need to sort of gain a few spaces on them. We did exactly that."

Previewing Halesowen away, Brothers added, "probably just as tough or even tougher than it was today. They get a lot of fans. They're a classic step three side, been in and around the top half since I can remember. So we need to recover from today, prepare well next week and go into the game with exactly the same mindset to be hard to beat, hard to break down, and we know when we've got a bit of momentum, we should be able to score. Football is massively momentum based, confident based, mentality based. If you're going in with drop points or in and out of form, it's always hard to get yourself up, especially going away from home.

So every player in our squad, management, fans should go into Halesowen full of confidence and hopefully with a positive result at the end."

Goalscorer and MOTM Kyle Hammond said, "great win. One of those games we just grinded out and got a 1-0 win away from home. Those wins are the best ones to be fair. Really pleased with it and that's three wins in a week which is really massive for us. Let's just keep going, keep playing how we're playing and just keep moving up the table hopefully.

"It was a massive challenge, different challenge today. Obviously it was going to be a game of two halves, we rode it out. The first half, obviously Ingers would have been a perfect half. Ingers just missing the pen, that was unfortunate but we would have come in 1-0. In the second half, I think we could have scored a few more if we just took a little bit more quality and care in the final third and I think getting shots on target and just that little detail, I think we could have scored a few more. So yeah, really pleased with today and the last two games. Like you said, different challenges. I think we've rised to them all."

On being able to grind games out, like our title winning season, he said, "I think Tommy Smith said that's what we were doing when we were in the league and he's right and you have to be that kind of team sometimes, away from home. A difficult place to come to be fair, a hostile crowd, a lot of them. There's a no easy games in this league anyway, especially here. I thought we just dominated in every area and then you go and nick a winner basically. Well, not nick a winner, but you score that goal. I don't think they even have a shot on target to be fair. It's a perfect away performance and it's a credit to everyone."

When asked how it felt to be the match winner, "it's obviously nice but like I said before, it doesn't bother me who scores as long as someone scores and we win. I'm just as happy for other people who score. I obviously don't care as long as we win. It seemed like an age to come across and I just saw this big keeper running towards me. I just wanted to hit it on target and I think it just went through him. I actually can't really remember what happened to be fair. That happened all so quick. I took a chance and as the half was going on, I was in space a lot on that back post, right side, area because the winger was cheating a little bit. So, it's like, do I take that chance or do I not just stop him? I thought keep creeping, keep creeping. We had a good play and Tommy Smith got in and I thought I'm just going to go here. Joe then made a good run to near post, leave me for it, back post basically.

As it came over, it just seemed ages and a massive keeper running at you. I just thought I'd just try and hit it on target and just hit it well and I think it just went through. It's nice scoring goals, isn't it? It's a nice feeling. I don't score many, but that's two now already. So, let's try and get to five, shall we? Shall we set a target of five this year?"