Needham Market fall back into the relegation zone after a 1-0 defeat at Spennymoor Town.
On a night of fine margins, it was the Moors who came out on top, which saw neither side really trouble the opposition's goal much throughout the night.
Tom Rothery's side were without Jake Dye, with Josh Tomlinson, Iffy Allen and Jacob Lay starting for the Marketmen.
Junior Mondal had the first shot on target for the hosts in the fourth minute, but fired his low strike at Marcus Garnham who held onto it well.
The Moors then glanced a corner wide of the far post inside eight minutes, who had two shots blocked in quick succession in the tenth minute.
The game was arguably a very even affair, with clear cut chances at a premium, with the hosts having the better of the first half, while the Marketmen did likewise after the restart - but couldn't find an equaliser.
Shrimpton fired a ferocious volleyed strike over the bar on 13 minutes, while a great ball towards Luke Ingram two minutes later was cleared away by goalkeeper Brad James.
The hosts meanwhile glanced a header just over from close range on 22 minutes, while Corey McKeown latched onto a long ball down the left wing to break through into the box and wrap a low shot into the bottom far corner to break the deadlock on the half-hour mark.
Rutledge followed that up by firing a low strike straight at Garnham on 38 minutes, before Needham created a great chance a minute later.
Great link-up play from Tommy Smith saw the influential left-back find Jamie McGrath, who in turn threaded Iffy Allen into space on the right-hand edge of the box, albeit the winger's low strike was deflected straight at James.
Smith then looked to whip a dangerous cross into the box on 41 minutes, but James advanced off his line to claim possession.
Although the hosts curled a 48th minute free-kick just over the crossbar, Needham edged the possession and the chances after the break.
Watford loanee Jake Watkiss was flagged offside three minutes later as his effort from a tight angle was denied by James, who then punched away Tev Allen's dangerous left wing corner on 55 minutes.
Captain Keiran Morphew however thumped a shot over soon after, with Iffy Allen's dangerous right wing cross narrowly evading Jake Watkiss at close range moments later.
Needham opted for a double substitution, introducing Seth Chambers and Ted Collis in place of Jake Watkiss and St Albans loanee Iffy Allen, albeit Marcus Garnham was forced into a great save to keep the scoreline at 1-0 on 64 minutes.
Arguably the only major save either keeper was required to make saw the stopper narrow the angle superbly to thwart Rob Ramshaw.
Goalscorer McKeown fired a low shot narrowly wide a minute later, as Kyle Hammond thundered a shot just wide of the top right-hand corner on 66 minutes.
Needham went close again just seconds later, Luke Ingram's flick released Seth Chambers into space down the left-hand side whose dangerous low ball across the face of goal towards Ted Collis saw a defender turn the ball just past his near post at the expense of a corner, preventing an almost certain equaliser.
At the other end, Tommy Smith and Jacob Lay put their bodies on the line to prevent Garnham from being called into action on 71 minutes, with the resulting shot going over.
Luke Ingram saw a shot of his own blocked on 74 minutes, while a free header was directed straight at Garnham on 79 minutes.
Jacob Lay meanwhile saw a shot deflected crucially just wide of the top right-hand corner for a Needham corner, which Keiran Morphew headed agonisingly over at close range.
Midfielder Eddie Barker replaced Jamie McGrath, as Ted Collis' clever right wing corner was glanced narrowly over by Keiran Morphew on 86 minutes.
The visitors nearly earned a point two minutes later, but Ted Collis' half-volleyed shot went just over.
Midtable Spennymoor held on for all three points, while Needham travel to fourth place Kidderminster Harriers on Saturday (22nd, 3pm).
Manager Tom Rothery reflects on last night's defeat at Spennymoor.
DK: Frustrating one to take?
TR: Yeah, I'm really frustrated to be honest. Look, it's difficult with the slope. I think it does make it a game of two halves. We spoke about it before the game. Obviously, I didn't want it to be a game of two halves, but I think it does make it that way just because it is quite a slope and makes it very difficult to play when you're going up the slope. But I don't know. I just don't think there was much in the game. I don't think either keeper's made a save. Oh, actually, Marco made one save, didn't he, in the second half. I think other than that, their keeper's made a couple of OK. I just don't think there was anything in the game. To be fair to them, the one bit of quality in the game they showed for the goal, I think we could do better for the goal, but the lads had a great touch and took it really well. So, yeah, I'm quite frustrated with that, I've got to be honest.
DK: Small margins denied us what would have been a fair point?
TR: Yeah, look, it's been like that all season. There's no excuses. We know exactly what it's about. It's all the games, there's small margins, fine details and it's about making sure that you stay switched on or showing that little bit of quality to get you a win. I'm just frustrated. I thought we showed so much on Saturday. I don't know. Look, I think we've worked hard and the lads always try. I just don't think we've done enough. I don't think we've built any real momentum. I didn't feel like they were really under the cosh. I just don't think we did enough. Worst case scenario, we should be coming away with a nil-nil, but like I said, they've shown the one bit of quality in the game and I just don't think we've done enough in the game, to be honest.
DK: It's kind of the story of our season. We get a good result and we haven't really backed it up enough.
TR: 100 per cent. We haven't had momentum all season. Well, the only back-to-back games we've won is Warrington and Hereford. What was that, September? We haven't done that since. So, yeah, that's the story of our season. And when you do that, you end up being near the bottom of the table for a reason, do you know what I mean? Because you win one, lose one, draw one, whatever it is, you can't ever get your head above the line, really. So, yeah, it has been the story of the season. It's tough. Again, another long journey. We've come here without players available. The league hasn't done us too many favours, have they? We found out the game was going to be postponed, which obviously Spennymoor got to the semi-final, so well done to them. But obviously that then meant our Saturday game was postponed.
We were given 12 days to plan a mid-week trip, which I think is just an absolute joke, to be honest. We asked for it to be in April and the league said, no, it's got to be in 12 days' time. But I would like us to use that as fuel to make us more determined. But we've travelled here and we've just not done enough, I think, on the night. I think we've huffed and puffed, but just not done enough.
DK: On Saturday, well, like you've said many a time, they're all tough tests, but not many bigger than Saturday's, really.
TR: No, I think of all the games this season, I think the one team that's really put us to the sword, I mean, Buxton did on the day and Scarborough did, but I think there are circumstances for some of that, to be honest. But the one team that's really given us a bit of a lesson was Kidderminster. I was really impressed with them on the day when it came to us, whenever it was. Yeah, good side, so it'll be tough. There are no easy games. If we didn't know it, we should know it. And if we don't know it, then we're never going to learn. Every game's tough and Saturday will be one of the toughest on paper. But we've got to go there. We'll have a few people back, won't we? So hopefully we'll go there and just got to show a bit more and do a little bit more and try and get some points.
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