Richard Wilkins says Needham Market heading in right direction after Suffolk Derby draw with Leiston

Richard Wilkins may look back on Bank Holiday Monday as a missed opportunity to have gained a long-awaited three points over rivals Leiston, but the Needham Market boss firmly believes his side are heading in the right direction.

After falling behind to Cemal Ramadan’s early opener, the Marketmen fought back with Joe Marsden scoring from the penalty spot, before Adam Mills struck to give the hosts a 2-1 lead at the interval.

It left Needham heading into the second half hopeful of securing a first league win over their Suffolk rivals since 2009, but Chris Henderson levelled for the visitors midway through the second half to ensure the first meeting between the two sides in the Evo-Stik League Southern Premier Division Central ended all square.

The Marketmen now head into their second month of the campaign just outside the play-off places, with a trip to Alvechurch next up for Wilkins’ men tomorrow (3pm).

“I thought we had great opportunities in the second half (to kill the game off),” the Needham boss said.

“We kept giving the ball away. We had four or five three v threes and for reasons unknown we just kept giving the ball away.

“They put us under pressure. They had a lot of the ball in the last five or 10 minutes, but Marcus Garnham (the Leiston goalkeeper) has made an unbelievable save.

“He’s been busier than what Jake Jessup (the Needham goalkeeper) has been today.

“We’re coming on. We got stuffed by them twice last year, but today we’ve showed that we’re a better team than what we were then.

“We’re getting better and we’re moving in the right direction. It was a good game of football to watch, especially in the first half.

“If we had a little bit more composure on the ball in the final third we could have put them to the sword a little bit.

“But I said to the lads, it’s difficult at this level to play two games in three days. On the whole, are we happy with a point? I don’t know.

“I think there was an opportunity for us to win it, but probably as a neutral a draw was a fair reflection.”

In front of an impressive crowd of 657 at Bloomfields, the Marketmen were bidding to end a 10-match run without a league win over Leiston (P10 D1 L9). Boss Wilkins brought winger Mills, who scored both the goals for Needham in the one draw in that streak between the two sides in 2015, back into his starting line-up, as Reece Dobson dropped to the bench.

The opening exchanges saw Needham’s Keiran Morphew head wide from a Callum Sturgess free kick, while at the other end Dominic Docherty and Christy Finch had efforts in quick succession blocked.

An early goal did arrive on 11 minutes, when Ramadan retrieved the ball outside the Needham box and his low shot sneaked into the corner, wrong-footing home goalkeeper Jessup to open his account for his new club, following a summer move from Bury Town.

The Blues’ advantage would only last five minutes, though, as no sooner had Jessup kept out Finch’s shot the Marketmen were on the counter attack.

Captain Gareth Heath picked out the run of Mills on the left wing, and his first-time cross into the box reached Luke Ingram, who was hauled down and a penalty was awarded.

Garnham guessed the right way against his former team-mate Marsden, but could not keep out the spot kick, which brought the hosts back on level terms.

With their tails up, Needham remained on top and took the lead 10 minutes later to turn the Suffolk Derby on its head.

Jeremiah Kamanzi swung a cross in from the right wing which found Mills at the back post, and the winger’s connection to the ball caught out Garnham and rolled into the net.

Leiston committed more men forward after the break, as they went in search of an equaliser, a tactic which led to the Marketmen threatening on the counter attack.

But the hosts could not find a killer touch when they needed it and on 65 minutes Henderson levelled with a shot from the edge of the box.

Both sides pushed for a late winner, with Leiston indebted to their goalkeeper Garnham for making two fine saves, while Jake Reed and Ramadan spurned chances to win it for the visitors.

“It’s promising,” Wilkins said. “We’ve got a lot to learn about keeping hold of the ball and having composure in situations.

“That was the only downside today. I think we’ve come on leaps and bounds as a club and as a team.

“I think we’re getting stronger and stronger. Everyone today gave 100 per cent and you have to praise the efforts of the players.”

Needham Market: Jessup, Dye, Sturgess, Kamanzi, K Morphew, D Morphew, Marsden, Heath (c), Ingram, Griffiths (Dobson 73), Mills. Subs not used: Exworth, Carragher, Rose, Cook. Attendance: 657. Referee: C Walchester. Free Press MOTM: K Morphew.