Needham Market succumb to the current unbeaten league leaders Royston Town with an 8-1 defeat in Cambridgeshire.
Royston controlled the first half and ran out to 3-0 lead thanks to Emma Slater, Jess Morley and Laura Mills.
Needham made a strong start and got back into it through Cate Jackson but Neve Mayes scored a brace, a second for Mills and further goals from Ri Badel and Lily Hall made it a rout by the end.
It was a competitive first 10 minutes with Jackson having an early shot clear the bar, but it was to be the only chance Needham had in a tough first half.
Royston took the lead through Slater as she got herself behind Chelsea Brett and ran clear only to see her shot beat Danni Clarke but not Niamh Thomas on the line, but she reacted quickest to make sure it went over the line.
Another 10 minutes went by, and Needham looked untroubled but then conceded a poor goal as miscommunication at the back saw a deep free kick come in a long way and Morleywas able to flick the ball before the on rushing Clarke could get their and rolled into the empty net.
Royston had chances to add but everything was comfortable for Clarke but again a third goal came out of the blue as Mills caught Needham sleeping to drive into the edge of the box and finish under Clarke.
But instead of buckling Needham gave themselves a chance through the impressive Jackson as she unleashed a 30-yardthunderbolt that dipped over the despairing home keeper.
Any notion of a comeback was extinguished within two minutes as Royston had a fourth with neat interplay that somehow found Mayes unmarked in the centre of the box and she swept home.
Needham looked more dangerous in the second period with the introduction of Becca Stephenson causing problems but defensively goals continued to leak with Mills tapping home her second before the home side getting a sixth through Bidalas she had plenty of time to finish from a weak headedclearance from a corner.
There was time for a seventh as Mayes scored her second and Hall added an eighth as they broke up the park and she converted with the assistance of the underside of the bar in the final minute.
Meanwhile the Development team earned a hard fought 2-2 draw with Woodbridge Town at Bloomfields in the Suffolk Premier League.
Woodbridge took the lead in the game but were pegged back just on half time from a Poppy Nunn stoppage time equaliser from a run all by herself and then powerful finish into the bottom corner.
The visitors regained the lead not long after the break against the run of play but were again pegged back by another late equaliser from Immy Porch with only five minutes left to go.
Needham currently sit in mid table after a well earned point against the team sitting in second.
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