Season: 2021-22. Game: 38.
Date & KO: Tuesday 14 September 2021, 7:45pm.
Fixture: Needham Market v AFC Rushden & Diamonds.
Venue: Bloomfields, Quinton Road, Needham Market, IP6 8DA.
Competition: The Pitching In Southern Football League Premier Division Central.
A late Rushden & Diamonds equaliser denied Needham Market what would've been their first league win of the new season after two goals from Luke Ingram had put the Marketmen in front on two occasions.
The visitors however will see it as a point they deserved, although that won't make the result feel any better for the late devastation the Marketmen suffered late on.
Kevin Horlock made two changes to Needham's starting eleven as Jake Dye and Josh Pollard dropped to the bench as Callum Sturgess started at his familiar left-back position and Gareth Heath started on his return to the club. Rushden meanwhile also had a debutant as new signing Ravi Shamsi replaced Gyasi in their starting lineup.
The Marketmen started on the front foot early on as Callum Page got through quickly onto the byline, only to see his low ball across to Ben Fowkes intercepted in the first minute.
However, Needham were forced into a much earlier change than they would've liked as Daniel Morphew was forced off injured after just 7 minutes, with Josh Pollard coming on in his place.
But that substitution didn't affect the home side as they continued to take the game to Rushden, Callum Page did well to retain possession as he weaved through onto the edge of the box, but his deflected shot, off Alex Collard, was well saved by the goalkeeper who had to quickly change direction down to his left in the ninth minute.
Page then turned provider just two minutes later as the Rushden goalkeeper denied Needham again. The Town loanee, and former Needham Academy graduate, whipped in a dangerous free-kick into the six yard box where Luke Ingram's deft flick on towards the bottom far corner was saved well by the diving keeper, only as far as Josh Pollard lurking from close range, but the ball just evaded the substitute.
Needham though deservedly broke the deadlock on 14 minutes courtesy of an ice cold finish from Luke Ingram. The forward was threaded through one on one as he raced into the box, he then rounded the committed shot-stopper before cooly slotting into the net despite the best efforts off Alex Collard sliding in, 1-0 Needham.
Five minutes later, the goalscorer looked to quickly add to his own and the Reds' tally after being fed by Kyle Hammond, but Ingram's curling shot towards top right-hand corner was held well by Snedker in the Rushden goal.
Ben Fowkes meanwhile on 24 minutes cut inside well onto the left-hand byline, the forward almost squeezed his low shot inside the near post had it not been for Snedker reacting quickly to get down and hold onto it.
At the other end though, Rushden began to grow into the game two minutes later as the away side flashed a dangerous ball across the face of goal with nobody around to capitalise on.
Sixty seconds later, Rushden drew level as Ravi Shamsi threaded Jesse Akubuine free inside the box who fired home the equaliser, 1-1.
In response, Callum Page fired a decent strike over the crossbar from distance just after the half hour mark, whilst the visitors drove forward but blazed the strike comfortably over Garnham's crossbar on 36 minutes.
Three minutes later, a good save from Marcus Garnham denied debutant Shamsi from potentially giving Rushden the lead, diving across to his right to take a good catch at his near post.
And the hosts' MOTM, chosen by match sponsors Tas Ormes, this time getting down well to beat away Tshikuna's strike from just outside the box a minute before the interval.
Quick reactions from Garnham then kept the scores level moments later as the goalkeeper made a great save to just keep Shamsi's shot from going over the goal-line.
But as the half entered stoppage time, Noah Collard had a chance to restore Needham's lead, lifting his shot over the bar after a lobg ball towards Ben Fowkes was smothered by the onrushing goalkeeper.
Garnham was then forced into another good save two minutes into added time, across well to hold Tshikuna's low creeping strike.
Early into the second half, another good stop from Garnham denied the visitors from going in front as Tshikuna set Jones through, whose close range range saw Garnham stand firm at his near post to beat it away.
Eight minutes into the second forty-five minutes, the Marketmen were awarded a penalty as Luke Ingram was pushed down from behind after being threaded through by Callum Page's cutback.
