Season: 2021-22. Game: 59.
Date & KO: Tuesday 19 October 2021, 7:45pm.
Fixture: Needham Market v Biggleswade Town.
Venue: Bloomfields.
Competition: The Pitching In Southern League Premier Central Division.
POST MATCH REACTION:-
HANS MPONGO
KEIRAN MORPHEW
KEVIN HORLOCK
Needham Market record back to back comfortable wins with a 3-0 home win over Biggleswade Town.
Manager Kevin Horlock made one change to Saturday's 6-1 win at Hitchin Town as Hans Mpongo made his home and full debut in place of Jose Santa, whilst Daniel Morphew returned to the bench from injury with Horlock opting to continue with Under-18 centre-back Hugh Cullum who has impressed since making his first team debut at Royston.
And the full debutant almost marked it in the dream way just two minutes in, Mpongo was threaded through inside the box, one on one with ex-Ipswich Town Academy goalkeeper Jake Alley but the forward shot narrowly wide of the bottom right-hand corner.
A minute later, Man Of The Match Callum Page threaded Luke Ingram through down the right-hand side, but the forward's shot from point blank range was smothered behind by Alley.
Great play from the Marketmen saw the home side go agonisingly close just nine minutes in, an excellent long crossfield ball from Byron Lawrence found Kyle Hammond down the right wing whose low cross found Mpongo free inside the box, whose shot towards goal fell to Jake Dye but his close range shot was blocked.
Full of confidence after a hat-trick at the weekend, Byron Lawrence nearly added another wonder strike to his ever growing collection on the 10th minute, had Alley not tipped over his dangerous right wing free-kick at his near post, whilst Ben Fowkes saw his low shot at the near post blocked off the like, whilst his close range fierce shot was kept out by Alley a minute later.
Lawrence then fired a ferocious 25-yard free-kick just wide of the bottom right-hand corner on 14 minutes, whilst Ben Fowkes' saw two dangerous balls into the six yard box cleared in quick succession, before his fierce strike on the rebound was deflected behind for a corner two minutes later.
The Marketmen were dominant in the first half, forcing another save from Alley in the 19th minute - the visiting keeper reacting quickly to dive down to his left to parry away Luke Ingram's diving header from Kyle Hammond's cross into the danger area.
A minute later the home side were deservedly in front as Man Of The Match Callum Page followed up from Saturday's brace with another excellent goal, arrowing a powerful strike home across the box into the bottom right-hand corner.
And in quickfire fashion, Needham raced into a two goal lead after 22 minutes, Byron Lawrence's long range low fierce drive was beaten away by Alley down to his left as far as full debutant Hans Mpongo who was on hand from close range to loop the rebound over the goalkeeper and into the net before celebrating with the Needham supporters.
Three minutes later, ex-Marketman Joe Neal saw two strikes denied by the home defence inside the box, after the first was blocked Garnham was on hand to gather his poked near post shot.
Just after the half-hour mark, Luke Ingram tried his luck at goal, only to see his fierce strike from outside the box go over the crossbar, whilst Ben Fowkes' low dangerous ball across the box was just ahead of Mpongo running in two minutes later.
With 39 minutes on the clock, Callum Page tripled the hosts' lead with his sixth goal of the campaign, making him Needham's top scorer in the league this season, as he arrived perfectly to drive Kyle Hammond's cutback first time cutback home into the bottom right-hand corner.
Two minutes into first half stoppage time, Needham went close to extending their lead further, Ben Fowkes drove through into the box where he got low shot off at goal from close range - Alley however was equal to it, saving with his feet whilst the rebound fell just behind Mpongo.
Into the second half, just six minutes were on the clock when Jake Alley thwarted Needham from inflicting further damage, Byron Lawrence threaded Hans Mpongo through one on one with Alley after beating his man, but his low shot was well saved by Alley who had narrowed down the angle well to turn his shot behind at his near post.
The game after that went flat, with Biggleswade having more of the ball but struggled to really test the Marketmen's defence, although had a corner directed goalwards not been cleared off the line crucially by Needham captain Keiran Morphew it would've ruined the hosts' clean sheet on 64 minutes.
Back up the other end four minutes later, Kyle Hammond almost added the gloss on the scoreline from the hosts' perspective, after bring threaded through past the defence inside the box the versatile defender/midfielder hit a ferocious half volley that flew just over Alley's crossbar.
Both of Biggleswade's ex-Marketmen had a good chance each, though Joe Neal's low free-kick outside the box was palmed away well by Needham goalkeeper Marcus Garnham down to his left-hand side on 71 minutes, Sam Squire sliced his first time shot from just outside the box wide of the bottom corner three minutes from time.
Just as five added minutes were about to be announced, Needham went close to adding to their lead, Ben Fowkes was feed through by Luke Ingram who then cut inside well into the penalty area only to fire just wide of the bottom near corner.
A minute into said stoppage time, Fowkes' low dangerous ball across the penalty area flashed across goal with nobody up with him.
But with virtually the last chance of the evening, Fowkes' dangerous ball across did fall to Callum Page, looking again for a hat-trick but the latter's powerful half-volley went over the crossbar.
A much needed clean sheet for Marcus Garnham and his defence as the Marketmen now look ahead to Saturday's home game with Rushall Olympic, who have won their last two matches against Bromsgrove Sporting (4-1 home on Tuesday) and Biggleswade Town (1-0 last Saturday).
Needham Market:-
1 Marcus Garnham (GK)
2 Kyle Hammond
3 Jake Dye
4 Byron Lawrence
5 Keiran Morphew (C) (82' D.Morphew)
6 Hugh Cullum
7 Hans Mpongo (72' Machaya)
8 Noah Collard (81' Fitzgerald)
9 Luke Ingram
10 Callum Page
11 Ben Fowkes
Subs:
12 Jose Santa De La Paz
14 Daniel Morphew
15 Kyle Hammond
16 Luke Ingram
17 Callum Sturgess
Biggleswade Town:-
1 Jake Alley (GK)
2 Luca Purse
3 Kane Farrell
4 James Peters (C)
5 Matthew Hall
6 Joe Howe
7 Ben Stevens (72' Cardines)
8 Ronan Silva (58' Parker)
9 Joe Neal
10 Sam Squire
11 Daniel Walker (82' Manu)
Subs:
12 David Manu
14 Luca Cardines
15 Magloire Muyembe
16 Robert Parker
Booked: Silva (53'), Collard (57'), Hammond (70'), Machaya (90'+3').
Goals: Page (20', 39'), Mpongo (22').
Match Sponsors Man Of The Match: 7 Callum Page.
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