Match Preview | Needham Market (A)

Match preview by Leon Higgins

Following a point at Chester on Saturday, The Nash travel to the Ecologic Stadium looking to win for the first time in 4 games and take advantage of this being the first game of two in hand on fellow play off chasing sides.

Buxton’s 2-1 win at Needham on Saturday, Hereford’s 4-0 win at Farsley Celtic and King’s Lynn’s injury time winner at Leamington, means The Nash go into this game outside the play off places. With Hereford and King’s Lynn holding onto the last two play off places on 69 points and Buxton 2 points behind and 1 ahead of Curzon with the three sides all playing 41 games compared to Curzon’s 39, a win would send Craig Mahon’s side up into the play off places and into 6th on goal difference.

Needham Market are in desperate need for points with The Marketmen currently sitting 21st in the league table and 7 points behind Radcliffe who sit just above the drop. With some big games at the bottom taking place on Tuesday including Farsley Celtic who host Oxford City knowing defeat would relegate them and Warrington who also sit in the relegation zone travelling to the inform Spennymoor.

Market come into this game, winning only 1 of their last 5 games with that coming at home to Chorley. Defeats against Spennymoor, Kidderminster and Buxton, three teams that are bidding for promotion combined with middle of the table Scarborough have marked a difficult run of games for The Marketmen.

Head to Head

There has been one previous meeting between the sides with that being in August 2024 at the Tameside Stadium – Curzon won the game 3-0 thanks to a brace from Jimmy Spencer and a Stefan Mols goal.

Curzon Ashton

Will Hayhurst is set to make his 150th appearance
Saturday’s point at Chester was the 5th point The Nash have gained from a losing position.
13 of Curzon’s goals have come from forwards. Only Needham (11) and Farsley (12) have less.
Curzon have scored 4 90+ minute goals. The only teams with more are Hereford (7), Oxford (6), Peterborough Sports and Needham (5)

Needham Market

Luke Ingram is The Marketmen’s top goalscorer this season scoring 5 goals.
Seth Chambers has 3 goals off the bench, only Warrington’s Josh Amis (6), Spennymoor’s Aidan Rutledge (5) and Hereford’s Andy Williams (4) have more.
The Marketmen have an International player in their ranks with Reggie Lambe playing 58 times for Bermuda while also scoring 12 goals.
Only Scunthorpe (7) and Brackley (6) have scored more penalties than Needham (5)

Match Information

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