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RESERVES HOLD SECOND PLACE HARWICH

Needham Market Reserves earned a valuable 2-2 draw at home to second placed Harwich + Parkeston after a quick fire late comeback at the Ruby Homes Arena Bloomfields. 


James Mant's side arguably enjoyed more of the possession, but went into the break a goal down, before the visitors doubled their lead eight minutes into the second half in foggy conditions. 


Evan Gledhill and Seth Chambers however then struck in the space of three minutes towards the end to secure an important point in front of a record crowd for the young Marketmen of 145.

Harwich, who had former Needham Academy keeper Brad Cook and ex first team captain Gareth Heath (on the bench) in their side, had the first two chances early on. First Needham captain Ollie Reynolds put his body on the line superbly to block two shots, launching himself across the second time to divert a shot behind for a corner after 3 minutes. 


Marcus Garnham then thwarted the away side, advancing off his line well to reach out a left hand and push an effort at goal away in the fifth minute. 


The hosts meanwhile went agonisingly close to breaking the deadlock seconds later, James Coton's exquisite defence splitting pass threaded Adam Mills through one on one with Cook before chipping the onrushing keeper, but to agonisingly shoot just wide of the top near corner. 


While Needham dominated possession, Harwich looked to cause a threat on the counter, as the away side saw a free header from a corner go just over from six yards out in the 20th minute. 


Two minutes later though, Mills drove into space smartly down the left hand side before seeing an audaciously clipped cross towards goal headed off the line with nobody around to turn it in. 


Harwich's second attack saw a dangerous low ball flashed across the face of goal just evade two black and white shirts sliding in at the far post on 26 minutes, before Marcus Garnham was on hand to dive down low to his right-hand side and hold onto a shot from distance six minutes later. 


The Reds then went close to breaking the deadlock, albeit Charlie Woods' eight yard first time strike just went over on 33 minutes, which Harwich capitalised on as they took the lead two minutes later. 


A ball was clipped over the onrushing Garnham finding Luke Spurling at the far post to find the bottom corner in acres of space. 


Needham almost equalised on two occasions before the interval, as the first saw a great ball over the top release Seth Chambers free on goal, charging onto the right hand side of the penalty area, whose half volleyed shot, from ten yards out, was smashed just wide of the bottom far corner on 40 minutes. 


The second meanwhile found Brad Smith free on the edge of the box go shoot low towards goal but was comfortably held by Cook, diving low to his right. 


Harwich however shot just wide from point blank range as the away side led at the break. 

Cook continued to deny the his former club with a big save after the restart. Chambers smartly threaded Mills into space to shoot from 30 yards out, although the winger's low driven shot across goal was tipped behind by the 'keeper as Chambers headed jsut wide from the resulting corner.


Spurling on the other hand doubled the Essex side's lead on 53 minutes, finding space to shoot on the left hand side of the box before finishing low into the bottom corner, despite a hand on it from Garnham. 


The shot-stopper then thwarted Harwich with an excellent save on the hour mark, reacting brilliantly despite the increasingly worse foggy conditions to tip a cross-shot onto the outside of his far, right hand, post and back into play. 


Harwich then appeared to rattle the crossbar, with visibility decreasing a minute later, while Garnham got down well to his bottom right hand corner to expertly keep out the visitors on 66 minutes. 


Mant's side continued to probe for a goal back, and would've done so but for heroic goalkeeping from Cook on 76 minutes. A brilliant right wing cross found Chambers free from 10 yards out whose towering header towards the top far corner was denied by a superman-esque flying stop from Cook to tip it away. 


The hosts found an arguably deserved way back into the game on 88 minutes, as a low right wing cross across the danger area was tapped home cleverly by substitute Evan Gledhill at the near post. 


Cook then denied Needham three minutes later from close range, low to his right hand side, but couldn't prevent Seth Chambers from poking home the rebound at point blank range to secure a hard fought point. 


Needham Reserves travel to bottom of the league Swaffham Town in what defender Ben Smith coined as a "six pointer," next Saturday (3pm), while the First Team return to the Ecologic Stadium Bloomfields at home to Radcliffe. 


MARCUS GARNHAM | POST MATCH INTERVIEW | 


Goalkeeper Marcus Garnham reflects on yesterday's draw for the Reserves. 


DK: A good result in the end, but weird conditions with the fog. 


MG: Yeah, I think the youngsters did incredibly well. I thought they were brilliant. I mean, Harwich are no mugs, they're flying high in the league, and the boys should be really impressed with their intensity in the second half and getting a couple of goals after going a couple down. 


