- Quorn have won 10 of 20 home games this season, averaging 1.60 goals scored per game and 1.30 conceded.
- Needham Market have won 4 of their last 5 league games, losing just once, and are pushing for a playoff place.
- Quorn have won 1, drawn 1, and lost 3 of their last 5 Southern League Premier Division Central fixtures, including back-to-back defeats.
Quorn will play on the front foot
Quorn player-manager Ryan Beswick is a central midfielder by trade, and the style he has instilled in his side is very much his style. His team plays with pace and directness, looking to hit opponents on the break and play a midfield-driven, vertical style. They are adept at mixing up the tempo and can play either a high tempo game or a slow, patient one depending on the game state or the opponent.
Tom Rothery’s Needham Market are a different proposition, playing a possession-based, structured system with full-backs pushing high and pressing in situations. Rothery has done a fantastic job at the club and his tactical tweaks over the last few months have seen Market surge up the table. The Suffolk side dictate the rhythm and are adept at using set-piece routines to good effect.
Market are on a roll
With both of these sides on 64 and 69 points respectively after 40 games, 8th-placed Quorn are just outside the playoff places behind 4th-placed Needham Market. The hosts will be hoping to cause an upset against the red-hot Market, who will be looking to continue their winning run.
After a 1-0 win at home to AFC Sudbury in mid-April, Quorn have suffered consecutive defeats, the last one being a 2-1 loss at home to Leiston. Market have won 4 straight, including 3-1 and 1-0 victories away to Sudbury and Stourbridge respectively, as well as a 2-1 win at home to Barwell FC.
Back the visitors
The bookies have Needham Market as slight favourites here at 13/10, but Quorn come in at 37/25 with the draw at 66/25. Considering Needham Market’s current form and the fact that they’ve lost just 6 of 20 away games, averaging 1.25 goals conceded per match, the visitors are our pick to get the win on Saturday.
Quorn have the psychological edge though, having beaten Market 3-0 away in this season’s return league fixture. The hosts will also be confident of getting a result after winning 10 of their 20 home games this term, so this will be a close encounter.
Luke Ingram has been in fine form recently, scoring 3 goals in Needham Market’s last 5 Southern League Premier Division Central games, and he looks a good bet to get on the scoresheet against Quorn on Saturday. Over 2.5 goals is short at 11/20, but these two teams should make for an open, end-to-end encounter on the back of this latest Needham Market surge.
