Non-league round-up: Needham Market celebrate first win while Bury Town go top and good wins for Ely City, Diss Town and Haverhill Rovers

First-half goals from Tevan Allen and Jake Dye proved to be enough for Needham Market to record their landmark first win in the Vanarama National League North with a 2-1 scoreline away to Warrington Town on Saturday.

Kevin Horlock had gone into the game in Cheshire having said he was far from panicking over their winless start since promotion to Step 2 – following five games that yielded a point – believing they are still ‘getting acclimatised to this level.”

And his words were backed up as they duly followed up a week which saw them claim their first point by putting in a solid away performance to bring up their maiden victory at the level.

They did not seem to be phased by goalkeeper Marcus Garnham picking up an injury in the warm up, which saw former Ipswich Town academy keeper Danny Cullum come in his Needham debut, as they raced into a fourth minute lead before adding to into heading into the interval.

Adam Mills’ high pressing started the move just four minutes in which led to the opener as Allen hit a first-time low rocket of a shot from his ball on the edge of the box to that arrowed into the bottom left-hand corner.

After weathering some Warrington pressure, including Cullum making a fine double save, they doubled their advantage with Seth Chambers holding the ball up well for man-of-the-match Allen to slot Dye through on the right-hand side of the box with the full-back cooly slotting through the legs of keeper Daniel Atherton in stoppage time.

An entertaining second period saw chances for both sides but it was the hosts who ended strongly with the deficit halved heading into the final 15 minutes via captain Evan Gumbs’ free header at a corner.

Both sides went close to scoring in the five minutes of stoppage time but neither goalkeeper was beaten again as Needham celebrated a big away victory that moves them up to the final of the four relegation spots after six games.

The Marketmen are back in action tomorrow night when they travel west to Edgar Street, near the Welsh border, to take on third-placed Hereford (7.45pm).

Suffolk’s Step 3 sides, like others further down the pyramid, were involved in Emirates FA Cup ties on Saturday with Lowestoft Town (6-2) and Leiston (4-1) and Felixstowe & Walton United (5-1) the county’s only guaranteed sides to, along with the winners of the replay between Ipswich Wanderers and Newmarket Town, to be playing in the second qualifying round (draw at 1pm with story, including our cup round-up to follow on our website).

Bury Town’s early exit from the national competition, to Felixstowe, saw them return to Pitching In Isthmian League North Division action on Saturday, and they bounced back from a league derby defeat to the Seasiders on August Bank Holiday Monday with a 2-1 victory at home to Sporing Bengal United.

But Cole Skuse’s side had to come from behind at the Getaway Cars Stadium, with Cemal Ramadan’s fourth goal of the season, a penalty in the third minute of first-half stoppage-time, replying to Yassine Kachi’s 12th-minute opener.

A crowd of 410 then witnessed the comeback being completed ahead of the hour mark when Ollie Canfer headed home a flicked on Ed Upson corner, and that’s how the scoreline remained despite both sides having late chances.

It made it three wins from their opening four games to put Bury back on top of the early standings, following what was one of only two games in the division on Saturday with sides in cup action.

In the Thurlow Nunn League Premier Division, Ely City moved to within six points of early table-toppers Walsham-le-Williows with two games in hand after beating the latter 3-1 at their Demcom Stadium.

The Robins flew into a 13th-minute lead via Tom Stoker with The Willows eventually getting back on levels terms via an Ethan Garcia header on 57.

A mistake at the back coughed up possession for Ely captain Louis Jenkins to fire them back in front while the visitors missed the first of two penalties to squander golden chances for 2-2.

Ely’s third duly arrived for Ashley Dobson, after Walsham’s Ryan Clarke had been denied by the crossbar from 40 yards out, before a frantic game ended with Walsham pulling back to within one via substitute Reon Huckvale.

Walsham will look to bounce back from what was only their second defeat in their opening eight matches, having won six, at Thetford Town tomorrow evening.

Matt Morton’s Thetford side go into that game off the back of a 2-1 victory away at Heacham which saw George Diggens (8’) and Kieran Money (64’) sandwiching a first-half home penalty for back-to-back wins.

Tomorrow’s home game sees the Brecklanders raising money for injured player Ryan Haylett who is self-employed and unable to work. There will be a ‘fund me’ bucket on the bar which will also be walked around the ground.

Meanwhile, Hadleigh United ended up on the wrong side of a 2-1 scoreline at home to Downham Town, as did Stowmarket Town away at Kirkley & Pakefield with the Latter scoring twice in the first half ahead of Brandon Salisbury pulling one back 15 minutes from time.

Elsewhere in the division, Soham Town Rangers celebrated their second win of the campaign with a 2-0 scoreline at home to Dereham Town but Luke Hyam’s Woodbridge Town ended up licking their wounds after a 5-1 reverse at home to Fakenham Town which saw them concede four times in the first period without reply.

In the Thurlow Nunn League First Division North, Diss Town continued their positive start to the campaign with a 3-0 success away at AFC Sudbury Reserves which leaves them a point off early leaders Harwich & Parkeston – who won 3-2 at home to Framlingham Town – having played a game more.

James John Wilson scored twice for the Tangerines with the other goal coming from Ben Blyth.

Ben Cowling’s Haverhill Rovers continued their unbeaten start by the same scoreline at FC Parson Drove with first-half goals from Ryan Twinn and Ben Seymour-Shove added to by Luke Lindsay.

Haverhill Borough fell to a 1-0 defeat at home to Whitton United in an all-Suffolk clash which owed as much to Fin Watts’ performance in the visiting goalmouth as much as Ashley Blow’s ultimate winning strike.

Elsewhere, Needham Market Reserves lost 2-1 at home to Gorleston Reserves and there was a heavy 5-0 defeat for Leiston Under-23s at Stanway Pegasus.

Tuesday’s league fixtures (7.45pm unless stated):

Vanarama National League North

Hereford vs Needham Market

Thurlow Nunn League Premier Division

Long Melford vs Cornard United

Stowmarket Town vs Ely City

Thetford Town vs Walsham-le-Willows

Thurlow Nunn League First Division North

Haverhill Borough vs Holland FC

Needham Market Reserves vs Whitton United