Soham Town Rangers' Path To Glory

SOHAM TOWN RANGERS v NEEDHAM MARKET

THE STORY OF THE SEASON...

Sat 11 Aug '07

Soham open with a 1-1 draw at Kirkley, and Needham immediately take the initiative with a 2-1 victory at Harwich & Parkeston.

Tues 14 Aug '07

Rangers put the first nail in Newmarket Town's relegation coffin with a 6-1 win away from home. Needham host Mildenhall Town on the same night and beat them by the only goal of the game.

Tues 21 Aug '07

Soham now have seven points to Needham's six after a 1-0 victory at Wisbech Town.

Sat 25 Aug '07

The opening contest between the two sides who will eventually fight out the championship ends in a 3-2 home win for Needham.

Tues 28 Aug '07

The Suffolk team claim their fourth win in a row (beating Norwich United 5-0 at home) and now have 12 points compared to Soham's seven.

Tues 4 Sep '07

Soham narrow the gap by defeating CRC 1-0 at Julius Martin Lane - the start of a 10-match winning streak in the league, during which time they score 39 goals and concede just four.

Rangers also make progress in the FA Vase and initially in the FA Cup, but lose in the Second Qualifying Round of the latter competition 3-0 at home to Solihull Moors.

Tues 25 Sep '07

Soham record their biggest league win of the campaign - 9-0 against Wisbech - and followed it 32 days later with a 9-1 demolition of Woodbridge Town.

Tues 30 Oct '07

Having won their opening 12 league games (yielding 36 points to Soham's 34 from 13 outings at that stage), Needham drop their first points of the season, losing 2-1 at Felixstowe & Walton United.

Needham's FA Cup hopes had bee ended in a replay with Grantham, but by this date they had progressed to the Second Rounds of the FA Vase, Suffolk Premier Cup and Ridgeons League Cup.

Sat 3 Nov '07

Needham win 6-2 at Wisbech and embark on a 14-match unbeaten league run which eventually brings in 34 points. In all competitions, their undefeated run of matches reaches a staggering 25, with progress made in the FA Vase, the Suffolk Premier Cup, the Ridgeons League Cup, the East Anglian Cup and the Harwich Charity Cup. A Churchman Cup clash with Westerfield United is mercifully postponed...

Tues 6 Nov '07

Soham's aforementioned winning streak ends with a goalless draw at home to Dereham Town.

Records to date: Needham Market P14 W13 D0 L1 F48 A11 Pts 39

Soham Town R P15 W12 D2 L1 F49 A9 Pts 38

Sat 17 Nov '07

Rangers crash out of the Vase at home to Long Buckby, but Needham march on to the Third Round by thrashing Eton Manor 4-1.

Sat 24 Nov '07

Soham suffer a shock 3-2 home defeat against Kirkley. This transpires to be their only league reverse on home soil during the course of the campaign.

Sat 15 Dec '07

Ian Benjamin's side lose further ground in the title race as they go down 3-0 at Wroxham - their heaviest league defeat of the season. Influential midfielder Michael Simpson is hospitalised with serious facial injuries as the Norfolk side temporarily put themselves on the fringe of the championship struggle.

Records to end of 2007: Needham Market P20 W18 D1 L1 F65 A21 Pts 55

Soham Town R P22 W17 D2 L3 F70 A20 Pts 53

Sat 5 Jan '08

Needham show their first real signs of faltering as the follow a 2-2 home draw against Stanway Rovers with an identical result at Leiston.

On the same day though, Soham drop two points by drawing 1-1 against a Woodbridge side they had trounced earlier in the season.

Wed 30 Jan '08

Having avenged their only league defeat of the campaign against Felixstowe, Needham follow their progression to the Fifth Round of the FA Vase with yet another 2-2 draw - this time at Kirkley.

Kirkley take a total of eight points from their meetings with the top two, and did not lose to either of them.

Sat 23 Feb '08

Soham at long last reach the summit of the Premier Division table with a 2-1 home victory against Kings Lynn Reserves - their sixth league win in succession.

Needham surrender the leadership by virtue of losing 2-1 at Wroxham on the same day.

Records to date: Soham Town R P29 W23 D3 L3 F82 A24 Pts 72

Needham Market P28 W22 D4 L2 F81 A34 Pts 70

Sat 1 Mar '08

Needham progress to the last four of the Vase, beating Merstham 3-2 away. Soham meanwhile stretch their lead at the top to six points, following up a midweek 1-1 draw at Stanway with a 2-1 home win against Norwich United.

Tues 4 Mar '08

Needham win 4-1 at Felixstowe to reach the final of the Ridgeons League Cup.

Sat 8 Mar '08

Both teams drop points with nervous 1-1 home draws - Soham against Ipswich Wanderers and Needham against Kirkley (but four days later they finally beat their Suffolk rivals 3-2 to reach the final of the Suffolk Premier Cup).

Tues 11 Mar '08

Soham crush the life out of Wroxham's title bid, beating them 4-0 at home.

Sat 15 Mar '08

Needham suffer a shock 5-2 home defeat against Swaffham Town - their first home league defeat of the season.

Soham fail to take advantage however, losing 2-0 themselves at Dereham.

Tues 18 Mar '08

The cracks are beginning to show as Needham lose 2-1 at home to another struggling team, Woodbridge Town.

Wed 26 Mar '08

Soham are also limping to the line however, following up a 2-2 draw at Norwich United with a 2-0 midweek setback at CRC. Rangers now hold a 10-point lead over Needham, but the Suffolk side have five games in hand.

Records to date: Soham Town R P36 W25 D6 L5 F92 A33 Pts 81

Needham Market P31 W22 D5 L4 F85 A42 Pts 71

Sat 29 Mar '08

Needham's exhausting schedule continues unabated. After losing to Ipswich Wanderers in the Harwich Charity Cup, they face eventual winners Kirkham & Wesham over two legs in the semi-final of the Vase.

They lead 2-0 but lose the first leg 3-2, and then go down by the only goal of the game at Bloomfields. This was Needham's fifth successive defeat in all competitions.

On the same day Soham beat local rivals Mildenhall Town 3-0 away to stretch their lead at the top to 13 points.

Wed 2 Apr '08

Soham have five games left, but Needham embark on a gruelling run of 13 competitive fixtures in just 34 days, commencing with a 3-1 win at CRC.

Thurs 10 Apr '08

Wroxham complete the double over Needham, winning 2-1 at Bloomfields to end the home side's run of three successive wins.

Sat 12 Apr '08

Needham recover from that setback to win 4-1 at Mildenhall, but Soham win 3-1 at Lowestoft Town - their first victory there for 14 seasons.

Tues 15 Apr '08

Needham drop two more points in a 1-1 draw at Norwich United.

Wed 16 Apr '08

Soham take advantage with a 3-0 win at Kings Lynn Reserves.

Tues 22 Apr '08

The Suffolk Premier Cup final is decided on penalties, with the trophy going to Needham Market 5-4 following an extra-time goalless encounter with Leiston.

Tues 29 Apr '08

Having beaten Harwich and Histon Reserves in successive games, Needham ensure that their title challenge will go down to the wire with a 2-2 draw at Dereham.

Sat 3 May '08

Soham - on the back of five successive victories - thrash a tired-looking Needham side 4-0 to clinch the title by a five-point margin. This was their 20th clean sheet in 42 league outings.

Mon 5 May '08

Needham - playing their 69th competitive match of the season - come from a goal down to beat Gorleston to with the Ridgeons League Cup. Soham by comparison, played only 52 competitive fixtures.