Burton Albion 2 Needham Market 0 FA Cup first round

Needham Market bowed out of the FA Cup at the first round stage, but not after a battling performance at League One Burton Albion, as they went down 2-0.

The Southern League Central Premier side were undone by a first half Deji Oshilaja goal, the home captain poking home from six yards, while a late Joe Powell effort with the last kick of the game sealed the deal for the homesters.

Kevin Horlock's Suffolk side left Staffordshire with their heads held high after a gutsy effort that they could rightly be proud of.

Burton had more physicality but Needham gave as good as they got in front of almost 2,000 fans at the Pirelli Stadium.

And they almost upset their hosts with a late rally that saw them with chances to draw level, before Powell's goal.

Keiran Morphew clears for Needham at Burton (Image: Steve Waller)

Needham Market had never reached the FA Cup first round and they were joined in Burton by hundreds of their fans who had made the trip up from Suffolk.

It was a cloudy but dry afternoon, the home pitch looking in good shape.

Burton made four changes from the team that lost 2-4 to Sheffield Wednesday last week, while Needham had captain Keiran Morphew fit, which was a boost.

The home side kicked off with Needham working hard to close them down in the early stages. And it wasn't until the eighth minute Tom Hamer's long throw saw Victor Adeboyejo head just wide for Burton.

Cameron Borthwick-Jackson fouled Christian Frimpong before Ross Crane sent in a long cross for Needham which was easily caught by Viljami Sinisalo in the home goal.

The first 15 minutes went relatively well for the visitors before Adeboyejo got to the byline and crossed, but Keiran Morphew was on hand to cut it out.

That was the first big let-off for Needham and another came moments later, Adeboyejo again the dangerman, heading straight at Marcus Garnham in the visiting goal, Garnham producing a superb reaction save.

Noah Collard was fouled 35 yards out in the 23rd minute but Kyle Hammond's cross came to nothing.

Needham Market fans in good voice at Burton (Image: Steve Waller)

Needham were settling into the game now but it was Burton who won the first corner in the 26th minute. Terry Taylor took, but it was too forceful and cleared everyone.

Oshilaja met a cross 14 yards out and thundered it at Garnham in the Needham goal. He tipped it over and from the corner Charlie Lakin hit a 25 yarder straight at Garnham, who again punched it away.

But on 34 minutes Burton broke the deadlock.

A cross into the Needham box wasn't cleared. It all got a bit scrappy and the ball fell to Oshilaja who turned it home from six yards.

After all their hard work, it was a scrappy goal for Needham to concede.

Terry Taylor should have made it two, blazing over from 14 yards, before Lakin shot just over. Jonny Smith was the next to shoot wide as the half came to a close.

Needham's Luke Ingram chases the ball (Image: Steve Waller)

Needham won an early free-kick that was cleared as the second half started in a similar fashion to the first.

Needham fans were in good voice as Crane broke clear but couldn't get his shot away.

Burton were still dangerous as they attacked with pace, but the Needham defence were battling hard. 

Oshilaja was through on goal on the hour, but he slid the ball wide as Needham won their first corner but Sinisalo caught easily.

It was certainly an open game now with both sides making substitutions. The home fans were getting frustrated as Needham harried and closed down the home side, Frimpong getting  more into the game for the visitors and causing influence.

As the game went into the last 15 minutes Garnham saved bravely as Adeboyejo closed in, while up the other end Needham were getting a bit more joy but still couldn't get shots away.

Substitute Seth Chambers battled to get through the home defence as four minutes of added-on time were shown, with Needham finishing strongly.

Chambers saw his shot blocked and Frimpong fired over from an angle as the visitors threatened a dramatic equaliser.

But it never came and, as the visitors pushed forward, Powell broke clean through and slid past Garnham to make it two and seal the tie.

Teams

Burton: V Sinisalo, C Borthwick-Jackson, D Oshilaja, S Hughes, A Mariappa (T Onyango 70), D Keillor-Dunn (J Powell 59), J Smith, V Adeboyejo, C Lakin (M Carayol 59), T Taylor, T Hamer.

Subs: B Garratt, C Gilligan, M Mancienne, B Kamwa.

Needham: M Garnham, K Hammond, J Dye, K Morphew, D Morphew, J Lay (K Bennett 57), N Collard (T Fitzgerald 57), L Ingram, P Brothers (S Chambers 77), R Crane (H Knights 88), C Frimpong.

Subs: F Shorten, H Cullum, T Clark, J McGrath, A Exworth

Referee: Andrew Kitchen

Attendance: 1,989