Manager Tom Rothery's first home game in charge for Needham Market saw his side on the wrong end of a harsh 2-0 defeat to play-off chasing Hereford.
Rothery's side made 3 changes to the 6-1 win at Farsley Celtic on Saturday, Dan Morphew captained the side in place of Keiran Morphew (injured), as Marcus Garnham returned in goal and Kyle Hammond back in the starting eleven with Iffy Allen and Josh Blunkell unavailable.
The Marketmen were arguably in control throughout the first half, created the majority of the chances.
Kyle Hammond's third minute clever right wing cross into the six yard box needed to be cleared out for a throw in, before Jamie McGrath - making his 100th Needham appearance - Jacob Lay and Hammond all saw shots blocked from inside the box two minutes later. Hammond again tried his luck at goal in the sixth minute, only for his shot on the right-hand side of the box to be fired narrowly wide of the near post.
Ben Hunter continued the spree of early chances for the Marketmen a minute later, seeing his long range shot dipping underneath the cross which goalkeeper Theo Richardson claimed.
While Tommy Smith's dangerous cutback from the left-hand byline was cleared ahead of Lay in the danger area on 14 minutes, the latter then broke down the left wing moments later but saw his exquisite cross into the six yard box just evades Reggie Lambe.
Kyle Hammond's 35-yard free-kick three minutes later, after a foul on Lambe, saw Needham go agonisingly close as Seth Chambers headed just over from Jamie McGrath's far post header across the face of goal box.
At the other end, returning keeper Marcus Garnham was forced into a good save from the Bulls' first chance seconds later, diving across brilliantly to his left-hand side to turn a shot behind.
Tevan Allen meanwhile drove into space before seeing a low shot well held by goalkeeper Theo Richardson inside 28 minutes, after midfielder Charlie Wood made his third consecutive first team appearance, and home debut after impressing in the Reserves in place of Dan Morphew through precaution.
Kyle Hammond smartly broke through down the right wing before slotting substitute Wood into space inside the box, albeit the midfielder's shot went narrowly wide of the top near corner on 33 minutes.
Richardson however was alert to advance off his line to swat a long ball towards Jamie McGrath out for a throw a minute later, though Needham went close to breaking the deadlock on 37 minutes. Great play saw Seth Chambers feed McGrath who broke into space to thread Jacob Lay driving into space down the left-hand side, into the box, only to fire his shot narrowly over.
While Hammond saw a shot deflected prevented from going behind by Richardson, Marcus Garnham dived down superbly to his right-hand side to hold onto a low shot on 44 minutes.
On the stroke of the interval, Reggie Lambe saw a low 20-yard shot deflected just wide of the bottom far corner as both sides went into the break level, though Needham had controlled the first half.
After the restart, Needham again started brightly as Bermuda international Lambe's shot curled narrowly over the top far corner just two minutes after the restart.
The Bulls however broke the deadlock against the run of play, Sammy Robinson's shot from inside the box was blocked off the line by a well placed defender though the former was first to the loose ball to lash home into the bottom left-hand corner at clsoe range.
Instantly after the restart, Needham saw a corner headed headed narrowly wide of the near, right-hand, post before ex-professional Adam Rooney launched a shot high and over from outside the box.
Although Paul Caddis' side had the better of the possession and chances for the fifteen minutes that followed the opening goal, Needham resumed their dominance and were mightily unlucky not to earn a deserved point.
Lay threaded Hammond driving into space, but the latter's powerful shot went just wide of the bottom far corner on the hour mark.
After a crucial defensive block thwarted a Hereford close range shot at the expense of a corner a minute later, a huge save from Marcus Garnham from the resulting corner denied the visitors.
A far post header back across goal was expertly beaten behind by Garnham, who then guarded his near post well to block a close range shot on 68 minutes.
After Robinson's free-kick was punched clear well by Garnham two minutes later, Charlie Wood's cool low finish on the turn was ruled out for an apparent foul in the 73rd minute.
While Tevan Allen's audacious left wing cross, towards Chambers at the far post, was well claimed by Richardson in the 75th minute, Lay smartly weaved through onto the left-hand side before teeing up Wood to shoot - though the latter's effort went over a minute later.
