MATCH REPORT: Hunt strike fires Woodbridge Town to hard-fought victory

Woodbridge Town U23s claimed a vital win at home to Needham Market U23s, as Alfie Hunt’s incredible effort in the first half was enough to see off the Marketmen. The Peckers held on valiantly to secure the clean sheet and claim a huge three points.

After the meeting between the two sides in January saw Needham Market edge out the Peckers 3-2, this Saturday was expected to be another close clash. With both sides sat next to each other in the table, whoever took the win would climb a few places with the three points. On this occasion, it would be Woodbridge to make amends for last month’s meeting and see off Needham Market for the third time in four games.

The young Peckers started the game strongly, moving the ball well and looking to hit the Marketmen early. A great chance fell to Gibbons after just two minutes, but his strike was well saved by the away goalkeeper. Woodbridge kept the pressure on, and with 13 minutes on the clock, a corner from the far side was swung towards the edge of the box and met by Alfie Hunt. With brilliant technique, Hunt found the top corner on the volley to fire the Peckers ahead -  an incredible hit, netting his second of the season. It was a perfect start for Woodbridge, who were deservedly ahead after dominating the early passages.

The game evened out as the half went on, with Needham Market having more of the ball but failing to create anything clear cut. The Peckers were forced into an early change, as Thompson came off injured after 25 minutes following a heavy challenge. He was replaced by Welton, who came on and looked sharp throughout the contest. From there it was a quiet first half, and Woodbridge went into the break with a goal advantage - a fair scoreline for what was a tight first 45 minutes.

The second half started in a similar vein to how the first ended, with Needham Market on the ball but Woodbridge having the better chances. The greatest opportunity to double the advantage came from another corner, as the ball was knocked down to Jesse Smith. The centre-half saw his close-range effort crash off the underside of the crossbar and bounce clear. A let-off for the Marketmen, and the Peckers really should have increased their lead to two. Woodbridge’s second change of the afternoon followed soon after, as Page replaced Gibbons after 56 minutes.

Needham responded well to Woodbridge’s missed efforts, and a couple of corners caused a few problems for the Peckers, but were mostly dealt with by Bolsover. Woodbridge still led though, and with 71 minutes on the clock Hunt had a chance to double his tally -  this time though the forward could only pick out the goalkeeper’s gloves. The Needham number one was called into action 10 minutes later, and pulled off a superb stop to deny a great effort from Page. 

It felt that the Peckers may be punished for not taking their chances as Needham Market started to put the pressure on. The best chance for the visitors to level came with two minutes to go, as Woodbridge failed to deal with a corner and allowed the away side to strike goalwards - only to be denied by an incredible block from Dodman. A brilliant all-round performance from the captain, who was awarded Player of the Match after the game. That chance would be the last of the game, and the Peckers claimed a valuable three points.

Saturday’s victory sees Woodbridge climb to 5th, and now sit only 2 points behind 3rd. And. with two games in hand on the teams above, the Peckers will feel very positive going into the last few games of the season. Thank you to everyone who came out to support the young Peckers, it truly is appreciated. Let’s get behind the lads for what could be a very strong end to the campaign, and as always, UP THE PECKERS!

If you would like to be notified of more posts like this, as well as exclusive updates, events and information from Woodbridge Town, make sure to sign up to our mailing list on the home page!