Needham Market 3 Ware 2

08 February 2011

THE frame of the goal was all that prevented Ware from completing a sensational comeback in a dramatic second half at Needham Market.

Goals from Ross Price – playing as a makeshift striker – and Ryan Wade from the spot saw the depleted visitors peg back some of a seemingly insurmountable three-goal deficit, with Needham Market getting a late let-off when a Luke Marshall effort clipped the post and was desperately hacked away by a defender as the hosts hung on to claim a narrow 3-2 win.

With Matt Mitchell suspended and Murat Karagul absent, Alwayne Powell started up front alongside Wade, while Gazmend Dauti returned to the starting line-up on the left.

Ross Price started in the middle of the park in place of Sam Berry, but was later pushed forward when Powell got injured.

The first half was primarily one-way traffic, and it took Needham Market only nine minutes to open their account.

A short corner was taken and the ball was whipped in, but with nobody guarding the man at the back post, Sheridan Driver nodded past Obey Murefu to make it 1-0.

Just before the half-hour mark, Sam Newson made it two when he met a cross from the left and tapped the ball in at the far post.

Nine minutes after half-time, Needham Market added a third when Danny Thrower completed a fine move that started with a break down the right wing.

Thrower cut into the middle and drove a low left-footed shot past Murefu to seemingly put Ware right out of commission.

But after a change of personnel, makeshift striker Price pulled a goal back on 66 minutes when he got on the end of a route-one drop-kick from keeper Murefu and guided the ball past Needham stopper Danny Gay.

Six minutes later and it was game on – although Gay was lucky his night didn’t end there. Ryan Wade got himself into a dangerous position in the box, only for the home keeper to bring him down and concede a penalty.

Gay escaped with only a yellow card, and Wade dusted himself down to make it 3-2 from the spot.

Ware spent the next 18 minutes desperately searching for an equaliser.

The closest they came was when there were only two minutes left of normal time.

A ball over the top was taken to the byline by Price, who crossed for Marshall to flick the ball goalwards, only for it to hit a post.

Still the danger wasn’t cleared, but a Needham defender was eventually able to leather the ball away and the chance went begging.

Ware: Obey Murefu, Joe Clemo, Jimmie Berry, Chris Sargent, Matt Turpin, Ross Price, Luke Marshall, Sam Ruff (sub: Rob Kemble, 65), Alwayne Powell (sub: Sam Berry, 55), Ryan Wade, Gazmend Dauti. Subs not used: Stephane Koffi, Danny Sonner (GK).