Needham Market fell to a 2-1 defeat at Brackley Town despite a good performance on the road.
Manager Tom Rothery had 3 changes as Luke Ingram (suspended), Josh Tomlinson (injured) and Jamie McGrath (unavailable) were replaced by Jacob Lay, Reggie Lambe and debutant from the Academy Charlie Wood. Fellow Academy players Ollie Reynolds and Luca Savill were also given their maiden first team call ups on the bench, alongside the returning trio - following injuries - Ollie Fraser, Marcus Garnham and Dan Morphew.
In truth clear cut chances were at a premium throughout the game, with both sides enjoying spells of possession.
Needham started brightly with Charlie Wood flicking on Tommy Smith's throw in onto Ben Hunter, whose shot from outside the box was blocked after 2 minutes.
Josh Blunkell meanwhile was alert to block a dangerous right wing low cross behind his near post for a corner six minutes later, who was then forced into an excellent save in the 20th minute.
Riccardo Calder's left wing cross was headed towards goal at the far post by Alfie Bates, drawing an excellent instinctive save from Josh Blunkell to keep it out.
At the other end, Needham created a good chance five minutes later, Iffy Allen drove through onto the right-hand edge of the box but hit his ferocious shot narrowly over the crossbar.
Bates then saw a header at goal crucially blocked on 38 minutes, before Needham took the lead in the 44th minute.
A foul on Reggie Lambe roughly 28-yards from goal led to Tevan Allen's free-kick taking a deflection off the wall with the power leaving no chance for Jonny Maxted as it nestled into the bottom right-hand corner.
While Needham led at the break, Brackley quickly equalised on 48 minutes, after a handball saw Connor Hall's penalty just beat Josh Blunkell and find the bottom right-hand corner.
Five minutes later, Reggie Lambe's audacious left wing cross was punched away crucially by the flying Maxted with Wood arriving at the far post, before Lambe was on the receiving end of a good cross into the box but for a clearance to deny him a shot at goal.
Connor Hall then shot a low right wing cross back across goal and just wide after 57 minutes, before great hold up play from Reggie Lambe inside the box saw him feed Tevan Allen into space, who twice beat his man to work space to shoot just outside the box, though his effort was blocked eleven minutes later.
Brackley then struck what proved to be the winner on 75 minutes as Miracle Okafor turned home a right wing cross.
The Marketmen continued to battle until the end, having spells of possession, as Ollie Fraser entered the fray in the 81st minute in place of MOTM Charlie Wood, who impressed on his debut.
Reggie Lambe meanwhile spun smartly into space on the edge of the box, albeit his shot curled narrowly off target after 85 minutes, before Luca Savill became one the youngest players in club history to make his first team debut in place of Jacob Lay.
Needham travel to Buxton to take on Farley Celtic in another proverbial 'six-pointer' on Saturday (3pm).
Charlie Wood reflects on his first team debut last night!
DK: Congratulations on making your first team debut, you might be pleased?
CW: Yeah of course buzzing to make my debut, especially to start aswell it was a great challenge and I enjoyed every minute.
DK: How did you find the game last night, you must be proud of your personal performance?
CW: All the lads worked very hard and I was happy with how I played to contribute to the way the gaffer wanted us to play.
DK: What did you make of the result?
CW: We definitely deserved something out the game, on another night it goes differently, but all we can do is look at the positives of how we performed.
DK: It must've made it easier making you debut alongside two other academy players?
CW: Definitely, I’ve known Ollie and Luca for a long time and it was a special night for all of us, glad we could do it together.
DK: An important game for the Reserves on Saturday, at home to Pinchbeck, how do you see that game going?
CW: I feel we’ve picked up some confidence recently in the way we play and grind results, if we work hard we can beat anyone in that league.
Manager Tom Rothery reflects on last night's defeat.
DK: You must be proud of the performance, especially given a busy last couple of weeks?
TR: Yes it’s been a strange week or two and regardless of who was in charge tonight it was always going to be difficult. Firstly because Brackley are a good side pushing for promotion and also because of the players that we knew were unavailable tonight for various reasons. But overall performance wise I couldn’t really have asked for much more from the players and the squad, they worked hard to contain a good side and also I thought we moved the ball really well and certainly played our part in a good game.
DK: Did you think we deserved a point?
TR: I did yes the penalty early in the second half is a tough one to take and really puts us under huge pressure which we just about rode out and got back into it but to be fair the second goal is a good goal for them. I think we could have done better initially in the build up for it but sometimes you have to give the opposition credit and they worked it well. Overall though I felt we were good for a point they had a couple of good chances where they didn’t work Josh and we didn’t have anything really clear cut but I felt a point would have been fair, look I’m sure they’ll see that different but we all look at ourselves don’t we.
DK: How impressed were you with not just the squad last night but Charlie in particular?
TR: We said before the game we’d need to be at our best and I thought there were positives throughout, I personally thought everyone played well there wasn’t a weak or poor performance out there. Charlie was excellent took it all in his stride, I asked him to play with freedom and enjoy it but they’re just words but he did that, he went into pockets which I asked him to do was brave and picked up possession and did well in possession too I can’t recall him giving the ball away. He worked really hard out of possession too. Look at debuts go he did not look out of place so he can be really pleased with what he did as we are.
DK: Having been in good form recently, did that make the defeat slightly more tough to take?
TR: The position we are in we need points not performances but having said that with the circumstances and players availability then I was pleased but I am disappointed we didn’t come away with something. The penalty really was a tough one to take both on and off the pitch. I think the last few weeks since Peterborough the players have really shown that they’ve grown, we look better rounded, manage games better and are starting to show more belief.
DK: A very important game away to Farsley on Saturday, what type of game are you expecting?
TR: Every one of the 17 remaining games are huge. The ones in and around us are even more important. They are fighting for their lives as we are so I’m sure it’ll be tense but we experienced that on Saturday against Warrington so the lads know what’s coming and the pleasing thing from Saturday was the drive and desire we showed to get three points, I’ll be asking the lads for more of that.
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