125: Tuesday 11 February 2020, 7:45pm, BetVictor Southern League Central Premier Division, The Mander Cruickshank Solicitors Stadium, Coalville Town v Needham Market
Match Report on club websiteMatch Footage
Match Reaction footage
LATE PAGE WINNER SINKS RAVENS
BY DREW KENDALL
Needham return from Leicestershire with three big points
Needham Market net another late winner to take the points at Coalville for the second straight season after an even contest, to earn new manager Kevin Horlock his first victory since taking over the first team.
The Marketmen brought Marcus Garnham, Gareth Heath, Jordao Diogo & Luke Ingram into the starting lineup, as Craig Parker, Jake Dye and Finlay Shorten all dropping to the bench, whilst Callum Sturgess wasn't involved.
Coalville had the first opportunity, Marcus Garnham kicking the ball straight to a opponent who shot wide of the vacant bottom left corner from the edge of the box on 3 minutes, whilst good build-up play from the hosts two minutes later saw Luke Shaw find space inside the box but only to shoot wide of the bottom left, near, corner.
Needham however had a few good chances of their own in quick succession, the first saw Billy Hunt chase down a pass-back well and block the keeper's clearance behind for a goal-kick in the seventh minute, followed by Jordao Diogo feeding Callum Page on the left edge of the penalty area four minutes later, though the latter's shot went just the wrong side of the bottom near corner.
The Marketmen though were awarded a penalty in the twelfth minute as Callum Page ran through from one side of the box to another to work space to shoot but was brought down by a sliding tackle by Pierpoint. Up stepped Joe Marsden, whose spot-kick was caught by the keeper down to his right as the scoreline remained goalless after 13 minutes.
Good defending from the Suffolk side then prevented Coalville an opening goal, as a corner in on the right found a head close to the top near corner only for a well placed defender to chest away ahead of the goal-line on 16 minutes. The Ravens had another good opportunity a minute later, the cross in on the left in towards the forward in the centre, who stood close to goal, saw the latter unable to get enough contact to it to direct goal wards. Of the two goalkeepers, it was Needham stopper Marcus Garnham who was first to be brought into a real good save in the 19th minute, Bennett's cutback found McGurk on the right edge of the penalty area whose low strike required Garnham to dive down to his far corner and beat the ball behind.
The visiting custodian was then forced into another excellent save three minutes later, Taylor's great strike forcing the keeper to get up well and tip over the crossbar, followed by the hosts firing narrowly wide of the bottom far corner from range on 26 minutes. McGurk tested Garnham's superb reflexes again in the 28th minute, again hitting a great strike on the left edge of the area, this time rocketing up towards the roof of the net but for Garnham to dive up and once more tip over for a corner. The Markemen meanwhile had a couple of good chances themselves within as many minutes, the first on 33 minutes saw Gareth Heath's corner spilt by the keeper on his six-yard line although he was able to gather with no navy shirt around to pounce, followed by Joe Marsden's free-kick which just went over the crossbar from the left-wing.
On the stroke of the interval both sides then had a chance each to break the deadlock, the hosts' cross in was headed back across dangerously at the far post but was cleared by the visiting defence as Noah Collard was fed up the other end to fire a 25-yard strike narrowly over the bar as both sides ended a fairly even first half at a stalemate
HALF TIME: Coalville Town 0-0 Needham Market
The second half saw Needham enjoy more of the ball and have more of the clear cut chances, with the first arriving in the 49th minute. Marsden's clearance found Hunt in midfield who held up the ball well before releasing Adam Mills down the left wing to then proceed into the area only to see his low close range shot parried behind he near post for a corner, whilst Coalville debutant and ex-professional Billy Kee hit a low free-kick that was straight forward for Garnham two minutes later.
Needham meanwhile went close to taking the lead in the 52nd minute, Hunt's ball in on the left byline forced the keeper to dive down and kick behind his near post for a corner, resulting in Heath's set-piece being headed away as far as Marsden outside the box to bend a superb low strike an inch wide of the bottom corner. The Ravens on the other hand hit the woodwork three minutes later as Bennett's low strike went wide off the outside of the post.
