NEEDHAM Market chairman David Bugg has heaped praise on his manager Danny Laws after a tricky week at Bloomfields.

NEEDHAM Market chairman David Bugg has heaped praise on his manager Danny Laws after a tricky week at Bloomfields.

The Marketmen were dumped out of the Suffolk Premier Cup by Hadleigh on Tuesday night and then saw the resignation of vice-chairman Nick Francis a day later.

It’s made for a difficult few days for Needham, who entertain Waltham Abbey at Bloomfields tomorrow afternoon in Ryman League Division One North.

But Bugg is remaining resilient.

“Some people think we have a bit of a crisis on our hands, but we have only lost one league game. Most teams would love our crisis!

“OK, we are out of most of the cups and it was disappointing to lose at Hadleigh on Tuesday night, but give Hadleigh credit, they played well and deserved their win.

“I have nothing but praise for Danny Laws. In the six years he has been here he has taken this club to the verge of the Ryman Premier League.

“How many managers could cope with a cut in a team’s budget, but still produce better sides? Not many, but Danny Laws can.”

Needham entertain Waltham Abbey tomorrow and will want all three points to keep them safely in touch with the top five.

For vice-captain Bradley Barber, Abbey often prove tricky opponents.

“You never quite know what you are getting with Waltham Abbey,” he admits.

“You could meet them on a Tuesday night and they have players missing, then you could play them, as we are, on a Saturday and they have a full squad. But we want the three points to keep us in the mix.”

It’s the first time in many seasons Needham can genuinely concentrate on the League with FA Trophy, FA Cup and Suffolk Premier Cup exits already made.

“We have had a few new players in this season and it’s perhaps taken a bit longer for them to bed in than we thought,” Barber added.

“Plus of course we have lost Craig Nurse for the season. He has been a huge loss. But there is a bigger picture to all of this and we are still in a good position.”

Needham are currently in 11th place in the Ryman League Division One North table, six points behind fifth-placed Grays, but with at least one game in hand. Including tomorrow’s game, three of Needham’s next four games are at Bloomfields, so getting back that home winning feeling will be crucial to Laws’ side.

Needham squad: Johnson, Evans, Boyland, Death, Wright, Clarke, Fox, Wilkinson, Condon, Leabon, Barber, Bloomfield, Newson and Hubbard.

FOLLOW @mike_bacon on twitter tomorrow, from Bloomfields.