@NeedhamFC blow as cold as the January weather...

Gloves? Check. Hat? Check. The scarf my mother knitted for me whilst I was at university? Check. I was properly kitted out for a night of passion and high drama at Needham Market's very own 'Field of Dreams', Bloomfields. It was, need I say, pretty cold.

Having walked from the station, it seemed that I might not have picked the most attractive game of the season, and as the visitors from VCD Athletic don't have many fans of their own, it was soon apparent that the good people of Needham Market had opted for a night in front of a warm television.

The Marketmen have recovered after a torrid first quarter of the season, and stood just above the drop zone at the beginning of the evening, albeit eight points clear of 21st placed Farnborough, and with VCD Athletic deep in trouble in 23rd, this looked like an opportunity to open up real daylight between themselves and the bottom four.

And, early on, it looked promising, with Needham dominating possession. The catch was that they weren't creating chances against a team whose defence looked as brittle as their away record suggested. And, as the first half wore on, the visitors began to come into the game more. At half-time, it all looked fairly even.

Both sides had clearly been given a good talking to at half-time, and the second half started rather more brightly. You just had the feeling that, with both sides low on confidence, the first goal would be decisive. Sadly, it was the visitors who scored it, although if the linesman had had the option of a video replay, he might not have been too pleased with his decision-making.

From there on in, Needham pressed rather ineffectually and were caught on the break with a somewhat fortuitous second - I can't believe that the away striker, Lheureux Menga, really meant to toe-poke a lob over the keeper, but there you go - before wrapping things up with a third which belied the rather scrappy football which had proceeded it.

So, 0-3 it ended and, whilst the result was disappointing, what is worse is that it has given hope to all the teams in the relegation battle.

A chance missed by the Marketmen, I fear...