Solitary Goal Settles It

A.F.C. Sudbury’s pre-season scheduled reached game number five with a strong Norwich City Under 21 Academy squad arriving at The Wardale Williams Stadium. The Canaries included experienced marksman Luciano Becchio in their starting line-up for a match played under blue skies and very warm evening sunshine.

Norwich City kicked off the game attacking from left to right as viewed from the Brian Tatum Stand. Sudbury skipper Sam Clarke was in determined mood from the off. His early foray along the right wing showed good pre-season pace, his run stopped by a well-timed tackle by Jamie Eaton-Collins. With eleven minutes on the clock, Sam Kelly turned Sudbury’s Ryan Maxwell wide on the right touchline, cut inside and fired a rasping drive wide of Alex Archer’s right hand post. Just a minute later and the Canaries were again on the charge when Jamie Eaton-Collins broke through the heart of the home defence, only for Alex Archer to deny him the opening goal with a superb block.

On the quarter-hour, Carlton Morris was released by Cameron Norman’s slide-rule pass into the right hand side of the Sudbury penalty area. Morris shot on the angle only for his shot to cannon off the foot of the near post and away to safety. Alex Archer rose well to punch under pressure as a right wing conner fell invitingly in a crowded home penalty area.

James Baker whipped a fine cross from the right wing through the Canary’s penalty area which was cleared ahead of the menacing presence of Jake Reed and Kris Newby. On nineteen minutes James Baker’s speculative shot flew wide of Ben Killip’s goal as Sudbury’s threat increased with their growing confidence. Kris Newby was fouled on the edge of the Norwich penalty area, and the Sudbury number eleven dinked a neat free-kick into the box where Lawrence Yiga rose to head goal-wards. Ben Killip took the ball easily above his head before a fine move involving Jack Guyton, whose great pass to Ayrton Coley saw the midfielder able to shoot straight at the Canary’s custodian.

On twenty-three minutes City’s Carlton Morris sent a curling drive just left of the home goal as the game continued to swing from end to end. Jamie Eaton-Collins beat the Sudbury defence three minutes on, but his shot on the stretch rolled just the wrong side of Alex Archer’s right hand post. Kris Newby’s twenty-fifth minute free-kick was brilliantly delivered into the visitor’s penalty area. Killip palmed the ball away with an acrobatic save, the danger finally cleared with the ball knocked upfield. Ayrton Coley tried his hand from twenty-five yards, Killip well placed to gather with ease. Lee Flynn then crossed from the left wing towards James Baker, but Killop punched clear. Norwich looked certain to take the lead when Luciano Becchio latched onto an Alex Archer block, only for Lawrence Yiga to time a blocking tackle with great skill to deny the Argentinian striker. Sudbury’s best chance of the game came as the half reached its conclusion. Sam Clarke’s right wing cross was inches (5.6 c.m. estimate!) from the stretching James Baker’s reach and the agonisingly close chance averted by the Canary defence.

Half Time; AFC Sudbury 0 Norwich City Academy 0

Norwich City took the lead after forty-eight minutes. A loose ball in the Sudbury penalty area gave LUCIANO BECCHIO an easy tap-in from close range. Carlton Morris could have made it two when he bore down on the Sudbury goal, but again the impressive Yiga was on hand to deny the chance with a fine tackle. Arguably Sudbury’s move of the game came on fifty-two minutes. Jack Guyton’s pinpoint pass into Kris Newby was quickly crossed into substitute Wesley Hause whose header went just over the crossbar. At the other end. Alex Archer continued to frustrate the young Norwich side when he sprung from his line to deny Reece Hall-Johnson on the charge.

Alex Archer again rescued Sudbury with another brilliant block on fifty-eight minutes. This time an exchange of passes between Michee Efete and Carlton Morris saw the former’s shot charged down. Luciano Becchio made way for Lewis Byrne-Hewitt who immediately managed a glanced header past Alex Archer, but wide of the home goal on sixty-seven minutes. Sudbury’s Ayrton Coley let fly from outside the area only to see Killop’s acrobatics deny him with a stunning save. Lawrence Yiga then fired high over the crossbar as Sudbury continued to press the Norwich side at every opportunity and refuse to be overawed.

On seventy-seven minutes Archer made a fine save from Cameron Norman’s fine right wing corner as the Sudbury ‘keeper continued to impress mightily. This was followed with a leap to tip Ray Grant’s seventy-seventh minute free-kick around the right hand post. Kris Newby shot wide for Sudbury with eight minutes remaining following a good and skilful run, but the home side couldn’t find a way past a resolute Canary defence as an entertaining friendly came to its end in which both sides played some highly skilful and attacking football.

AFC Sudbury 1 Alex Archer 2 Jack Guyton 3 Lee Flynn (74 15 Tyler Kemp) 4 Craig Pope (60 16 Ryan Henshaw) 5 Ryan Maxwell (60 17 Payton Swatman) 6 Lawrence Yiga 7 Ayrton Coley 8 Sam Clarke 9 James Baker (74 18 Jordan Blackwell) 10 Jake Reed (46 12 Wesley Hause) 11 Kris Newby

NCFC Academy
1 Ben Killip 2 Cameron Norman 3 Michee Efete (78 17 Christian Scales) 4 Ray Grant 5 Nathan Fox 6 Kyle McFadden 7Jamie Eaton-Collins (53 16 Lewis Byrne-Hewitt) 8 Reece Hall-Johnson 9 Luciano Becchio (64 12 Jake Simpson) 10 Carlton Morris 11 Sam Kelly (71 14 Juan Bravo)
Subs not used;-13 Marcus Beauchamp 15 Kofi Boateng

Attendance 143

Richard Whiting