Needham Market remain 5 points clear at the top of the league after a 2-1 competitive home win over Barwell.
Kevin Horlock's side were without Jake Dye, who is out for the season after last week's injury, and Kyle Hammond - serving his first of two game suspension. Adam Mills started at left-back, with Tommy Smith partnering Dan Morphew at centre-back. Hugh Cullum returned from his loan at Thetford Town to start at right-back, Dylan Williams and Tevan Allen started in midfield, with Luke Ingram and Jacob Lay on the wings, Jamie McGrath at central attacking midfield and Seth Chambers up top. Academy midfielder Eddie Barker started on the bench, along with goalkeeper Harrison Podd, Ollie Fraser and Byron Lawrence.
The Marketmen started brightly creating the first chance on 4 minutes, with McGrath threading Ingram free on the right-hand side of the box, whose smart run saw the forward square a great ball across the six yard box only for goalkeeper William Brook to dive across and gather.
The home side took the lead on 10 minutes, good pressure from Seth Chambers forced the goalkeeper to rush his clearance straight to Luke Ingram, the forward then capitalised on the keeper being off his line to lob the stopper and find the top, far, left-hand corner for his 10th league goal of the season from 50-yards out.
Needham were forced into an early chance on 31 minutes when Adam Mills was forced off with a cut on his left eye, and was replaced by Byron Lawrence.
In truth there weren't many chances in the game, with the Marketmen doubling their lead on 37 minutes, Tevan Allen's left wing corner found Jamie McGrath towering highest, from close range, to head home into the roof of the net for his eleventh league goal.
The visitors then had their first major attack on 42 minutes, though George Ward headed wide from a right wing free-kick, while Ethan Hill smashed a fierce, long range, shot just wide off the face of the near, left-hand, post for the visitors just before first half stoppage time.
After the restart very little of note took place, though the away side shot wide of the bottom left-hand corner from outside the box on the hour mark, before Garnham was on hand to swat away Hill's shot up at his top left-hand, near, corner on 65 minutes.
Dunkley then saw a header held by the diving Garnham on 77 minutes, while Dylan Williams saw a ferocious strike held by Brook a minute later.
Williams went close to extending his side's lead a minute later, this time firing a ferocious strike just wide of the bottom left-hand corner.
Williams almost increased the hosts lead on 79 minutes, arrowing another fierce volley just wide. Chambers was withdrawn for Ollie Fraser for the hosts,
Master then shot low and wide into the side-netting after 83 minutes, before the Canaries set up a nervy finish with captain Brady Hickey finishing smartly in off the left-hand post on 86 minutes.
Barwell though were reduced to ten men two minutes later when Ward was dismissed for dissent.
The Marketmen saw out the final few minutes to record their 22nd league win of the season and 13th of 15 at Bloomfields.
Needham host 4th placed Redditch on Tuesday (7:45pm).
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