County’s FA Trophy campaign continued with a three-goal Quarter-final victory in Suffolk against Needham Market of the Southern League Premier Division Central.
The inaugural meeting between the two clubs, in front of a second highest-ever home attendance for the ‘Marketmen’, saw County take control midway through the first half courtesy of an Alex Reid header and a spectacular strike by Jordan Keane, before Reid added a third on the stroke of half-time to seal the Hatters’ place in the last four.
The Hatters took to the field in the mid-March sunshine, showing nine changes from their previous line-up – with only Connor Jennings and Antoni Sarcevic featuring from among the starters at Aldershot a week earlier (although four more were included among the seven substitutes permitted for the competition). Loanee goalkeeper Luca Ashby-Hammond made his competitive debut, and Sam Minihan took the captain’s armband.
After forcing a couple of early corners, County fashioned a first chance of note with seven minutes on the clock – as Scott Quigley executed a low drive from 12 yards that home ‘keeper Marcus Garnham dived to smother.
The hosts, competing in the Trophy’s Sixth Round for the first time and as the lowest-ranked side remaining in the current season’s competition, earned their first corner just before the quarter-hour mark – but the next opportunity of the contest, just past the half’s mid-point, was to fall to the Hatters and put them ahead.
Reid broke the deadlock, stooping to nod home at point-blank range after Quigley had crossed from the left byline.
Keane struck to double the advantage three minutes later after advancing from the halfway line, and letting rip from 30 yards with a ferocious, right-footed shot that went in off the underside of the crossbar.
The two participating Bens unleashed low shots in quick succession that fizzed narrowly shy of the respective left posts, with the hosts’ Fowkes and then Hatter Whitfield going close, before Reid scored his second, and County’s third, with the final kick of the half – springing the offside trap, latching on to a through-ball from Josh Edwards and slotting past Garnham.
HALF-TIME: Needham Market 0, County 3 (Reid, 26 and 45 + 2; Keane, 29).
Reid went agonisingly close to completing a hat-trick shortly after the break – but having applied a first touch to Quigley’s squared ball from the right, he was denied by Garnham who dived at full stretch to palm the ball behind.
Newly-introduced substitute Myles Hippolyte was next to try his luck, and on two occasions – firstly, shooting on target, but straight at Garnham, after Mark Kitching’s initial effort had been blocked, and then heading on Minihan’s cross from the right for the home Number One to tip over.
Garnham was called into action again to save a snapshot by Quigley, whom Reid had fed from the left. And Minihan fired just wide of the left post, after being teed up by Jennings.
Ashby-Hammond enjoyed a relatively quiet debut between the sticks for County, but was on his toes to catch cleanly Kyle Hammond’s well-struck free-kick from distance. And at the other end, one header from Jennings was punched over by Garnham, before another from Keane, following the resulting corner on the right, flew past the far post.
Despite the Marketmen’s best efforts, County kept them at bay to ensure a fourth clean sheet out of four in a competition that now sees the Hatters one match away from a potential Wembley final.
FULL-TIME: Needham Market 0, County 3 (Reid, 26 and 45 + 2; Keane, 29).
Team (4-4-2): Ashby-Hammond; Minihan (Capt.), Keane, Kitching, Edwards; Jennings, C. Johnson, Sarcevic (Hippolyte, 46), Whitfield (Barugh, 84); Reid, Quigley (Crankshaw, 73).
Unused Subs: Hinchliffe, Palmer, Holding, Johnston.
Booked: Keane.
Attendance: 1,526 (460 away).
Reporter: Gareth Evans.
Photographer: Mike Petch.