Next to go close was Hunt for the Marketmen, after being laid off on the edge of the box the striker's low shot forcing the keeper down well to parry away for a defender to hack behind for a Needham corner on the hour mark, coming just two minutes after the striker almost beat the keeper to a header back by a Coalville defender.
Good play from the visitors eight minutes later then saw Jordao Diogo have a shot blocked from outside the box before Mills' low ball across just evaded substitute Craig Parker in the centre. Great defending from Diogo then denied the Ravens a clear goal in the 69th minute, a corner in found the head of McGurk close to goal, whose header was creeping into the top near corner until the Needham defender flew up spectacularly to head it off the line and out for a corner.
As the game entered its final ten minutes Coalville laid off a Doyle-Charles to shoot at goal just outside the box only to blaze his attempt over the crossbar, whilst Callum Page went agonisingly close for the Marketmen in the last minute of normal time, after being set through down the left wing the forward ran through to the edge of the box to then cut into the far side of the penalty area, where Page then beat the keeper sliding off his line but shot just wide from a tight angle. Page though ensured that miss wouldn't matter just two minutes later, the visitor's Man Of The Match squeezing a great finish from 7-yards out after a scramble saw Parker fed the goalscorer to dink a clever finish over the keeper to dip into the far corner with his fourth league goal in his last five matches, 1-0 Needham.
That goal ensured Needham were this time on the right side of a late winner in Leicestershire following Saturday's late defeat at Barwell.
FULL TIME: Coalville Town 0-1 Needham Market
Coalville Town:-
1 Saul Deeney
2 Stuart Pierpoint
3 Scott McManus
4 Steven Towers (capt, 82' McGlinchey)
5 Kieran Morris
6 Joe Doyle-Charles
7 Jake Bennett (89' Dean)
8 Luke Shaw
9 Billy Kee
10 Adam McGurk (87' Mitchell)
11 Kian Taylor
Subs:
12 Thomas McGlinchey
13 Sean Bowles (GK)
14 Kairo Mitchell
15 Ellis Storey
16 Alexander Dean
Needham Market:-
1 Marcus Garnham
2 Joseph Marsden
3 Jordao Diogo (78' Santa)
4 Noah Collard
5 Keiran Morphew
6 Daniel Morphew
7 Luke Ingram (63' Parker)
8 Gareth Heath (capt)
9 Billy Hunt
10 Callum Page
11 Adam Mills
Subs
12 Jake Dye
14 Jose Santa
15 Craig Parker
16 Jes Nevard
17 Fin Shorten (GK)
Goals: Page (90'+1).
Post match reaction from manager Kevin Horlock:
"I thought it was almost the complete away performance, my only grumble would be we could've put it to bed a little bit earlier. Look let's not kid ourselves, they're a good outfit and strong, but I thought we coped with that really well, their threat a little bit early on in the first half I thought we maybe dropped a little bit too deep and invited them into us, which we addressed second half and I thought we were a real threat second half. There was some really good performances, we looked solid, I thought Heathy [Gareth Heath] came in and that maturity, that quality, that composure, look I could go through from one Marcus doing well, and I don't want to talk about individuals but here were loads of good performances throughout but it's a squad game, and I said straight from day one I've inherited a really good squad here so I'm really lucky to be in this position where I've came in and the squad's a good one, we've got hungry players with quality that we're slightly underachieving and I've told the lads that so I want to create an environment now that we push each other. They're fighting for places, no-one's guaranteed a start and that can only be healthy, it gives me little headaches in terms of team selection, it's good headaches, we've got a bus full of good lads and we've got lads that aren't here today, Callum Sturgess wasn't well to travel today, Shorty [Russell Short] injured and Sam, Squire injured, so it's a real healthy blend of good experienced players for the level. We've got great kids coming through, I think Noah was outstanding again today, and Pagey [Callum Page] getting the goal, the likes of Jose [Santa De La Paz] and Jes Nevard on the bench, Fin [Shorten] on the bench, which was a harsh decision that I made and said to them that they've all got the chance to play football here, 'show me that you deserve to play' that will enhance the performances of those that are maybe ahead of them at that time and as a club we're ready to go.
