REPORT & REACTION | Needham Market V Aveley | 26.07.2025 |

Needham's pre-season campaign continued with a hard fought 2-2 draw with Isthmian Premier Division side Aveley.

Two equalisers from the Marketmen through Seth Chambers and substitute Luca Savill cancelled out a goal in each half for the visitors in a tight fought pre-season friendly. 

Aveley saw a third minute low shot well saved by James Bradbrook diving low to his left-hand side, while Seth Chambers broke through clear on goal four minutes later, rounding the keeper only to see his low shot well blocked by a recovering defender. 

Chambers then won a penalty on 11 minutes, but saw his low spot-kick saved, while Aveley broke up the other end and saw Elliott Sartorius' shot deflected in a minute later.

Kyle Hammond then saw a 14th minute effort deflected behind for a corner, who picked out Jamie McGrath free at the far post with the resulting pinpoint set-piece but the latter headed narrowly wide. 

The Marketmen remained on top, despite being a goal behind, as Kyle Hammond's brilliant left wing cross was met by Jamie McGrath at the far post whose effort was saved by the keeper on 20 minutes. 

Kyle Hammond meanwhile looked to thread Eddie Barker clear on goal on 24 minutes but the latter couldn't quite latch onto the ball. 

Ryan Miles then won a penalty moments later, which Chambers took and ruthlessly smashed home down the middle.

Needham continued to be on top, as Ryan Miles was fed smartly by Ollie Saunders down the right wing after being found by Hammond on 35 minutes, but his shot-cross was well held by North. 

Reggie Lambe meanwhile set Jamie McGrath through into the box a minute later who saw his shot held, while Ryan Miles saw an effort go wide on 40 minutes. 

Despite that the Marketmen started the second half strongly, controlling a lot of the possession, Aveley retook the lead on 56 minutes as a left wing cross was fired into the bottom near corner by Rowan Libaud at close range. 

Keiran Morphew meanwhile intercepted a dangerous Aveley attack down the right-hand side with a brilliant tackle on 68 minutes, before Eddie Barker was slotted through down the right wing smartly after great play from Tommy Smith a minute later only to see his dangerous low cross cleared. 

Eddie Barker was threaded through down the left wing well on 70 minutes, finding Chambers who teed up Ryan Miles whose low shot was blocked. 

Keiran Morphew saw a good strike following a corner deflected over in the 71st minute as Needham hinted a second equaliser. 

Needham went close with a clever free-kick on 80 minutes after a foul on Luca Savill. Reggie Lambe took it quickly, feeding Tommy Smith in space on the left wing whose low cross into the danger area adjudged to have been shot wide of a goal-kick. 

Luca Savill then headed a cross narrowly wide at close range on 85 minutes, while James Bradbrook was on hand two minutes later to fly up to his right-hand side and scoop the ball over. 

Needham deservedly equalised on 89 minutes as Academy players Brad Smith and Luca Savill combined, the former whipping an exquisite left wing cross to the latter to head home into the top near corner at close range. 

Needham travel to Isthmian North side Felixstowe and Walton United on Tuesday (7:45pm). 

Needham:- 1 James Bradbrook, 4 Kyle Hammond, 6 Dan Morphew (c, 59' 5 Keiran Morphew), 15 Trialist, 19 Reggie Lambe, 8 Ollie Saunders, 14 Jamie McGrath (78' 10 Luca Savill), 18 Eddie Barker (84' 2 Brad Smith), 11 Ryan Miles (73' 7 James Coton), 9 Seth Chambers.

Goals: Seth Chambers (26'pen), Luca Savill (89'); Elliott Sartorius (12'), Rowan Libaud (56').

REACTION | Tom Rothery Post Match Interview| Needham Market V Aveley | 26.07.2025 | 

Manager Tom Rothery reflects on the draw with Aveley.

DK: Another good friendly done? 

TR: Yeah, I've just said to the lads, I thought there's a lot of positives again. You can always pick holes in the goals that you concede, but I thought there's a lot of positives. We created a number of chances, which on another day you might take a couple and they're not a bad side. I thought it was a good workout as well. No knocks that I'm aware of, so that's positive as well, and bearing in mind we had no Joe Neal, no Myles, obviously Hunts with his ankle, he's out at the moment, which isn't a bad one. Ingers and Jake, so that's five quite important players. So to produce that performance with those five not here, I think is a real positive. I think so (had the more of the possession), but I thought they'd moved the ball quite well at times. So yeah, I thought first half we should have been ahead, rather than obviously it was 1-1. Thought we should have been ahead at half time, that's what I said to the lads. Second half, I thought we had more chances first half, so we should have definitely come ahead, come in at half time ahead. Whereas second half, Bradders has made one really good save at the end. They had a free header, I remember, and obviously they've scored a goal and I don't think we created as much. We still had a couple of bits, didn't we? Obviously the goal we scored, Luca went close with another chance, trying to think of another one. We put a few dangerous balls in the box, but yeah, I thought second half, probably on chances created, they probably edged it slightly maybe. We probably had a bit more possession second half and first half was probably a bit more possession-wise, but yeah, like I said, I think we created enough chances to win the game. So that's positive, especially when you consider who wasn't here.

