Needham Market welcome Coalville to Suffolk on Saturday, for what will be the away side's first visit to Bloomfields, after Needham ran out 1-2 winners, when Reece Dobson fired Needham infront following a one-on-one, before being cancelled out by Berridge in the second half. However, a late Marsden header earned the Marketmen all three points at The Mander Cruickshank Solicitor Stadium on October 13th, which was the start of the impressing run the Marketmen went on for the remainder of 2018.
At that time Coalville sat in second place whilst the Marketmen sat a few places behind, whilst Coalville now sit in the eighth position in the table, with their hosts currently in fourteenth place after a disappointing run of bad form. The two team's recent form meanwhile, is not great. Needham though will look to get rid off their torrid five-game losing streak, having been on the end of defeats to Royston Town at home 0-2, Redditch United away 4-1 with Marsden on target from penalty spot, Banbury United away 2-1 as Marsden again scored from a spot-kick, Tamworth at home 3-1 with Dan Morphew heading in a corner for Needham's goal and AFC Rushden & Diamonds away 2-1 most recently, despite Jamie Griffiths' free-kick reaching national coverage on Soccer AM.
Coalville meanwhile, have recorded two wins from their last five outings, one of which coming in a 3-0 home win over Halesowen Town, Wright, Shaw and Morris own goal grabbing the goals for the Ravens. Coalville then made the trip to King's Lynn Town, where they were on the end of a 4-1 defeat, despite Wright's initial equaliser. However, the Ravens returned to winning ways by beating leaders Kettering 3-2 thanks to goals from Mitchell, Berridge and Perry in stoppage time. Since then though, Coalville has been unable to return to winning ways, with two straight defeats also leaving them with the task of breaking away from extending that any further. The two defeats though came at home to Stratford Town 2-1, with McGlinchey on target for Town, followed by a 1-0 defeat at Hitchin Town in midweek.
Needham's recent home form meanwhile, stands at 1 win, 1 draw and 3 defeats. The Marketmen though did respond from the home defeat to struggling St. Neots 1-0 (goal scored by current Red Russell Short) by beating fellow play-off contenders at the time Biggleswade Town 1-0 in their second of back to back home outings, after Jamie Griffiths' stoppage-time winner in January. Since then, however, it has been a frustrating period for the Reds, who were held to a 1-1 draw against Halesowen despite Marsden giving them the lead from the penalty spot. Again, the Marketmen had two straight home games as Needham then welcomed Royston Town to Bloomfields, but fell to a 2-0 defeat after having beaten them in two of the three previous meetings earlier in the campaign. More recently, however, earlier this month Needham fell to a 3-1 defeat to Tamworth thanks to Daniel Morphew's header.
Whilst, Coalville have registered three wins and two defeats from their last five away trips, beginning with a 5-2 Cup win at Leicester Road, followed by 2-0 loss at Royston Town, which proceeded the previously mentioned defeat at King's Lynn Town, with more recent away trips featuring the win at Kettering and the defeat at Hitchin, as mentioned above.
Needham Market FC
