Needham v Halesworth Town | 16.07.2026 | Suffolk Champions Charity Cup | Bloomfields | PSF 2026/27 2 |

Needham Market continued their pre-season campaign with a 1-0 win over Halesworth Town to win the Suffolk Champions Charity Cup at Bloomfields.

In truth, the higher league Marketmen had the majority of the possession throughout the night but found the visitors hard to break down - eventually doing so in the 87th minute when Kyle Hammond poked home the only goal from Ben Hunter's insightful defence splitting pass.

Ryan Howes (3') had an early opportunity, albeit his low strike from distance across goal was watched comfortably into the gloves of goalkeeper James Bradbrook.

Bradbrook (5') then expertly got across to his far post to claim a left wing free-kick, while Needham created a great chance in the 8th minute.

Tommy Smith was released through down the left-hand side twice in a matter of seconds, both times crossing low dangerously across the face of goal but just evaded Ryan Miles then Myles Cowling.

The Premier Cup holders again carved a good opportunity (12'), Miles jinked into space in the area to tee up Cowling whose shot was blocked. Smith then threaded Miles onto the left-hand side whose excellent low ball into the six yard box was cleared just ahead of Cowling for a corner.

Needham though had the ball in the net on 15 minutes, after Kyle Hammond saw a ferocious rocket of a strike from distance excellently beaten away by George MacRae, diving high to his right-hand side, Tommy Smith was offside as he skillfully turned the rebound home on the volley into the bottom far corner.

The offside flag (18') went up again soon after, this time though the keeper held onto the shot, prior to James Coton (22') meeting Kyle Hammond's lifted cut-back from the right-hand byline - only for his near post header to be held well by diving MacRae.

Ryan Miles (26') whipped a cross narrowly wide of the top far corner, ahead of the Reds going close again soon after.

Tommy Smith raced open down the left wing, onto a great through-ball then picking out, Liam Pearce (29') arriving who fired over first time.

Ryan Miles (30') stooped a close range header narrowly wide, as Hammond's cutback was crucially cleared.

Tommy Smith saw a low cross-shot collected well by MacRae (32') as Needham looked to ramp up the pressure.

Firmly on top at this stage, Needham couldn't quite break down Halesworth's resistance. Cowling (38') was slipped through onto the left-hand byline but for his excellent ball across goal to be stabbed just wide for a goal-kick.

Needham went close once more on 42 minutes, James Coton had a shot blocked following a corner, with Kyle Hammond lashing a volley wide on the rebound.

Ryan Miles (45'+1') meanwhile weaved dangerously onto the left-hand byline, but for his cutback to be cleared and pouched by MacRae in the final action of the opening forty-five minutes.

An unchanged Needham side emerged after the break, Keiran Morphew (49') slid Coton free down the right-hand side whose brilliant cross was headed agonisingly off target by the towering Cowling.

Liam Pearce worked space to shoot from 30-yards out, only to curl wide of the far corner (51'), as MacRae intercepted a great dissecting through-ball towards Cowling (52').

A great right wing cross from Allen was headed onto Miles (61') whose strike at goal was blocked, prior to Tom Rothery opting to use all five substitutes at once.

Following those changes, Jensen Martin broke through free down the left-hand side but was thwarted by an excellent low near post stop by Bradbrook at the expense of a corner.

Needham continued to push to breach the stubborn Halesworth defence (74'), Hammond received the ball back from a short corner to flash a great low ball into the six yard box that just evaded Joe Neal arriving at the near post and landed into MacRae's grateful gloves.

Hunter (80') released Bobby down the left-hand side with a great ball over the top, albeit the latter's first time cushioned ball across was gathered by MacRae.

Flynn Bobby (81') meanwhile wrapped a great low strike narrowly wide of the bottom far, right-hand, corner from outside the area, as Liam Pearce's strike at goal a minute later was blocked.

Halesworth sidefooted a golden chance wide on 85 minutes, skewing a low squared ball wide of the far post at close range, before Needham finally broke the deadlock in the 87th minute.

Kyle Hammond was threaded one on one with the onrushing MacRae to poke home cleverly into the gaping net.

Liam Pearce (92') headed a great left wing cross to the far post at MacRae from point blank range, as Neal's 16-yard 95th minute strike was well saved by MacRae low to his left.

Needham travel to Walsham Le Willows tonight (Friday, 17th July, 7:45pm).