Ingram then stepped up to dispatch an ice cold clinical spot-kick into the top right-hand corner, sending Snedker the wrong way for his second of the night and third in two matches, 2-1 Needham after 54 minutes.
Rushden however went close to drawing level once again two minutes later as Jones' shot from an acute angle went just wide of the bottom far corner, though Garnham would've had it covered.
On the hour mark similarly to the penalty, Callum Page looked to thread through goalscorer Luke Ingram inside the box but Patrick Casey was there to make the interception.
Needham then had a flurry of chances as they looked to extend their lead, in hope of sealing the three points - a win which the home side feel is long overdue - as Gareth Heath drove onto the edge of the box only to fire over the crossbar on 65 minutes, whilst Byrin Lawrence's rocket of a shot from 30-yards was well tipped over by Snedker off his line.
The resulting corner saw the visiting shot-stopper forced into action once more as Callum Page's low shot from point blank range was denied by the diving goalkeeper's face.
That chance was then closely followed by Ben Fowkes who when agonisingly close to adding to his side's lead, firing just an inch wide of the bottom far right-hand corner whilst one on one with Snedker.
At the other end, yet another strong say from Marcus Garnham preserved Needham's advantage with 14 minutes left, palming over substitute Connor Furlong's 20-yard strike, which had taken a deflection before looping towards the too corner.
With just eight minutes later, Needham continued to probe for a much needed third goal as Jose Santa was fed inside box who in turn fed through Kyle Hammond, but his shot from close range was well smothered by Snedker guarding his near post - albeit the latter was offside anyway.
A minute later though, Needham midfielder Noah Collard looked to follow up from his goal at Banbury on Saturday as he was threaded through one on one with the goalkeeper and got there first but could only shoot agonisingly wide of the vacant net.
In practically a replica of that chance, Callum Page then did likewise in the 85th minute as the tension within the home support, amongst the chanting, could've been cut with a knife!
And a minute later, a goal-line clearance denied Rushden an equaliser from an effort from an acute angle from inside the box, whilst the away side snatched a late, but from their perspective a deserved, point inflicting more disappointment on their hosts. Alex Collard was found free at the back post from a corner to nod it down past Garnham into the far bottom corner, 2-2.
But Needham could've arguably had won it right at the death, five minutes into stoppage time as Callum Page's cutback fed through Noah Collard whose dangerous shot was crucially blocked, before Byron Lawrence's shot on the rebound was equally agonisingly blocked.
After coming so close to three points, the Marketmen came away with just the one as Kevin Horlock's men switch focus to an Emirates FA Cup 2nd Qualifying Round trip to East Thurrock United on Saturday.
Needham Market:-
1 Marcus Garnham
2 Kyle Hammond
3 Callum Sturgess
4 Noah Collard
5 Keiran Morphew (c)
6 Daniel Morphew (7' Pollard)
7 Luke Ingram
8 Gareth Heath
9 Ben Fowkes (78' Santa)
10 Byron Lawrence
11 Callum Page
Subs:
12 Josh Pollard
14 Jose Santa
15 Jake Dye
16 Tom Maycock
17 Owen Elsdon (GK)
AFC Rushden & Diamonds:-
13 Dean Snedker
2 Ben Garwood
3 Samuel Warburton
4 Jesse Akubuine
5 Patrick Casey
6 Alex Collard (c)
7 Benjamin Diamond
8 Claudio Dias (81' Bell-Toxtle)
9 William Jones (81' Gyasi)
10 Ravin Shamsi
11 Nathan Tshikuna (69' Furlong)
Subs:
12 Matthew Slinn
14 Fernando Bell-Toxtle
15 Connor Furlong
16 Ryan Hughes
17 Joel Gyasi
Booked: Lawrence (47'), Dias (53'), Hammond (58'), Akubuine (78'), AFCRD10 (79'), Collard (85'),
Goals: Ingram (14', 54'pen); Akubuine (27'), Collard (89').
Att: 256. My MOTM: Needham Market's number 7 Luke Ingram (close behind were Callum Page & Match Sponsor's MOTM Marcus Garnham).
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