Three Points, Three Goals

AFC went into this pre-Christmas fixture looking to put behind them two defeats from their last two league games. That they did and kept themselves in touch with the play-off places, but there could have been a different outcome had the home side taken early and late chances.

Manager David Batch had to make changes to his line up with Sam Clarke suspended and Tyler Kemp injured, also missing was the still injured Kris Newby. Ryan Henshaw, James Baker along with Lee Flynn and Scott Kemp came into the starting eleven, while on the bench were two new loan players from Cambridge United, George Doyle and Ayrton Bevins.

Baker started the game up from where he has not played for several games, having starred in defence in his previous outing.
AFC very nearly gifted the home side the lead in the second minute, a wayward back pass by Henshaw let in Poku who had only Marcus Garnham to beat. The AFC keeper advanced and slipped on the very doubtful surface allowing the forward more time, but he recovered enough to send the forward wider and the he fortunately put the ball wide of the goal.

The visitors recovered their composure and Scott Kemp got in several crosses from the right wing area. Baker and Terry Rymer combined well to earn a corner and this produced another from which Flynn fired over. Baker then had an effort from another corner that Barkingside keeper Clark pushed over.

The home side attacked and Henshaw got in a good tackle to concede a corner as Poku got through. Rymer was adjudge offside but fired the ball away and into the goal and was promptly booked for kicking the ball away after the whistle had gone.

The breakthrough came on the half hour mark with Baker putting the ball through the middle and Correy Davidson latched onto it to put AFC a goal up. Six minutes later Davidson got his fourth goal in two games as he took a pass from Berquez and with his weaker right foot blasted home.

With four minutes of the half left AFC virtually wrapped the game up with a third goal. A cross from the right found the feet of Ollie Berquez at the near post and he flicked the ball over the line. Despite it being cleared the assistant referee signalled that it had crossed the line and so at the break AFC went in three up.

Barkingside 0 AFC Sudbury 3

AFC started brightly with Kemp again getting in a cross that this time Rymer connected with and found the arms of Clark. Barkingside’s Taylor picked up a booking for a rather petulant foul on Ben Robinson.

From a free-kick Barkingside put the ball into the box and Gulfer put the ball over the AFC bar. On sixty-three minutes Lawrence Yiga who had protected the back four well went off and Doyle came on for his AFC debut.

Taylor had a great chance to reduce the deficit but could not take it putting the ball over Garnham’s bar when well placed, shortly afterwards Ellul headed on the post from a corner when it appeared that Garnham had been fouled trying to get to the ball.

Baker was taken off with the other new loanee Ayrton Bevins took over up front. On seventy-eight minutes Henshaw took down Poku and was deservedly booked, it was his ninth yellow card of the season.

Goal scorer Davidson was replaced by Jack Guyton with ten minutes left before Rymer burst through the middle of the home defence only to see Clark save.

On eighty-eight minutes the home side were awarded a penalty. The ball was put in from a corner and a shot was put and on the post was Lee Flynn and the ball bounced up and appeared to be going wide but it struck the defenders arm and the match official pointed to the spot and yellow carded the AFC man. Gulfer stepped up to take the spot-kick and Garnham made a great save the ball cannoned back to Gregory who headed way over the cross bar.

The final whistle went and it was three much needed points gained.

Att 87

YNOT