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'A special moment' - Needham boss takes aim at historic goal after Premier Cup win

Nick Garnham
·2-min read
Jamie McGrath (yellow shirt, No.14) turns home a cross for Needham Market’s second goal against Felixstowe & Walton United. Image: PAUL VOLLER <i>(Image: Paul Voller)</i>
Jamie McGrath (yellow shirt, No.14) turns home a cross for Needham Market’s second goal against Felixstowe & Walton United. Image: PAUL VOLLER (Image: Paul Voller)

Needham Market boss Kevin Horlock wants a fifth straight Endeavour Automotive Suffolk Premier Cup success.

The Marketmen made it four wins in a row with a 2-0 victory over Felixstowe & Walton United at Bury Town FC last night. No team has ever won five on the bounce.

And Horlock said that Needham will not be looking at the competition as a ‘sideshow’ next season, even though the club will be playing in National League North or South for the first time.

A Luke Ingram penalty after 64 minutes and a close-range Jamie McGrath finish seven minutes later settled the outcome after the Seasiders had Josh Hitter sent off for a second yellow card in the 47th minute.

Horlock said: “I want five now. It is a special moment for the football club and we are already thinking about next season and we are going to give it a right good go and we will want to retain this and make it number five.”

Asked if it would be more difficult to win the competition with the demands of playing at Step 2 of the Non-League pyramid, Horlock replied: “To be fair we will always give it the respect it deserves.

“We want to be the best non-league club in Suffolk and we are. The divisions say that and winning the Premier Cup is another thing that adds to it, so to win it four times is important, and we won’t be looking at this competition as a sideshow.”

Felixstowe & Walton United boss Stuart Boardley said: “I am disappointed with the result, but am I disappointed with players? Absolutely not.

“We spoke at the end and I am incredibly proud in how they fought to the end and kept going, played the right way and played some decent stuff and I couldn’t be prouder of them as a group.

“It has been a difficult 10-14 days with various injuries, various issues going on off the pitch and losing our goalkeeper on Saturday and then coming up against a very good Step 2 side now.

“So the odds were against us, but I thought until the sending off it was a really good game of football.”