A brilliant Suffolk derby between Needham Market and Sudbury ended honours even as both sides played out a brilliantly entertaining 3-3 draw at the MEL Group Stadium.
It was a great start to the game as Amber Cantwell curled home before the home side turned it around thanks to Holly Kennard and Kate Edwards.
Lina Nagib levelled from the spot, but Jess Allen gave the home side the lead again before a dramatic final 10 minutes saw Kennard get a second yellow before Paige Wakefield headed a dramatic equaliser in the dying seconds.
It was a dream start as Cantwell showed great skill to drive into the box from the right before cutting inside and curling a great effort into the far corner.
Sudbury upped the tempo and equalised from Kennard as she took advantage of a mistake in midfield before sprinting clear to calmy knock under the on-rushing Evie McKane in goal.
It became tight for a while, but it was Sudbury, who took the lead as Needham failed to clear at the edge of their box with Edwards curling through lots of bodies into the bottom corner.
Needham came on strong in the second half playing some brilliant football, were rewarded with a penalty after handball, which Lina Nagib converted after scoring two the previous week.
From there Needham dominated and put pressure on their hosts but were undone again as Allen pressed and won the ball in the middle of the park before driving forward and not unlike the first goal cooly finished under McKane.
Against the run of play Sudbury led and so Needham had to come back again and their efforts were enhanced when Kennard was giving her marching orders for a second yellow with just 5 minutes to go.
The away side piled on the pressure and took advantage of the extra player as Wakefield found herself alone at the back post to power home a dramatic equaliser.
There was still time to almost snatch a late winner when the goalkeeper dropped the ball and it fell to Jodie Sharp but she couldn’t keep her shot down as it went agonizingly over the bar.
A great game of football and a brilliant advert for football in Suffolk but overall, the point does not do anything for Needham’s title chances with major help now required for a dramatic change to the top of the table.
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