NEEDHAM MARKET | MUDDY MARVEL

Garnham keeping it clean

Every successful team needs a reliable last line of defence and Pitching In Southern League Premier Central high-flyers, Needham Market certainly have that in Marcus Garnham.

The popular custodian put in another Man of the Match display at the weekend as he kept a clean sheet to help earn a 1-0 victory at Leamington and he will be looking for another shut-out on Tuesday evening as the Marketmen host Stratford Town.

It’s been a solid campaign so far for the Suffolk outfit with just three defeats and 20 goals conceded from 28 League games to see them lead the table by five points with two games in hand over second-place Redditch United.

Garnham has played his part in that proud record.

“I’ve been happy with my contribution to the team so far this season,” he admitted to us. “The team has been brilliant and whatever happens between now and the end of the season, it’s been extremely positive.

“If I’m being totally honest, I didn’t expect us to be sitting in this position going into the month of March, especially after last season.

“We only added a few players, so we were expecting some improvement, but it’s great to have surpassed our own expectations.

“It’s a strong League; we lost a big-hitter in Tamworth but there are still a number of well-supported clubs and it’s a very competitive – and enjoyable – competition to play in.

“I am certainly enjoying my football and intend to carry on doing so for the rest of the campaign. Rarely are players in these sort of situations, so I am not going to get carried away and will just savour every moment, take it one game at a time and see where it takes us.”

Garnham’s goalkeeping journey actually began with him playing basketball.

“I was well into basketball before football,” he admitted. “I was then asked to play in goal for a local team, Kesgrave Kestrels U11s, and transferred some of the skills I had picked up from basketball.

“I also enjoyed diving around in all of the mud and just carried on playing in goal from there. I still get the same buzz from it today and even enjoy all the abuse I get from away fans week after week!”

IMAGE: Rob O’Brien

Needham Market Web Site