Needham Market progressed into the second round of the FA Trophy, following an all-Suffolk showdown at Bloomfields against fellow Southern League Premier Central side Leiston. Needham emerged 2-1 victors.
First-half goals by Ben Fowkes and Jake Dye put Needham in the driving seat.
They should really have added to their tally, but Leiston stayed in the contest and Finlay Barnes pulled a goal back with 12 minutes remaining.
However, the Marketmen held on to earn a long midweek trip to Gloucester City, leaders of National League North, for a second round tie on Tuesday night.
Needham bossed the majority of the first half and were very good value for their 2-0 advantage at half-time.
Leiston had won their first league game of the season, 1-0 over Kings Langley just before lockdown 2 came into force in early November, and they started brightly enough on their return to action, Jamie Eaton-Collins testing keeper Marcus Garnham with a daisy-cutter of a shot on four minutes.
A minute later and Billy Hunt's snap shot, at the other end, was smothered by keeper Sam Donkin at the second attempt.
The Marketmen broke the deadlock on 12 minutes, thanks to a terrific strike from Fowkes. The former Norwich United attacker made room for himself on the edge of the box, outwitting Harry Knights before arrowing a precision 20-yarder into the bottom corner of the net.
Leiston had appeals for a penalty turned down in the 16th minute. Kyle Hammond managed to rob Callum Sturgess and cut into the penalty area, where he took a tumble under a challenge by Dan Morphew, which was deemed to be a fair one.
Otherwise, though, Needham continued to dictate and it was only a matter of time before they added to their goal-tally.
Keiran Morphew was agonisingly close to doubling the lead in the 17th minute. His first effort at the far post, from Byron Lawrence's cross, was blocked and his follow-up toe-poke was deflected off the underside of the bar, without dropping over the line.
However, the hosts did bag their second goal, in the 33rd minute, a wonderful build-up capped by Dye's clinical finish.
Fowkes controlled Noah Collard's lay-off, on the edge of the box, and then released Sturgess on the overlap. Needham's left-back whipped over a dangerous cross which was steered home at point blank range by Dye.
Needham nearly made it 3-0 in first-half stoppage time. Lawrence's free-kick cannoned back off the bar and Hunt was standing in an offside position when burying the loose ball.
Kevin Horlock's men had further chances early in the second half.
Fowkes tested keeper Donkin with a couple of long-range shots, while Dye smashed a fierce shot against the bar and Gareth Heath then struck the outside of the near post from an angled free-kick.
However, Leiston stayed in the tie and they duly halved the deficit through Barnes in the 78th minute to set up an exciting finale. Barnes finished well after being set up by Ollie Saunders.
But Needham were rarely troubled again and substitute Luke Ingram was denied by keeper Donkin in the last minute.
THE LINE-UPS
NEEDHAM MARKET: Garnham, Dye (sub Ingram, 80), Sturgess, Lawrence, K Morphew, D Morphew, Page, Heath, Hunt (sub Marsden, 70), Collard, Fowkes (sub Mills, 88). Unused subs: Pollard, De La Paz, Fitzgerald, Elson.
LEISTON: Donkin, Hammond, Saunders, K Richardson (sub Stannard, 54), Knights, M Richardson, Barnes, Hitter, Davies (sub Jackson, 74), Eaton-Collins, Wilkinson (sub Keys, 68). Unused subs: Bailey-Dennis, Stannard, Godbold.
Attendance: 230
Elsewhere, Felixstowe & Walton United bowed out of the FA Trophy, beaten 3-0 at Basford United, of the Northern Premier League Premier Division.
The Seasiders began well enough. Ollie Canfer had appeals for a penalty turned down in the eighth minute, while Lamell Howell hit the bar from dfistance on 24 minutes.
But Stefan Galinski broke the deadlock to put Basford 1-0 up in the 31st minute, and second-half goals by Marcus Marshall (71) and Callum Chettle (77) completed a comfortable home victory to end Felixstowe's good run in this competition.
FELIXSTOWE: Robinson, Bennett, Ainsley, Aitkens, Davis, Nunn, Wiggins, Matthews, Canfer (sub Powell, 56), Clarke, Howell (sub Henry, 81),. Unused subs: Barley, Haynes-Brown, Hammond.
In the Thurlow Nunn League Premier Division, BRANTHAM ATHLETIC suffered a 3-2 home defeat at the hands of promotion-chasing Wroxham.
In a pulsating match at the Brantham Leisure Centre, Wroxham maintained their 100% record with their 10th straight league win of the season over the previously unbeaten Imps, strengthening their title credentials.
Wroxham went ahead in the sixth minute. Roy Miles was in acres of space down the right flank and used his pace to good effect before crossing to pick out Shaun Taylor, who drove home from inside the box.
Simon Lappin then provided a cross that resulted in James Cooper heading over and at the other end Brantham's Scott Sloots' header was comfortably held by visiting keeper Ollie Sutton.
The home side were full of endeavour and drew level on 20 minutes when Johnny Lee's cross was poorly defended, enabling Sloots to drive home.
The game was developing into an attacking contest with the visitors probably holding the balance of play utilising both flanks and stretching home defenders to good effect.
In the 28th minute the impressive Ryan Miles did well down the left and the home defence conceded a corner. From the ensuing kick, James Cooper headed home.
Plummer then produced two fine saves, a block to thwart Miles, and then Jordon King’s stunning shot. In response, Matty Hayden beat two defenders before chipping over.
