Needham Market boss Danny Laws has called upon his side to produce another gutsy cup performance at Bloomfield Road on Saturday.Laws was left bitterly disappointed by the linesman's part in Kirkham's first two goals, but believes his side have the character to bounce back in the second leg.

Stuart Watson

Needham Market boss Danny Laws has called upon his side to produce another gutsy cup performance at Bloomfield Road on Saturday.

Laws was left bitterly disappointed by the linesman's part in Kirkham's first two goals, but believes his side have the character to bounce back in the second leg.

He said: “We have got to look at the bigger picture. We are just a goal down following the away leg and, although the boys were disappointed after the game, we are already starting to feel positive about the return match.

“I'll be looking for the same sort of reaction from my players as I did in the fifth round when they came out and beat St Ives 4-0 in the replay after drawing the first game 3-3. I've said all along that if we are to win this cup it will have to be the hard way.

“I was really disappointed in the lineman's decisions that indirectly led to their first two goals. Their first one had clearly gone off for a throw-in, while Heath-Preston had come from behind two defenders when he was flagged for offside.

“Hopefully now though we can get over a thousand in our ground this Saturday and create a great atmosphere for what is a massive, massive game.”

Kirkham & Wesham manager Mick Fuller said: “I wasn't too worried early on, although we could have done without them starting like that, but we had so many chances in the second-half I wondered if a goal would ever come.

“Thankfully it did and we built on that and now we have something for the lads to protect down there.

“I would have settled for a draw at half-time but the lads told me in the dressing room at the break that they could win this. I didn't realise it was so close to the end but it's fabulous to get the win.”