"I just thought we were a little bit on the back foot [first half] and encouraged them [Coalville] onto us, I said [to the players] to be braver, we've got good players here, so trust yourselves to defend one v one, and enable our match winners in your Milzy's [Adam Mills], your Pagey's [Callum Page], your Noah's [Collard]. Billy Hunt again who led the line fantastic today, Ingers [Luke Ingram] coming back from injury. Give them players the chance to be matchwinners, which they are. By dropping deep and encouraging them onto us wasn't the way, we did that much better second half and were a real threat and could've scored a couple more."
"I was always hopeful [that the goal would come], and we spoke about it me Munno [Nathan Munson] and Tom [Rothery], we could've been negative, we could've said let's take a point especially after Saturday's result, but we're brave with it and we left players on there that could win football matches, and Pagey's [Callum Page] popped up and done that. I though Parks [Craig Parker], obviously disappointed not to start, come on with the right attitude and made a difference to us, and created the chance for Pagey and I'd always back Pagey to score goals, because that what he is- a goalscorer- but not just a goalscorer, he's got a lot more to his game, but he can certainly finish."
"I said to the lads don't get carried away too much with the highs, don't get too low when it doesn't go so well, but we've got a bus there that makes the journey home a lot better and I go into Saturday with a headache and decisions to make, but I'd like to thing I've created the environment where whoever does get picked will have to be good because there's players chomping on the bit to play ahead of them."
" [On the celebrations in the changing rooms] Rightly so, I said enjoy the moment but not too much, it was a really good away performance and won that I was certainly desperate to get on the board, when a manager comes in you want to win games of football but I've got players that want to win games of football, I want to create a winning environment and if we can help each other and work on stuff and push each other to be better then that's what I wanted."
"[On his choice of MOTM] I would say Noah [Collard] I think his energy, his graft, his quality at times, we won balls back for us that we probably didn't deserve to win but he gives us that footing, so he deserves that good start in the first team and now his challenge is to continue that, as he's going to have dips as all players do, especially young players, we'll look after him, I've got big hopes for him along with a lot of the others."
"I just thought we were a little bit on the back foot [first half] and encouraged them [Coalville] onto us, I said [to the players] to be braver, we've got good players here, so trust yourselves to defend one v one, and enable our match winners in your Milzy's [Adam Mills], your Pagey's [Callum Page], your Noah's [Collard]. Billy Hunt again who led the line fantastic today, Ingers [Luke Ingram] coming back from injury. Give them players the chance to be matchwinners, which they are. By dropping deep and encouraging them onto us wasn't the way, we did that much better second half and were a real threat and could've scored a couple more."
"I was always hopeful [that the goal would come], and we spoke about it me Munno [Nathan Munson] and Tom [Rothery], we could've been negative, we could've said let's take a point especially after Saturday's result, but we're brave with it and we left players on there that could win football matches, and Pagey's [Callum Page] popped up and done that. I though Parks [Craig Parker], obviously disappointed not to start, come on with the right attitude and made a difference to us, and created the chance for Pagey and I'd always back Pagey to score goals, because that what he is- a goalscorer- but not just a goalscorer, he's got a lot more to his game, but he can certainly finish."
"I said to the lads don't get carried away too much with the highs, don't get too low when it doesn't go so well, but we've got a bus there that makes the journey home a lot better and I go into Saturday with a headache and decisions to make, but I'd like to thing I've created the environment where whoever does get picked will have to be good because there's players chomping on the bit to play ahead of them."
" [On the celebrations in the changing rooms] Rightly so, I said enjoy the moment but not too much, it was a really good away performance and won that I was certainly desperate to get on the board, when a manager comes in you want to win games of football but I've got players that want to win games of football, I want to create a winning environment and if we can help each other and work on stuff and push each other to be better then that's what I wanted."
"[On his choice of MOTM] I would say Noah [Collard] I think his energy, his graft, his quality at times, we won balls back for us that we probably didn't deserve to win but he gives us that footing, so he deserves that good start in the first team and now his challenge is to continue that, as he's going to have dips as all players do, especially young players, we'll look after him, I've got big hopes for him along with a lot of the others."
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