Brantham looked more dangerous after the break with Will Crissell, Sloots and Michael Shakily all going close.
However, with 68 minutes played Wroxham showed why they are top of the table when a break down the wide right culminated with a cross that Simon Lappin fired home to make it 3-1.
Brantham fought to the end and were rewarded in the final minute when Jack Madley reduced the arrears from the penalty spot.
Elsewhere, WALSHAM LE WILLOWS drew 1-1 at home to Ely City, the Willows earning a point thanks to Jamie Smith's equaliser.
WHITTON UNITED were beaten 1-0 at home to second-placed Norwich United. A superb headed goal by Shane Wones early in the second half wrapped up the three points for the Norfolk visitors.
HAVERHILL ROVERS recorded a 3-1 home win over FC CLACTON in another Thurlow Nunn Premier clash to ease their worries near the foot of the table.
The match was played on the adjacent 3G pitch, because the main pitch was waterlogged, and Rovers went in at half-time 1-0 up thanks to a superb strike by Ben Bradley.
Anderson doubled the lead in the second half and, although Rovers were reduced to 10 men by Johnny Butler’s straight red for an off-the-ball incident, Ryan Weaver added a third goal before Clacton netted a late consolation.
It was only Rovers’ second league win from 11 starts, while this was only Clacton’s third league defeat of the campaign.
HADLEIGH UNITED’S scheduled home match against Gorleston was called off following a pitch inspection, due to standing water in the goalmouth.
In Thurlow Nunn One North, LAKENHEATH grabbed an injury-time equaliser at league leaders Fakenham Town in a match that ended 1-1, with both sides down to 10 men.
Jack Robinson gave the Norfolk hosts a seventh minute lead, while in the second half both Fakenham’s Lewis Sturman and Lakenheath’s Dean Grogan were sent off in separate incidents.
In the 91st minute, Luke Corbyn netted a dramatic late equaliser for the visitors. It was his first goal for the club. Heath are fifth in the table, while Fakenham remain top with nine wins and two draws from their first 11 games.
IPSWICH WANDERERS are up to second after maintaining their good start to the season with a 4-2 victory at NEEDHAM MARKET RESERVES.
The prolific Matt Blake scored a brace of goals, while George Mrozek came off the bench to net the fourth on the 3G surface at Bloomfields.
AFC SUDBURY RESERVES were beaten 3-1 at home to Great Yarmouth, Kyle Baker, Jamie Smith and Cameron Wing all on target for the Norfolk visitors. AFC Sudbury’s first team won 2-1 away at Brightlingsea Regent in a pre-season friendly.
DEBENHAM LC were 2-1 winners at home to HAVERHILL BOROUGH, although the scoreline tells only half the story.
The Hornets were trailing 1-0, and down to 10 men, going into the last quarter-of-an-hour, but they swooped to take all three points via a brace of goals from Brad Austin. Borough ended the game with nine men on the pitch, due to a red card and a sin bin.
DISS TOWN lost 3-4 at home to Sheringham, but there was a big away win for CORNARD UNITED, who chalked up a 5-2 success at basement dwellers Wisbech St Mary. It was Cornard’s third win of the season, and Wisbech’s 12th loss from 13 starts.
Both Aaron Collier and Ezra Drann scored a brace of goals, with Cory Willings also on the scoresheet.
Meanwhile, in the Macron Suffolk & Ipswich League, HALESWORTH TOWN cemented their top spot by coming from a goal down to win 5-1 at home to WESTERFIELD.
Trailing to an ninth minute opener, Toby Kerslake equalised in the 18th minute and Pat Summerfield put Halesworth 2-1 up on 27 minutes, with Tobias Payne adding a third in first-half stoppage time.
Joe Clarke (71) and a second from Payne (78) wrapped up the points for Halesworth, who have now won seven of their first eight league games.
BENHALL ST MARY maintained their own title bid with a 2-0 win away at Ransomes, whose four-match winning came to an end.
A second-half brace from Trotter saw Benhall to victory. Trotter sidefooted past keeper Callum Deacon in the 59th minute, and then tucked home the loose ball after Deacon had denied Winter on 80 minutes.
TRIMLEY RED DEVILS continued their good season to move up to third in the Senior Division after an exciting 4-3 home win over EAST BERGHOLT UNITED.
In a game of fluctuating fortunes, Trimley took the lead through Ryan Driver (19) but were trailing 2-1 at the break after Jamie McGrath (24) and Kyle Jay (43) both netted for the visitors.
But second-half goals by Ryan Chidlow (63), Tommy Smith (72) and Alex Chidlow (86) won it for the Red Devils, after McGrath had temporarily made it 3-3 on 85 minutes.
CLAYDON were beaten 5-3 at COPLESTONIANS, thanks chiefly to four goals from Godbold, who completed his hat-trick inside the first 20 minutes. Buxton made it 3-1 before the break, and Claydon got it back to 4-3 before Dave King netted a fifth late on.
HAUGHLEY UNITED shared four goals with CRANE SPORTS in a 2-2 draw, after Joey Langfield rescued a point for the visitors with a late equaliser. Mo Pike was also on target, while Haughley’s goalscorers were William Wharton-Nicholls and Niall McPhillips.
HENLEY ATHLETIC kept up their challenge by coming from 2-0 down to win 4-2 at home to BOURNE VALE UNITED.
Clark Bruce scored twice to make it 166 goals in 166 appearances for Henley, with Storey and George Bowman also on target.
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