Lay then threaded Allen through on the overlap whose clever left wing cross was put back across by Hammond at the far post only for McGrath's shot to be deflected side for a corner on 79 minutes.
Moments later, Allen picked out Hammond at the far post once more, this time though his shot went agonisingly wide into the side-netting.
Caddis' side however doubled their lead on 82 minutes, appeals for a free-kick after a foul were waved away before Garnham rushed off his line to partially head a long ball away well, but couldn't deny substitute Kaide White for finding the net on the rebound.
The result sees Needham drop into the relegation zone by a solitary goal difference, ahead of a home clash with 18th placed Oxford City at the Ecologic Stadium Bloomfields on Saturday (3pm).
Manager Tom Rothery said, "Yeah, I thought we deserved more. I thought we played well. I'm reasonably pleased with how we played. "First goal, not great from our point of view. I think we go with the call, don't react and then obviously they finish it. And then I feel we have a very good goal ruled out, which absolutely killed us momentum-wise and then obviously we get a bit of a sucker punch for the second goal. But yeah, first half, I thought we were really good. Second half, we had a wobble. After they scored the goal, definitely they were on top for 15 minutes but I thought that was the only 15 minutes they were on top in the game personally." "We said at half-time, we were pleased how we played first half. I thought we were on top. I thought their main threat was direct ball and then a flick from that or maybe a set-piece and that's sort of how it played out. But yeah, second half, that did rock our momentum a bit. Like I said, I thought they had a good 15-minute spell where it looked like we would concede again. We rode that out and then got back on top, I felt, and had a few half-chances and balls into the box and things like that. And then, like I said, I thought it was a completely legitimate goal. I really can't see why that was disallowed. They're saying a pull but I didn't see it. I definitely didn't see a pull. It would have been nice for Charlie. It would have given us, obviously, an equaliser and then who knows what would have happened off the back of that. We could have gone on and won the game but it's all if, buts and maybes. But, yes, disappointing, obviously, for Charlie because it would have been his first senior goal. Like I said, I didn't think there was anything wrong with it.
On the performance despite players missing: "I think that's the most, you know, I think that's the thing that anyone coming to the game today can take away from really and be most pleased about. I thought with the players that we had unavailable, the fact that we've gone and, you know, let's face it, Hereford are a well-established team, obviously a former football league side and going reasonably well this season. They're in and around the play-off. So, you know, I thought with the players that we had unavailable to play how we did, I thought it was a testament to the lads really and they showed a lot of character and resilience, obviously Dan's clearly not fit and we've almost had to ask him to get out there and try and give it a go, which he did, and obviously, he hasn't done any further damage. He just felt it really stiffen up. So, we've had to obviously bring him off after 26, 27 minutes. So, yeah, that demonstrates where we're at. And then on the bench, we've got young Oli, obviously a sub-keeper, young Rowan from the reserves. And then we've got Liam Cross who couldn't come on either because he felt his hamstring was really tight. So, you know, that's where we're at. Unfortunately, it does feel like it feels like we're getting a lot of obstacles in our way and it feels like it's been like that all season. So, you know, can't moan about it. We've just got to move on and, you know, and try and get more bodies onto the pitch Saturday fit, which we will have. We definitely have a couple back and obviously I'm working to get one or two in, not because of the injury crisis, just because I want one or two of my own players that I really think can add to the team."
Ahead of Saturday's visit of Oxford City:" Yeah, like I said, for me personally, again, I've just said that in the interview previously, that every game is important. Every game we've got to look to win, simple as that. I'm not taking a view of it's more important because they're near the bottom or we're not going to get anything out of that because they're near the top. We're going into every game and I can promise any supporter coming to any game, we are going into every game front foot, trying to win it, simple as that, because that's how I believe you should play football. I'm not coming to draw. I'm not coming to lose games. Obviously, as the game goes on, you'll assess it and sometimes you might go, oh, actually, that would be a good point today, we'll hold on, but every game we're going front foot, simple as. That's how I want us to play."
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