Rovers Force Replay - Needham Market vs. Stanway Rovers

General view of Bloomfields

The FA Cup is now at the stage where teams at step 3 enter the competition and this provides teams in the lower leagues to produce a shock against a team that may have had a bad start at this level. I went to such a game as Needham Market of The Ryman Premier League were hosting Stanway Rovers of The Eastern Counties League. Needham Market had found life tough going in their first season in The Premier League with no wins in nine league games so far and having lost 6-0 away at Wingate and Finchley in midweek. Stanway had made a better start to their league campaign, winning four and losing one of their league matches. To get to this stage, Stanway had beaten two Essex Senior League sides in Clapton and Ilford and this was their third away game in the competition so far this year. 

Kick off at Bloomfields

There is a nervous early moment for the Needham Market defence when a long ball forward is allowed to bounce and this nearly presents the attacker with a one on one chance but the Needham keeper is just there first. Stanway come close again as the ball is flicked on at the near post but no one can get the killer second touch. Needham's first chance comes from a low shot from the edge of the area which goes just wide of the post. Stanway take a shock lead when a free kick into the area isn't dealt with and the ball is turned in from close range. The lead doesn't last long however, the Needham winger is able to get beyond the full back and the cross finds a team mate in the area and he is able to equalise for the home side. Stanway have a good chance to regain the lead with a free kick just outside the area but the effort is straight at the goal keeper.

Moments before the equaliser

The second half takes a little while to get going and the first attack of note is a Stanway free kick in a decent position which comes to nothing. Needham come close to taking the lead for the first time when a cross into the area takes a nick off the defender and this just takes the ball away from the striker. Stanway are then able to break out of defence but the final shot goes harmlessly wide. The Stanway defence then does brilliantly to block a shot when the attacker is able to cut through the defence and they stay alert to block a second chance. Needham have the ball in net following a long ball forward which is poked home but the goal is disallowed for a push on a defender. Needham have a lot of the ball in the final moments but they fail to prevent the tie going to a replay.

Needham push for a late winner

There are no direct trains to Needham Market from London. You have to take a train from Liverpool Street and change at Ipswich for a train to Needham Market with the journey taking around an hour and a half. The Tour of Britain was coming through the town the day I visited and so a lot of shops had displays and bunting up and there were a lot of people about. Just off The High Street is The Three Tuns which had a couple of ales as well as Sky Sports. On The High Street its self is The Limes Hotel which has quite a small bar but is a cool timber framed set up and also had the sports channels for the early kick off. Bloomfields is then a short walk from The High Street. The clubhouse had the usual selection of drinks and a TV to show the Tour of Britain going past only a couple of hundred meters away. While I was waiting for my train I popped into The Rampant Horse which did the job and sold awesome sausage rolls.

Covered standing down onside of the pitch