NEEDHAM EXIT LEAGUE CUP TO PREMIER DIVISION SIDE HARPENDEN

Needham Market valiantly bowed out of the Eastern Regional League Cup 4-3 in a scintillating match against Premier Division Harpenden Town.

It was a beautifully sunny but cold winters day in Hertfordshire and the home side twice led through Amana Oguntuga and Nancy Tucker in the first period with Anna Sullivan levelling for visitors.

Again, Needham hit back through Megan McCrae-Robinson but the home side went back in front thanks to Jaime Curtainbefore late drama that saw Adele Stalnionis score her first for the senior team to level before a late heartbreaking winner by Belle Shannon for the home side.

The opening minutes were even with both teams having chances, but it was Harpenden, who hit the front thanks to Oguntuga’s bullet header from a corner.

Trailing their higher placed opponents the visitors played some nice football and were soon level as Cate Jackson beat one of the three centre halves at the byline and played a composed cut back to Sullivan in acres of space to poke into the far corner.

Needham continued to look threatening, but the hosts did have several chances to go back in front but for some excellentgoalkeeping from Danni Clarke kept it all level.

Sadly, her resistance was breached by a Tucker finish that shelikely felt she could have done a little better with, but she redeemed herself with two big free kick saves to keep the scoreline tight at the break.

It was still all to play for in the second and back came Needham with a beautiful goal that saw a brilliant ball forward from deep by Ciera Flatt taken in by Stalnionis who rushed into the area before composing herself to cut the ball back to McCrae-Robinson to tap in from close range.

And they almost hit the lead thanks to full back Libby Mann who hit a beautiful long-range effort as the clearance fell to her, but the ball didn’t quite dip enough and bounced off the top of the bar and was eventually cleared.

In this topsy turvy game the home side went ahead again as Curtain tapped home a rebound after another smart save from Clarke denied the home side from the original effort.

Needham were never out of it and again levelled with 10 to play through 16-year-old Stalnionis scoring her first goal for the seniors with a pickup from the halfway line and burst into space before stupendously smashing one from 30 yards into the roof of the net.

But Harpenden eventually won it thanks to Shannon as she won a 50/50 challenge with Chloe Brame and used that momentum to get past the Needham defence and drive into the far corner.

It was the winner, but the home side were made to sweat as first Mia Etheridge-Golding was denied at close range, then from the corner a near post flick on was cleared off the line and lastly McCrae-Robinson had a go from range and clipped the top of the bar in stoppage time.

In the end it wasn’t quite enough and although the cup journey is over it was a game that Needham can take lots of positives from and if they can harness this performance going forward then the future of this young squad looks very bright.

The development team was also in Suffolk League actiontoday and they were held to a 0-0 draw with Brantham Athletic.