Late Goal Costs AFC The Points

A.F.C. Sudbury made the short journey cross-country to Bloomfields, Needham Market for this New Year’s Day fixture on a mild but very windy afternoon. With Danny Laws temporarily at the helm following the departure on David Batch and his management team, Sudbury looked to bounce back from a Boxing Day defeat at home to Brightlingsea Regent where a late goal secured the three points for the visitors.

Needham Market kicked off the game, attacking from right to left as viewed from the main stand. With the wind set to play a major role in the match, the home side were playing into the teeth of the gale on a damp pitch which cut up from the opening exchanges.

Needham forced a first minute corner on the left which Luke Ingram swung in dangerously and James Baker rose well to clear. Lee Flynn pouncing on the loose ball to further alleviate the danger. Sudbury worked some space with some neat play in the third minute, Kris Newby shooting left of Shaun Phillip’s goal with a speculative effort. Craig Pope launched a high ball into the swirling wind on four minutes which Phillips punched clear. This led to the ball finding its way to the touchline where Pope and Needham number eleven Holder tangled for the ball. In a moment of high drama, Pope was shown a red card for what appeared to be no more than a competitive tangle.

Sudbury looked to defend deep with the man disadvantage thrust upon them. Newson broke forward with pace and threat, but Lawrence Yiga’s perfectly timed challenge halted his progress and Marcus Garnham was swiftly off his line to gather the ball. In the eleventh minute Holder again was felled, this time James Baker the victim as a yellow card was produced. On seventeen minutes Marcus Garnham again rushed from his line to deny Newson and two minutes later a Rhys Henry through ball was far too heavy as it rolled unopposed through to the Sudbury ‘keeper to end an opening twenty minutes of infinitely forgettable quality.

The game continued as a scrappy festival of mis-placed passes and aimless balls pumped into the air. Sudbury reacted to the loss of Pope by substituting Jordan Blackwell and bringing on Jack Wilkinson in the twenty-sixth minute. A throw deep into Sudbury territory on the right was cleared by a fine header from Lee Flynn and a right wing corner after thirty-five minutes was blasted well wide by Michael Brothers as Sudbury continued to repel their hosts with ease despite their man disadvantage.

A tough challenge on Ben Robinson, working hard in the heart of the Sudbury defence, saw Holder go unpunished as the Sudbury defender received treatment. Holder’s liking for the horizontal next saw him take a dramatic tumble at the hands of a fine Lawrence Yiga tackle. On the thirty-ninth minute Kris Newby saw yellow for dissent as the cards continued to flow with a greater ease than the football. Wilkinson managed a fine left wing cross at pace which Shaun Phillips did well at his near post to gather. Just before the break Lawrence Yiga beat two Needham Market men before drilling a twenty-five yard shot against the left hand post with Phillips beaten in the home goal.

Half Time; Needham Market 0 AFC Sudbury 0

Ryan Henshaw and James Baker combined well to repel an early Needham Market attack before Lawrence Yiga saw yellow for a late challenge. On fifty-one minutes a superbly flighted ball from Kem Izzet released Newson through the heart of the Sudbury defence and only a stunning block from Garnham denied the home side the lead. On the hour Sudbury produced their best move of the game to date. Ollie Berquez sent a brilliant ball through to Jack Guyton whose snap shot was gathered low down by Shaun Phillips. Kris Newby then made way for Ayrton Coley as the game continued in stalemate.

On sixty-three minutes Garnham rushed out of the Sudbury goal, his punch rebounding from two players and back into his arms. Ian Westlake sent a shot right of the Sudbury goal on sixty-four minutes before Ryan Henshaw flighted a fine ball through to Wilkinson whose break was curtailed when he was adjudged to have committed a foul to aid his progress. Sudbury had a tremendous escape on sixty-nine minutes when Newson broke clean through their defence only to shoot woefully wide in the easiest chance of the match. James Baker, playing a makeshift role at the heart of the Sudbury defence, burst forward on seventy-three minutes beating three challenges before Lawrence Yiga fired a shot over the home goal.

Lee Flynn’s superb cross-field ball to Jack Wilkinson on the left wing saw the Sudbury sub cross, but Phillips commanded his penalty area well to gather. Ben Robinson did well to snuff out another Needham sortie. Newson then rose well in the Sudbury defence to head goal wards only for Garnham to deny him yet again with a stunning save. Ayrton Coley was replaced by Terry Rymer with a little over ten minutes remaining.

A foul on Brothers saw Ben Robinson awarded yet another yellow as the game’s lack of flow was maintained by yet another delay. Needham pressed hard, but superb headers from Robinson and Henshaw denied them progress as the game approached injury-time.

Just as Sudbury looked to have earned the point their play and effort more than richly deserved, their cause was all but destroyed when Lee Flynn, superb throughout the game, was shown red. A discussion between referee’s assistant and referee resulted in the card as the crowd sat waiting for a very different decision to occur which would have resulted in equal personnel on both sides. The shock at the decision was palpable and despite some gallant defending, Needham stabbed home a dramatic late winner deep into injury-time to break the visitors’ hearts.

A very poor game, watched by over 400 people, many of whom would not have been regular visitors to the non-league game. The result of the match had far too much to do with officials and far too little to do with players. To hear home supporters expressing embarrassment at their win summed up the officials’ influence on the quality of this game with perfect precision.

Att 473

Richard Whiting