Needham Market boss Kevin Horlock calls on side to improve dire home record as Jonathan Greening brings Scarborough Athletic to Bloomfields

Needham Market manager Kevin Horlock takes his side into this afternoon’s home game with Scarborough Athletic (3pm) buoyed by a key mid-week away victory but calling for them to back it up to arrest a worrying return at Bloomfieds.

Following responded from a 2-0 defeat at fellow newly-promoted outfit Marine on Saturday to record a third straight win over Leamington on Tuesday night, the Marketmen lifted themselves off the bottom of the Vanarama National League North table ahead of returning to Suffolk.

But they go into the visit of former Champions League winner Jonathan Greening’s 17th-placed Scarborough side having only taken four points from a possible 21 (one win, one draw from nine games) on their home patch.

Horlock said: “We’ve not won nearly enough games at home, we want it to be a bit of a fortress, and again, I said to the lads, we could be excellent on Saturday like we were tonight and maybe not win, that’s how small the margins are.

“I don’t think Scarborough are on a great run themselves, so hopefully we can build on what we’ve got tonight.”

Marketmen have to bounce back from defeat

Horlock’s side went into the break in the battle of the two sides towards the base of the table, against Marine on Merseyside on Saturday a goal down, after James Brown’s opener, writes Drew Kendall.

Needham dominated the second half but succumbed to a 2-0 defeat as Fin Sinclair-Smith capitalised on Luke Ingram’s 81st-minute volley being deflected onto the crossbar.

“We played fairly well (second half), where we created chances, on another day you score and then we’ve over-committed and conceded a second which kills the game off,” said Horlock.

” It’s a tough one to take, but it’s another big game Tuesday where we need to start winning games and getting three points.”

Horlock’s words rang true as the Marketmen beat their fellow Southern League Premier Central promoted hosts thanks to Ingram’s thunderous 61st minute penalty.

A dominant second half performance from the Reds pleased Horlock, as Needham made it three wins in as many meetings with the Brakes inside a year.

“The pleasing thing is obviously the performance and the three points are massive for us,” he said.

“We all know the run we’ve been on; it’s very difficult to stick to your beliefs and keep working hard when things aren’t going right, but credit to the lads.

“I think we deserve all three points and no one can grumble. It was an excellent performance and it’s important now as it’s been a long time coming and it’s about backing it up now.

“I think tonight we’ve showed again that we can mix it at this level.

“I think first half we came with the mindset of being difficult to beat, but matching what they had. And in the second half we had spoke about getting the ball down and playing. I think we did that.

“We played the majority of the second half in their defensive half. So it was pleasing. We defended so well. First contacts, we won second balls and we looked a threat tonight, and on another night, we could have probably had a couple more.”

Ingram, who opened his account in the league for the campaign from the spot with the match-winner, earned praise from his manager, “to win the penalty and then have the composure to get up and dispatch it was massive from him. I thought the lads were brilliant all across the pitch, subs that come on made an impact as well; it was an excellent away performance and we want more of them.

“I thought they worked really hard, made runs in behind and obviously we put Lukey down the middle, his physical presence, his ability to win aerial battles and win headers and flick-ons, I thought worked really well.”