DK: How did you find it with the fog, especially second half?


MG: I just gathered we scored a couple of goals when people were running off celebrating. I didn't actually see the ball go to the back of their net. But yeah, it's all right. 


DK: Did you think the game was in much doubt of being called off at one stage? 


MG: There was at one bit, but I think they didn't want it called off because they were 2-0 up and I think by the end they wish they called it off. So yeah, I think the boys' second half was brilliant. We went a little bit more direct and then up the tempo a little bit, like we seem to do down the hill second half since I've played a couple of times already. And yeah, they deserve to get something from the game to finish, so well done to them.


DK: Was that what the discussion (the fog) was during the game when the play stopped about continuing?


MG: Yeah, it was, yeah. Basically, the line I couldn't see the other side, so I think they called it off like 50 minutes in. They were 2-0 up. They didn't want to get called off, so we carried on. And I think they now wish they had got it called off. 


DK: So I'm told as soon as our game got called off yesterday at Brackley, you messaged Manty about playing today? 


MG: Yeah, I like playing with the Reserves. When I was suspended and that and when we haven't got a game, first team, I always like to come and see the new kids coming through who are hoping to get in the first team and building that sort of relationship. So when they come up with training and

stuff like that, I think they see, well, not a friendly face, but they see a face they know. Roan's been coming training with the first team.


We've just got to keep ourselves sharp. I know my hamstring got a bit tight towards the end after a kick, but yeah, I thoroughly enjoy playing for the Ressies. They're a really nice bunch of lads and Manty does a great job with them with the team he's got as well.


DK: Do you think some of them will make the step up? 


MG: Yeah, I mean, you'd think technically a lot of them are more than capable, but it's whether they can take that next step to produce performances on a consistent basis, they'll be able to do that. And that's down to them and the work that they put in. I mean, the club's put things in place like the gym and stuff like that for them so that they can be physically ready for the demands of step two, step three football, step

four football if they can do that as well. But yeah, quite a few of them are more than capable of making that step up, but they've got to string some good performances together and be consistent. That's the key thing. 


DK: Hopefully the weather should be better, it's expected to be better, for next week - we're on the other side of this ground - against Radcliffe, got a point there away, hopefully get all three? 


MG: Yeah, totally. I think the atmosphere in the team, regardless of the league position, has been really positive recently. Training has been really positive. The atmosphere is good and that's the key to success really. If you've got a good changing room, you can drag yourself out of the tricky situation that we're in at the moment and hopefully we'll get a performance against Radcliffe because they're kind of down there aren't they as well? So they're games we must pick up three points. 


DK: It's one of those games where it was our first point in this league, the reverse fixture, and so we know we'll expect a fairly tough game from them. What are you expecting from them? 


MG: I think they had experience up top. You've got to go into a game hoping to get three points. You can't go into games hoping that we're going to get a result or wishing. You need to make sure you're wanting to get the three points every single week. They'll bring challenges to us. They'll be physical and quick down the sides. It doesn't mean that we can't match them and get the points.


Reserves defender Ben Smith reflects on the yesterday's 2-2 draw. 


DK: A fantastic result today to continue your recent fine form, how do you reflect on the point and result?


BS: Yeah in the end was a great point from the boys we all saw it that we could’ve snatched 3 at the end so in a way a little bit of disappointment that we couldn’t get all 3 but against a top side like Harwich it’s a great point to take. 

 

DK: A never say die response to come from 2 down to grab arguably a deserved point?


BS: Yeah this season especially the boys never say die attitude is turning games around for us and the heart we are all showing will push us up this table without a doubt. 


DK: You've previously had experience of playing with first teamers, but how much did that help today?


BS: It’s always great when boys from the first team are willing to come and help us out at the end of the day they have the choice and it’s nice to know that there is the togetherness within the club that they are willing to come and help us out. 


DK: There must not be many games where you've played in that much fog, which must've made it harder to focus and to generally play? 


BS: I must say i’ve never played on conditions as bad as that today, visibility wise I couldn’t see the other end of the pitch or when the ball was in the air it was a nightmare but I thought all the boys done really well to deal with the tricky conditions and come through the game. 


DK: A massive game next week against Swaffham, what game are you expecting from them?


BS: As sayings go “it’s a 6 pointer” absolutely massive game next week with the run of form we are on we need the big 3 points next week to really kick on with our league position, there’s no team in this league who are an easy game so we will go into it preparing just as we do every week and go there next week raring to go!

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