Kevin Horlock’s Needham Market cruise past Leiston to go top of Pitching In Southern League Premier Central

Needham Market cruised past local rivals Leiston with a 5-0 victory at Bloomfields to go back to the top of the Pitching In Southern League Premier Central.

The victory in the wind and rain saw the Marketmen maintain their undefeated record at home in the league, but truth be told it never looked under threat.

After a bright start from the visitors, which saw Sebastian Dunbar’s header clip the top of the crossbar, Kevin Horlock’s side found their rhythm and punished their local rivals with a pulsating and clinical first half.

Right-back Jake Dye set the Marketmen on their way with a brilliant strike from outside the area before excellent footwork from Dylan Williams allowed Needham’s number eight to rifle home a second.

A mistake at the back allowed the hosts in for a fourth, an opportunity that Tevan Allen took with real aplomb, before the Marketmen’s number 11 added his second and Needham’s fourth 15 minutes after the restart.

The hosts notched their fifth of the game with seven minutes to go, when substitute Seth Chambers pounced on an error in the Leiston defence before slotting the ball home past Samuel Donkin.

Needham are now two points clear at the top of the table with three games in hand over fellow promotion-chasers Redditch United.

Marketmen boss Horlock named three changes to the side that overcame Berkhamstead in the dying minutes on Saturday. Adam Mills, Jamie McGrath and Seth Chambers dropped out for Luke Ingram, Williams and Jacob Lay. Mills was missing from the matchday squad entirely.

As for Leiston, just the one alteration was made to their starting line-up from their defeat at home to Barwell at the weekend, as Jamar Loza replaced Zach Dronfield who dropped to the bench.

Needham started brightly and were caught offside twice in the opening stages, as they threatened to get in behind early on, but it was the visitors who should have gone ahead after just six minutes.

George Quantrell’s cross from the right was met with a looping header from Dunbar, whose effort had Marcus Garnham beaten all ends up, but the ball bounced off the top of the crossbar.

Neat intricate play down the right had crafted a few half chances for the Marketmen in the opening 10 minutes and the hosts marauded forward again, when Dye received a one-two with Tevan Allen before the right-back’s first-time shot fired just wide of the near post.

With their intense pressing and relentless running, it was always going to be a case of when not if Horlock’s side were going to take the lead. Dye bombed forward again to take the ball from Ingram’s neat turn in the middle of Leiston’s half, and the young full-back struck a beautiful left-footed effort low into the bottom corner from the ege of the area, leaving Donkin no chance.

The wet surface allowed for a perfectly-executed knee slide from Needham’s number two in celebration, and the Marketmen were on their way.

The rain picked up as the hosts increased their intensity leaving Leiston nowhere to hide. A second was almost added minutes after Horlock’s side had taken the lead when Kyle Hammond’s cross-come shot found Nico Valentine sliding in at the back post, and the on-loan Ipswich Town youngster’s effort smashed off the woodwork. The crashing sound of the upright echoed around Bloomfields.

But, it was soon 2-0 when Williams received the ball inside the penalty area and, after brilliant close control and trickery, the midfielder slammed the ball home to give Needham breathing space.

The conditions were proving testing for both sides, but it was Leiston who felt the worst of them when Christopher Casement slipped to allow Ingram through on goal. The Needham winger had time to wait for the cavalry to arrive and he eventually set up Allen whose clinical finish put the game beyond the visitors inside the opening 40 minutes.

The start of the second period saw the referee constantly blowing to stop play as challenges flew in to set the tone after the restart. Ipswich Town loanee Jack Manly was booked for a late challenge on Dye and then both sides exchanged words when Ross Crane appeared to bring down Dan Morphew by poking the Needham defender in the eye.

Horlock’s side were slightly conservative in the second period while waiting for the chance to pounce on the counter attack, and they did just that before the hour mark when Valentine broke down the right. The 18-year-old teed up Allen who danced past two challenges before firing the ball into the far corner to net his second of the contest.

A fifth was almost added in Needham’s next attack when Keiran Morphew’s speculative effort from outside the box curled just over the crossbar. A resounding intake of breath from the home fans behind the goal and the ball swirled towards the top corner.

The attacking talent that Horlock has to his disposal at Bloomfields is frightening and Leiston defenders would have been fearing the worst when Chambers, who has attracted the attention of higher-league clubs, got stripped off and ready to join the action.

The Needham frontman got his goal when Michael Levin’s pass cannoned off his own player to set Chambers on his way. The number 15 broke into the penalty area, kept his cool and slotted the ball past Donkin to cap off a superb evening for the Marketmen.

There was almost time for a sixth, when Valentine struck the post for the second time before his shot rebounded off Donkin, and almost trickled over the line.

Next up for Needham is a match at home to relegation-threatened Long Eaton United.

Needham Market: Garnham, Dye, Smith, Hammond (Okunowo 62’), K.Morphew (cpt), D.Morphew, Ingram (Chambers 62’), Williams, Lay, Allen (Lawrence 71’), Valentine.

Unused substitutes: McGrath.

Leiston: Donkin, Lavin, Dunbar, Casement, Bailey-Dennis (Jarvis 70’), Jackson, Crane, Armin (Jackson 78’), Quantrell, Manly (Boatswain 53’), Loza.

Unused substitutes: Rayworth, Jackson, Dronfield.

Attendance: 498

Suffolk News Man of the Match: Jake Dye – not only did he break the deadlock, but his persistence to get up and down the right wing in the first half was immense. His intensity set the tone for the evening.