Manager Tom Rothery said: "I think credit to them. I thought they defended really well, to be fair to them. We didn't take the opportunities and chances that come our way. We had a few really decent balls into the box, especially in the first half. Didn't take chances. One really big chance that we didn't take and then off the back of that, obviously, it gives them more belief and they defend even more doggedly. I just think credit to them. I thought they defended really well and I thought their structure was really good. So, it was a better workout for us than I was anticipating, if I'm honest. Like I said on Saturday after the Soham game, it's important at the end of the day, you're playing different levels and that is what we need to get out of preseason. So, we've got more good fitness, more good minutes into players. It's not ideal with the game tomorrow, obviously, because this was arranged really late in the day when the fixtures had already been arranged for pre-season. So, ideally, you wouldn't have a Thursday and a Friday game, but it is what it is. It's important the lads get fitness, but we will have to be sensible about what we do tomorrow night and whilst the results are always important and like I've just said to the players, it's always important to win and that's what we're aiming to do again tomorrow, you have got to be sensible, like we were with Ryan, for example, on Saturday. He got a knock,we brought him off and went down to 10 men. You would never do that in a league game, obviously. So, it's just about being sensible and managing people's minutes, but like I said, we're three, four weeks away from the start of the season, so we're not perfect yet. It's only the second game and there's things to improve and work on, but I thought we moved the ball well at times and like I said, we just need to keep improving on that over the next three, four weeks. Hammo did well for the goal, really well. Joe did well and like I said, even then, they're still putting bodies on the line and a couple of their players were cramping up and took a knock off trying to stop Hammo scoring a goal. So, like I said, I'm not going to detract from anything they did. I thought they worked really hard and defended really well and for us, we found a way to win. So, that is what it is."

Asked if that persistence is what is needed for the forthcoming league season, Rothery added, "that's what I said to the players after, really. At the end of the day, I think the way we play football and like I just said to Nick, it is a bit false. They're sat behind the ball, they're not really having too many counters.They had a couple in the second half to be fair to them but they're not really having so much possession and it is a bit false. It's not going to be like that in the league but because of the way we are a possession-based team, sometimes it is a case of don't get frustrated, keep doing the right things and eventually, you're hoping you find that winning goal. I think we did get a little bit raggy in the second half. We weren't as precise in the second half. Obviously, we changed the shape, made the five subs and it did get a little bit, it was less pleasing with some of the things that we did and maybe started forcing it a little bit but ultimately, we did stay persistent, we did stay patient and at the end of the day, we then found a way to find that winning goal."

On tonight's trip to Walsham, "I've brought a couple more up from the academy so they'll come with us tomorrow and Ollie Saunders is back but Kyle Hammond's away so yes, we'll have 19 tomorrow and like I said, we're just going to have to be really sensible about the players that have played. I've got 19 players so we've a couple of injuries still and a couple away so we're just going to have to be sensible about who does what tomorrow and that we still go there and want to win and still want to go there and obviously carry on trying to implement what we've been working on in training but we've got to be sensible about tomorrow off the back of having played tonight obviously."

Goalscorer Kyle Hammond said, "Yeah, good win. So yeah, pleasing all round I suppose. I thought they played really well and kept it tight and credit to them to be fair. I thought we were good, fairly good as well. Just getting used to back playing again obviously. It's only the second pre-season game. I think their league season starts on Saturday, so obviously they've been back a while. Yeah, I thought it was a good game really.

"Glad to be back, enjoying it. Just getting minutes in the legs, hard training, getting back fit again, getting to the level we need to get at. Yeah, it's good."

Looking back on his goal the midfielder said, "I can't remember how it got there, but someone played it into Hunts, he turned and then as soon as he turned I just sprinted forward and he played a lovely ball into me and I think I took the touch and then it was past the defender so then I think I poked it past the keeper and I think I had three other players come bashing down. I was on the floor, three other people on the floor so I just sort of trickled in the net to be honest. So I don't, yeah, I think I just toe poked it past the keeper, but it was actually quite a good move. We probably should have scored a little bit before that in the first half, we had a few chances. But like I said, I don't think they were too bad. They played well and made it difficult for us and I thought we kept knocking the ball, could have been sharper here and there but it's our second game so it's going to be expected. I think pre-season is what you make it as such so, yeah, I think, like I said, I don't think we've done anything bad. Any game we can do better so I just thought it was a good test and a good run out."

Needham: 1 James Bradbrook, 11 Tevan Allen, 5 Keiran Morphew (62' 6 Dan Morphew), 8 Kellen Fiddy, 3 Tommy Smith (62' 7 Flynn Bobby), 17 Ben Hunter, 4 Kyle Hammond, 12 Liam Pearce, 14 James Coton (62' 19 Juan Pablo), 10 Ryan Miles (62' 16 Marcel Lewis), 15 Myles Cowling (62' 9 Joe Neal).

Goal: Hammond (87').