A game of two halves went the way of the home side as South Shields beat Needham Market 1-0.
Tom Rothery's side made one change from the 4-0 home win over Oxford City as Jake Dye (injury was replaced by Dan Morphew. Liam Cross was also unavailable, although Josh Blunkell returned to the bench along with new signing Ted Collis.
South Shields arguably had the better of the first half, while Needham had the better of the second half.
Overall, a point apiece would've been fair, with shots on goal few and far between at either end.
Needham 'keeper Marcus Garnham was equal to Paul Blackett's low shot, smartly shovelling the shot behind on 6 minutes in the first major chance of the afternoon.
Kyle Hammond's right wing clever cross five minutes later just evaded Jamie McGrath at the far post, while crucial interceptions from MOTM Keiran Morphew and Marcus Garnham thwarted the hosts from getting a shot towards goal.
Blackett fired his shot over from inside the box on 17 minutes, before Iffy Allen cut inside well after breaking through down the left wing only to fire his shot over a minute later.
Needham grew into the game well, though the hosts broke the deadlock after Paul Blackett latched onto a ball forward to find the bottom corner on 24 minutes.
After great defending from Dan Morphew turned Dylan Stephenson's cross behind, Jamie McGrath cleverly latched onto a long ball before holding off the defender to spin past him and send an inviting ball across the box - albeit appeals for handball from the deflection were waved away on 32 minutes.
The hosts then flashed a shot wide before Needham went close to restoring parity in the space of sixty seconds. The first, in the 40th minute, saw Iffy Allen's great left wing cross glanced wide by Jamie McGrath, from point blank range at the far post, while Reggie Lambe latched onto some intelligent quick passing - albeit his first time shot went agonisingly just wide of the bottom near corner.
Needham again created a good opportunity on 44 minutes, more clever passing saw Bermuda International Lambe feed Tevan Allen into space on the right-hand side whose low dangerous cross was cleared.
The Suffolk side dominated the second half, and were rather unfortunate to return home without a point, introducing Seth Chambers at the interval.
Lambe almost found the breakthrough Rothery's side craved inside a minute of the restart, the midfielder arrived onto the loose ball on the edge of the box but volleyed his shot just wide.
Martin Smith saw a shot comfortably saved by Garnham on 51 minutes in a rare second half chance for the home side.
Tevan Allen picked out substitute Chambers, who in turn picked out Kyle Hammond in acres of space on the left wing - with an exquisite cross-field pass on 55 minutes, but his shot was blocked.
Ted Collis made his Needham debut seven minutes later in a double substitution, which also saw record holder Luke Ingram enter the pitch.
Kyle Crossley fired a low shot wide on 67 minutes, before Seth Chambers drove into space on the end of Luke Ingram's flick on from Tevan Allen's ball only to see his tame shot denied by Myles Boney.
David Carson received the game's first caution in the 70th minute for a bad challenge on Reggie Lambe, though Seth Chambers headed wide from a dangerous right wing cross a minute later.
Teddy Collis was denied by both the crossbar and the offside flag from opening his Needham account, after Ingram's header back across goal from Hammond's 75th minute free-kick.
Luke Ingram meanwhile earned Needham a corner with a surging run, which the forward shot wide at the near post two minutes later.
Lambe and Ingram saw shots blocked soon after, before Dylan Stephenson's ball across the fwce5of goal saw Crossley denied by the crossbar on 84 minutes.
Needham continued to hunt for an equaliser, despite time ticking down. McGrath hooked a shot just wide following a great long ball on 85 minutes,
The Marketmen did have the ball in the net a minute later, but were denied by the offside flag after Teddy Collis had broken through the hosts' half before cooly finding the bottom left-hand corner.
Needham then had a strong penalty appeal waved away following a foul on Collis on 88 minutes, with a corner the referee's verdict.
After a couple of minutes delay, the Marketmen could only head the set-piece wide from close range.
Needham return to the Ecologic Stadium Bloomfields on Tuesday when Leamington visit Suffolk (7:45pm).
Manager Tom Rothery said, "Always difficult, long way to come and they're a good footballing side. First half, we found it tough with their formation and the wind was an added factor to that as well, made it very tough at times.
Probably didn't take good enough care of the ball at times as well, but it was a game of two halves, let's be honest. I thought second half we were well on top, first half they were on top. I think we deserved something out of the game, but we didn't get anything. That's football, isn't it? We've got to move on and another game Tuesday."
"It's difficult to see from the angle that we are in the dugout, but I thought the (foul on) Keiran (penalty shout) one looked iffy. I thought Teddy's one, personally, he gets in front of the defender and the defender doesn't touch the ball. For me, once you do that, it's a foul and it's a penalty, but he hasn't given it. I think Teddy's offside is really tight.
The lads on the bench are saying he's onside, but obviously we're not in a great angle to say that, but that's what the lads on the bench and the dugout were saying. Like I said, I don't think we've got too many favourable decisions today."
On the character shown by the team Rothery added, "Yes, there's a lot of heart and character to be taken from our list. Yes, that's what I've just said to the lads. At the end of the day, we know what battle we're in and if we keep performing and keep showing that desire that we've shown today and we've shown, especially recently, but all season really. The lads have been committed all season and I really like how we've performed since I've been in charge. Like I said, first half was tough, second half I thought we showed everything really, everything that we could show. We just didn't get our goal. That results in a defeat, so yes, it's a tough one to take, but I can't fault the players for what they've given me since I've taken over, including today. I thought we played well.
"I thought it was a good team performance first half, like I said, it was tough, but you've got to give them respect as well. They're a good footballing side and the shape they play makes it difficult and they look after the ball. I thought we ended up a little bit in between at times in the first half and, like I said, the wind added to that as well, which made it difficult.
In the second half, they just asked for us to be a bit more front-footed, a bit more decisive in our play when we were defending situations and not end up in those half spaces where they can then move the ball around us. I thought we did that really well and Teddy's come into the building because he's a good player and I think he can add something. I don't think anyone here today has seen that.
He's got a goal threat, he's got ability and I thought Ingers was outstanding when he came on as well. I just think it was a good team performance. Like I've just said in the changing room to the lads, sometimes you'll get games where you perform and you don't get any points and you might have a game where you don't perform very well and you get three points. That's football. We have to take it on the chin and move forward to Tuesday and look to put the same level of performance in and get the result."
"Jake (Dye)'s going to be a couple of weeks, I think, hopefully no more. Josh (Tomlinson) is back training with Northampton but obviously not quite ready for us yet so hopefully that won't be too far away and Liam Cross will be back available for Tuesday.
So we're not far off and so we're getting a full squad that will be required, especially for these last 13 games."
Looking ahead to Tuesday's home clash with Leamington, Rothery said, "As you've seen today, I just don't think it's a cliche, there's just no easy games. Leamington obviously came up with us last year, they won the play-offs, they've got strengths, you know, they've got threats in behind.
Obviously, they've lost the little lad up front who's got to move to Shrewsbury so fair play to him. He was always a threat for them but I've seen they've signed someone else, they'll have threats, you know, they're a good side.
Obviously, Paul's been in charge there 14, 15 years so he knows what he's doing so he'll set them up, right? It'll be another tough game and we've just got to, like I said, we've just got to turn up, make sure we put a performance on and look to get a result but it won't be easy. No games at this level are just going to be handy to us so we've just got to turn up, show everything and we'll see whether that's good enough or not."
コメント