Needham respond from a goal down to pick up an important three points at home to play-off chasers Chorley, courtesy of a penalty from Luke Ingram at the death in a 2-1 victory.
Tom Rothery's side made 2 changes to Tuesday's trip to Scarborough, Jake Dye and Jamie McGrath started in place of JOSH Tomlinson and Seth Chambers.
Needham arguably had the better chances, though Chorley looked a threat on the break.
Both sides tested the opposite 'keeper early on, Jake Watkiss' 7th minute header from Tevan Allen's exquisite cross was shovelled away by Matt Urwin, while Marcus Garnham swatted away a low header two minutes later.
Tevan Allen headed an eleventh minute corner off the line as both teams started brightly.
Kole Hall however headed home the opening goal after a flick on from a corner on 25 minutes, before Watkiss' low 30-yard free-kick was hit straight at Matt Urwin soon after.
Tom Carr was offside as he looped a header home just before the half-hour mark, while Ted Collis' 45th minute shot went narrowly wide.
Garnham meanwhile comfortably held onto Tom Carr's low header from a cross three minutes after the restart, while Seth Chambers replaced Jake Watkiss.
After Chorley hit the post on 57 minutes, Kyle Hammond volleyed over eleven minutes later after Tevan Allen's partially cleared cross, before Needham equalised on 74 minutes.
Jamie McGrath threaded Keiran Morphew through down the right-hand side to lash home, like a cultured striker, low into the net.
Needham then introduced Iffy Allen in place of Ted Collis, with Garnham expertly holding onto a low powerful strike on 76 minutes.
Needham meanwhile shot agonisingly just wide of the bottom corner a minute later, though Garnham was on hand to hold onto Kole Hall's effort moments later.
The game ended in dramatic fashion as Tommy Smith's powerful 91st minute strike from inside the box was beaten away, before Mark Ellis was sent off for a headbutt 2 minutes later.
Luke Ingram duly lashed home the unstoppable spot-kick into the middle left-hand corner to move Needham out of the relegation zone on goal difference.
Needham travel to Spennymoor Town on Tuesday (7:45pm).
Captain Keiran Morphew reflects on yesterday's win.
KM: Yeah, great win. Turned it around right at the end. Showed some character and it's probably something that maybe we've accused not having Tuesday night away on that tough loss, but great win today and the feeling's good.
DK: You were involved in everything. Scoring the equaliser, and won the penalty.
KM: Yeah, I'm not sure that counts as winning the penalty, just getting headbutted. Yeah, I don't normally score many goals, so glad to get on the score sheet. I'm a better finisher in training, but yeah, it come off today so it looked all right.
DK: And next up, we've got two long away trips starting with Spennymoor on Tuesday.
KM: Yeah, another long one. Another place we've never been before and hopefully show a better account of ourselves than we did last Tuesday. And then Kidderminster, not that far really when you think about it. Only up the road to Birmingham, but yeah, that'll be a great ground to play at. They're a good team. They played probably one of the best we've played this year at home, so another game we can showcase how good we are at times.
DK: And like you said, we needed that character today because we haven't won in a few games.
KM: Yeah, I mean, that's horrible out there. The pitch is hard and bobbly and that's windy. They sort of had a goal out of nothing. Don't really think they had much else. I mean, they hit the post and the header from a set piece.
But I thought we'd done all right, played the conditions well, kept that 1-0 for as long as we could and then nicked a couple of goals.
Manager Tom Rothery reflects on yesterday's win over Chorley.
DK: What a result, you must be pleased?
TR: Yeh really pleased another tough game and the conditions were really tough again today against a very physical, direct team and I felt we matched that physicality really well and deserved to win. They had the better of the first half with the conditions but I felt we played ok in large parts trying to play phases which was tough at times and then in the second half I thought they started the better but the changes we made and the little change in shape really helped us get on the front foot more so not bad for an inexperienced manager as they put it.
2. A much needed victory given our recent results?
TR: Look I think our mentality is key to us staying up. At this level you’re going to lose more than we are used to off the back of last season and sometimes that can be tough to take especially when they’re heavy defeats. But we had a bit of video work Thursday and a chat and I think today they showed in their actions that we are not dead yet and we will keep fighting and as a management team that’s our job to make sure we keep the lads believing and dragging every last inch out of them and we certainly got that from the boys today.
DK: A very dramatic end as well, with Keiran at the heart of both goals!
TR: Keiran is just a top player simple as that the equaliser shows what quality he has he’s not just a dominant defender he can play too. The penalty is madness really, look in general day to day life the lad would be getting arrested it’s possibly the worst I’ve seen on a pitch he’s head-butted Keiran put a 3 inch gash on his eye lid and knicked his cheekbone so there’s a small cut there too it’s just madness. Thankfully the Referee saw it and acted correctly so fair play to him.
DK: How important was today's win given that games are running out?
TR: Every point is huge so three is massive, who knows what it will take but every point we get is one closer to what keeps us up so hugely important and takes us into two tough away games with some positivity.
DK: Away to Spennymoor Tuesday, what type of game are you expecting?
TR: They are in a really good run of form and flying in the FA trophy as well so look it’ll be tough but we will recover and go there and give our best simple as that.
Comments