THIS WEEKEND’S MATCH PREVIEW – NEEDHAM MARKET (AWAY) KO 3.00 PM

Will Saturday be the curtain raiser to the playoffs or see it fall on Dulwich Hamlet’s season? The result at Needham Market will determine that!

Fans may have amusing themselves toying with the playoff permutations ahead of tomorrow’s trip to Suffolk but after cutting though the detritus of “will they won’t they, will they join the dance” hypotheses one simple fact remains. Should Dulwich Hamlet return from Needham Market with a full swag bag of points then they will be lining up in next Thursday’s playoff semi-final against opponents unknown.

Before all that though a game of football must be played against a team that has already taken three points off the Hamlet in their trip to Champion Hill in early December. That afternoon a sterling rear-guard action from the Marketmen, then pulling themselves away from the snares of the drop, paved the way for Jay Davies’s goal to settle matters just before the hour mark on what was a frustrating day for the Hamlet. Frustrating in that Dulwich Hamlet enjoyed most of the play but were unable to find the back of the net, whilst the opposition scored the only goal of the game from one of their very few chances. Needham Market arrived with a set game plan and executed it to perfection.

A week later victory at Staines Town lifted last season runaway Ryman League Division champions up to 17th spot. However, a purple patch of seven games unbeaten sandwiching Dulwich’s defeat and manager Mark Morsley coronation as Premier Division Manager of the Month for November would end four days later in heavy defeat in the Suffolk derby at Leiston on Boxing Day. The New Year arrived with narrow defeats at home to Canvey Island then on the road at Bognor Regis Town’s Nyewood Road fortress before bouncing back when Darryl Coakley’s goal settled a terse home tie with Leatherhead. However, it would be two months before the Marketmen tasted victory once, eight games without a win dragging Needham Market closer to the relegation trapdoor before an early goal from leading scorer Michael Brothers saw off Merstham at Bloomfields.

Since bagging that vital victory, the team’s form must have led to much head scratching from manager Morsley – 100% on the road, zilch on home turf. Staines Town won 1-0, Bognor Regis Town repeated that feat and it would have been a triumvirate of triumphant Towns had not Farnborough lost that moniker when reincarnated as the phoenix from the ashes of the previous club. In what was a “relegation” six pointer of sorts Ollie Bailey and Jack Smith scored the vital goals as Brothers was denied by the woodwork from a spot kick. Away from home the form of the Marketmen cast a mirror image, wins at Harrow Borough, Canvey Island and self-imploding Grays Athletic keeping the spectre of relegation at bay. With VCD Athletic and Lewes exiting through the trapdoor, only Brentwood Town remained capable of overtaking Needham. On Saturday, as Enfield Town ended the Marketmen’s winning run on the road with a 3-0 victory at Donkey Lane, news filtered through that Brentwood’s brave resistance against the drop had ended. Despite fighting back from a two goal deficit at Met Police to level, the Blues were unable to find that elusive winner. Of course there is still the danger that Needham will finish in the bottom four, though Farnborough’s Isthmian League imposed relegation should mean they are safe from the drop whatever happens today.

This Saturday’s game kicks-off at 3.00 pm and takes place at Bloomfields, Quinton Road, Needham Market, Suffolk, IP6 8DA

Admission Prices:

• £10 Adults
• £6 Concessions
• £3 Children 12-16
• FOC Children Under 12
• £2 Programme