FULL-TIME: Stratford Town 3-1 Needham Market
STRATFORD Town welcome fellow Evo-Stik Southern Premier Central play-off hopefuls Needham Market to the Arden Garages Stadium today, Saturday, looking to avenge the 2-1 defeat from earlier in the season.
The Blues lost 2-1 back in November and head of football Thomas Baillie admitted that defeat is the result which haunts him the most this season.
Will Town put that disappointing result behind them today? Follow all the action below.
4.54pm: FULL TIME! Stratford run out 3-1 winners. Report online soon.
4.45pm: CROSSBAR! Baker hits the bar from Heath's corner.
4.47pm: Final sub for Needham as Abrahams comes on for Dobson.
4.45pm: Into the final five minutes and Town remain 3-1 to the good.
4.38pm: Goal Needham. Marsden sends Etheridge the wrong way for 3-1. I think the penalty was awarded for handball.
4.36pm: Penalty Needham. Unsure what for to be honest but Williams has been booked.
4.33pm: SAVE! Great one-touch stuff from Town and Carvalho sets up Barcelos whose outside of the foot shot is saved by Jessup.
4.31pm: Second sub for the visitors as the injured Dye is replaced by Pelling.
4.28pm: Sub for Needham as Griffiths makes way for Morphew.
4.27pm: Second sub for Town as Cox comes off for Barcelos.
4.23pm: Sub for Town as Grocott comes on for Oulton.
4.15pm: GOAL SHARIFF! It's 3-0 as Carvalho finds Shariff at the back post and he heads home. That should be that.
4.14pm: Town enjoying some good spells of possession so far and looking to add a third.
4.09pm: GREAT SAVE! Great ball from Dobson, Marsden with the glancing header but Etheridge dives to his right to save.
4.07pm: Few corners for Town but nothing comes of them.
4.04pm: Second period now underway.
3.47pm: GOAL TOWN! Oulton's corner is missed by Jessup and Williams nods home! 2-0!
And that's half-time. Ingram had a chance to reduce the arrears immediately up the other end but missed an open goal after getting round Etheridge.
3.41pm: GOAL SHARIFF! Poor clearance from Jessup comes to Skendi, who plays in Shariff and he fires into the far corner. 1-0!
3.35pm: Low ball is cleared and then Skendi scuffs a shot which is cleared. Ingram now played in on goal and is brought down by Isaac in the box, ref says no penalty but looked stonewall.
3.30pm: Dangerous cross from Carvalho, Shariff looks to pounce but Jessop grasps the ball, just about.
3.27pm: SAVE! Etheridge saves with his feet to deny Dobson after he surged his way into the box. Corner.
3.23pm: CLOSE! Ball finds its way to Oulton on the edge of the box and he drills a shot just wide. Jessup rooted.
3.17pm: Marsden goes on a run but skews the shot wide of the mark from about 20 yards out.
3.14pm: Corner comes in and Griffiths heads over from a couple of yards out. Big chance for the visitors.
3.12pm: Good work from Town as Cox runs down the right, feeds it to Wilson but the cross is over-hit and it's a goal kick.
3.10pm: Cross from Marsden goes out for a goal kick.
3.06pm: Really bright start for Town and they should be ahead.
3.03pm: SAVE! Carvalho cuts inside, shoots and Jessup can only parry to Wilson, who somehow shoots straight at the keeper from a couple of yards out.
3.02pm: And we are off here at the Arden Garages Stadium.
2.58pm: And the teams are out. Kick-off is just moments away.
2.32pm: Those are your teams for today's game. We will be back shortly to bring you all the action from the Arden Garages Stadium.
2.30pm: Needham: Jake Jessup (GK), Jake Dye, Callum Sturgess, Jeremiah Kamanzi, Keiran Morphew, James Baker, Luke Ingram, Graham Heath (C), Jamie Griffiths, Reece Dobson, Joseph Marsden.
Subs: Daniel Morphew, Conor McLaughlin, Ryan Pelling, Ethan Abrahams, Bradley Cook.
2.27pm: Stratford: Ross Etheridge (GK), Chris Cox, James Fry (C), Jamie McAteer, Jordan Williams, Lewis Wilson, Albi Skendi, Nabil Shariff, Ross Oulton, Wilson Carvalho.
Subs: Will Grocott, Cody Fisher, Felipe Barcelos, Kian Williams.
Looks like two changes to the team which beat Hitchin Town on Tuesday, with Cox replacing Dan Summerfield (not even in the squad) and Oulton coming in for Grocott (benched)
2.21pm: Good afternoon and welcome from the Arden Garages Stadium for today's game. Team news to follow shortly as we approach the kick-off at 3pm.
