A second half Luke Ingram penalty and his eighth goal in almost as many games earned ten man Needham Market a much deserved 1-0 home victory over Redditch United at Bloomfields.
The Marketmen started brightly with Luke Brown seeing his early shot denied by the woodwork. Christian Frimpong found the striker in acres of space on the left-hand edge of the box whose fierce strike cannoned back into play off the front face of the near post after 3 minutes.
Eight minutes later, Man Of The Match Ross Crane weaved through smartly into space down the left-hand byline inside the box only to see his low shot-cross deflected behind for a corner.
The Reds then saw two shots denied from 12-yards out in the 21st minute, with the first one blocked while the second was deflected behind for a corner.
The resulting corner a minute later meanwhile saw Hugh Cullum's bicycle kick effort denied as far as Keiran Morphew whose ferocious half volley from the edge of the box flew just past the top left-hand corner.
Needham continued to have the better chances, as Luke Brown drove into space before smashing his shot narrowly wide on 28 minutes.
Outrageous goalkeeping from Marcus Garnham down the other end, kept Redditch at bay crucially two minutes later, the shot stopper was well placed at his near right-hand post to beat away a fierce unmarked close range shot, before a powerful shot on the rebound was vitally cleared off the line prior to Garnham reacting brilliantly to move across to his left hand post and beat a fierce shot over his crossbar.
At the other end, Jacob Lay did brilliantly to drive onto the right-hand byline just inside the box although his audacious ball across the six yard box was put behind for a corner by a defender at the far post.
Garnham meanwhile made amends for a poor clearance with a terrific stop on 39 minutes, Sheaf's 50-yard strike was creeping into the shot-stopper's top right-hand corner until he retreated well before diving up and tipping the ball over his crossbar.
Needham were reduced to ten men however on 44 minutes as Christian Frimpong was shown a second yellow card in the space of 2 minutes.
Garnham was again on hand to palm away Wollacott's powerful effort from inside the box at his bottom right-hand corner a minute into first half stoppage time, before the away side were caught offside when tapping home the rebound from point blank range.
Redditch goalkeeper Adam Harrison meanwhile was on hand to deny Ross Crane a minute later. The Marketmen released the winger into acres of space one on one with the goalkeeper, although his powerful driven shot from 18-yards out towards the bottom right-hand corner was kicked wide by the diving goalkeeper.
While Redditch had the man advantage in the second half, it was the home side who had the better chances, with 3 great chances arriving within the space of a few minutes.
Ross Crane exploited space well as he drove through down the left hand side of the box, only to see his low shot smashed across goal, creeping into the far corner at a tight angle, turned just wide by Harrison in the Redditch goal on 56 minutes.
Tom Fitzgerald then shot narrowly over the bar a minute later, while the substitute midfielder was denied agonisingly by the woodwork, as the Marketmen looked to make their dominance count in the 58th minute.
Dylan Williams' left wing corner picked out Luke Ingram, six yards out at the near post, who did well to spin with a defender behind him and fire a shot towards the bottom near corner, but for Harrison to dive down and smother it behind for a corner.
The resulting corner fell to Fitzgerald whose stunning shot clattered back into play off the front face of the left-hand post, before Dylan Williams saw an effort go just wide of the bottom near left-hand corner on 59 minutes.
But the Reds' resistance paid off in the 65th minute, as Luke Ingram latched onto a brilliant defence splitting ball over the top before being taken down from behind by Lewis Hudson, who was cautioned after the referee pointed to the penalty spot after 63 minutes.
The Needham all time appearance maker stepped up himself, adding his 13th goal of the campaign, and eighth in as many games, by brilliantly smashing home from the spot into the top left-hand corner, despite Harrison guessing right, 1-0 Needham.
That goal proved pivotal, moving the Marketmen up a place to 17th in the league table, and more importantly four points off the relegation zone.
Patrick Brothers was then fed into space brilliantly by Fitzgerald on the left-hand edge of the box though the midfielder's shot was smothered unorthodoxly off his chest behind by goalkeeper Harrison down at his bottom near corner on 79 minutes.
The resulting corner a minute later keeper then saw Harrison smother a close range Needham effort, while Marcus Garnham denied O'Sullivan with another huge save on 88 minutes. A long ball over the top released the latter through down the left hand side of the box whose chipped effort was brilliantly beaten away by Garnham, just evading Sheaf on the rebound as Needham saw out the final two minutes, plus six added minutes to record a much needed victory.
Kevin Horlock's side, who picked up a valuable point, in a 3-3 draw at Ilkeston Town on Saturday, will look to continue their momentum when they make the long trip to Tamworth on Saturday (18th March, 3pm).
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