AFC Sudbury extended their unbeaten league run to six games when they held league leaders Harlow Town to a goal less draw.
This was the first time this season that the unbeaten league leaders had failed to score.
It was a well deserved point for AFC who restricted the hosts to few scoring opportunities. Overall there were few scoring chances at either end although Sudbury came close to snatching victory in stoppage time when a goal line clearance and a fine save kept the score sheet bank.
Manager David Batch made two changes to his starting eleven from the previous game. Central defender Ryan Henshaw (pictured) made a welcome return having missed seven games through suspension and an unrelated football injury. His return meant that influential striker James Baker, who had been playing at the back in Henshaw’s absence, moved to his attacking role replacing the injured Terry Rymer.
Harlow got off to a bright start and twice in the first four minutes former AFC Sudbury player Dave Cowley failed to hit the target with shots from just out side the area.
This was the story of the game in which defences dominated restricting shots from distance that were seldom on target. Throughout the game AFC’s Ayrton Coley made several promising runs without reward.
Towards the end of the first half Sudbury keeper Alex Archer was twice called into action. First Cowley and another former AFC player Robbie Martin combined with the latter having a shot saved at the expense of a corner and then Layne Eadie broke down the right and his cross-cum-shot was tipped over by Archer.
In between these efforts Baker used his power and looked to have broken away for Sudbury but he became the first recipient of a yellow card when he was adjudged to have tackled his marker too strongly. It seemed a harsh decision.
Half time: Harlow Town 0 AFC Sudbury 0
Early in the second half Archer was in action again when a swerving shot from Eadie was parried away by the keeper and cleared.
From then on neither keeper was seriously tested as both defences held firm although a rare chance fell to Harlow’s Luke Cuthbert late on but he failed to hit the target.
The game burst into life in stoppage time with Sudbury twice going close. First substitute Correy Davidson broke down the left, beat his man and got in shot that was cleared off the line by Eadie who did extremly well to get back and then Baker had a shot well saved by home keeper Ed Thompson to see the points shared for a deserved draw.
Att 232
Pat Arbon