DK: Yeah, the most pleasing points are obviously, like I said, no-one, as we know of, has got knocks and showed a lot of resilience to come from behind. 

TR: Yeah, I've said that in the changing room. That's what I'm really pleased about. Whilst it's not important, the result is still important because even though I'm contradicting myself, you don't want to lose games. You don't want to get into a habit of losing games. So whilst it's not the be-all and end-all, it's actually really pleasing that we haven't lost, one, because I didn't think we deserved to and two, it just shows that there is character in the team. And you could tell in that last 20, 30 minutes, we were really pushing to get at least an equaliser and maybe at times left ourselves a little bit open because of that. So that is pleasing and it's also obviously really, really pleasing that Reggie's done really well in the build-up to win the ball and then pass it and then obviously Brad's put a nice cross in and Luca is there at the end of it. So that's obviously hugely pleasing and along with James and along with all the reserves that have stepped in this season at pre-season, like I said, one, they'll get opportunities and two, I think they've all shown that they've got ability and now it's just about them coming into the squad at the right time because you don't want to push them in there when they're not ready, but they've all got qualities and now it's just about managing their expectation and them understanding when they need to come in and when they're ready to come in. But there will definitely be opportunities for them like there has been so far in pre-season. So one, that's good for me as a manager and two, that's great credit to our academy and James Manty and Grogs and people like that. 

DK: Yeah and it's quite fitting to be talking about the academy given that both goals came from current and former graduates. 

TR: Yeah look, since I've been here, I've been in a really privileged position whatever position I've held in the fact that the players that we've got have come through the academy, you know, you're locked to Kieran Morphew, Jake Dye and the younger ones that are coming through.

We've had so many good players come through that academy, Callum Page, Taylor Clark, you know what I mean, Charlie Warren, it's ridiculous really the amount of players that have come through that academy and gone on to better things. So, you know, I'm very privileged as a first team manager and we're very lucky as a club I think. 

DK: Moving on to Tuesday, a familiar test in Felixstowe.

TR: Obviously, we know them having knocked us out on penalties, we know that anyway. It's going to be a tough game, we know that. I think obviously they've lost Charlie who I've just mentioned but they've made some really good signings, Jacob Lay for one as an example. So, I think on paper they look stronger than they were last season. So, you know, we know it's going to be a tough game away from home.

It's never easy to go to Felixstowe anyway. So, look, it'll be another really good test for us. We've got a few back, so Joe, Mylo and Luke are back.

Jake's still away and Dan's banned because of last Tuesday. So, Jake and Dan won't be available and Hunts still won't be ready with his ankle but we've got three back so we'll be a bit stronger than we were today. But it'll be another good test and that's the pleasing thing really. Out of the games, I think we've got something out of all the games and I think generally it's been positives, but, you know, there's always a few things that you need to work on whether you want to call them negatives or not, it's up to you. But there's always things that you need to work on. I think by and large the games that we've had have been good. They've tested us and they've allowed us to really sort of implement some of the things that we're trying to work on in training, like shape, phases of play and also out of possession as well, how we press and when we don't press. And I think the lads have really brought into it and I think they've shown real promising signs in the games.

DK: How would you summarise pre-season so far?

TR: I just said to the lads, I think it's been good. I think the buy-in's been brilliant. Obviously, getting Darren in has been a real huge plus. I know it does sound like some people will underplay that, but getting a kit man in has been a huge plus because it allows the coaching staff and myself to concentrate on the jobs that we're here to do. Patch is brilliant. Obviously, I've got a really good assistant in Muller and I think Ben Mendrys has been a huge addition for us on the strength and conditioning. The lads have really brought into what he's trying to do. I've really enjoyed what he's doing and I think it has really helped us as well and I think it's been a really good addition. So, yeah, I'm really pleased with that, and obviously, James, the physio, he feels more settled now and you can tell that he's sort of getting a real grip of what he's trying to do. So, yeah, as a management, I think we're in a good position. I think it's been a really positive pre-season, but I've just said, bizarrely enough, I've just said that exactly to the lads down there, but it's important now. We've got two weeks of pre-season left. It's important we finish it in the right manner and make sure that it's a full and complete pre-season because that doesn't mean you're then going to get results, but it puts you in a good position because the league season is nine months long and a good pre-season gives you a good foundation to hopefully go on and do well during that season, which obviously is what we're trying to