Needham Market recorded a hugely deserved three points on Tuesday night with a 1-0 win at Leamington.
Kevin Horlock's side started Jake Dye, Jacob Lay and Adam Mills in place of Josh Tomlinson, Seth Chambers and Tevan Allen.
A brilliant all-round team performance from start to finish saw the Marketmen start brightly in what was an end to end half, with very few clear cut chances at either end in the clash of the two sides promoted from the Southern League Central Premier last season, with both of those meetings going the way of the Marketmen.
Good play from Needham found MOTM Adam Mills in space on the left-hand edge of the box, although the winger's low shot across goal was well held by Callum Hawkins after 2 minutes.
At the other end, Needham nullified the hosts, who went into the night 10 points ahead of the Reds in 14th place, threat superbly.
Great defending from Dan Morphew saw a volley from the right-hand side of the box deflected well by the defender, towards his near post on 8 minutes.
The Brakes cut inside into a shooting position onto the edge of the box on 23 minutes, though the shot went high and over.
Ben Hunter meanwhile created space to shoot from just outside the box only to fire narrowly over on 37 minutes, while goalkeeper Danny Cullum smartly guarded his near, right-hand, post down the other end to smother away Callum Stewart's low shot, after a quick counter moments later.
Adam Mills then picked up possession inside the box before weaving through bodies to get close to goal but saw his effort at point blank range blocked behind for a corner in the 41st minute, though Reggie Lambe's set-piece was headed narrowly wide at the far post.
Leamington on the other hand were denied by the outside of the post in the solitary minute of first half stoppage time, as both sides went into the break level.
The Marketmen emerged from the interval much the better team, dominating the majority of the possession, penning Leamington into their own half.
The Marketmen went agonisingly close on 51 minutes, great play from Jacob Lay saw the midfielder find space to cross into the box from the left wing, finding Lambe on the penalty spot whose header looped narrowly over.
Lambe was again in the thick of the action two minutes later, exploiting space from 25-yards to fire a low shot towards goal which Hawkins held comfortably, before the Bermuda international was fed inside the box before turning to shoot and smashing his effort narrowly wide of the bottom near, left-hand, corner on 56 minutes.
Adam Mills continued Needham's momentum, driving into space from 35-yards out to shoot but fired fired his low strike straight at Hawkins a minute later.
Horlock's side got their reward for their persistence as all-time record goalscorer and appearance maker Luke Ingram was fouled in the penalty area, after poking a cross past the defender on the hour mark.
Ingram stepped up to ruthlessly smash his 136th goal for the club into the top right-hand corner.
The Reds almost added a quick fire second goal on 66 minutes, Adam Mills flicked a through-ball past his man before accelerating down the left wing and spotting Hawkins off his line, albeit his lobbed shot went narrrowly wide of the far post.
Leamington flashed a shot narrowly wide of the bottom far corner on 74 minutes, before Jacob Lay made way for Tevan Allen.
Needham introduced Seth Chambers in place for Reggie Lambe, while Needham had the final chance of the game on 87 minutes as Kyle Hammond hit a ferocious narrowly over.
The Marketmen saw off the 7 minutes of stoppage time to record a much needed victory, lifting them up a place to 3rd, just three points from climbing out of the relegation zone ahead of Saturday's home clash with 17th places Scarborough Athletic (3pm) - who were held to a goalless draw by Warrington Town.
Read what manager Kevin Horlock and MOTM Jacob Lay had to say after the game .
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