The last league game of the season saw a trip to Julius Martin Lane and Soham Town Rangers, a venue and a team that AFC do not normally do well at and against. This time with third place already secured the result would not really matter.
Manager Jamie Godbold decided in view of the upcoming play-off semi-final it would be an ideal time to rest several players and made six changes to the previous line-up. Goalkeeper Louis Jonson was making his Ryman League debut for the club.
The changes led to a change of formation, the side going out in a 3-4-1-2 line up with James Baker playing on the left of back three with Ryan Henshaw and Scott Mitchell joining him.
The home side took a fifth minute lead. A long throw in on their left came back out to some thirty yards to Ofori-Gyasi who blasted home his shot that gave Johnson no chance.
AFC had a couple of chances with Terry Rymer having a header go over and then Ollie Berquez did the same. Baker went on a mazy run before earning a free kick from which Sam Clarke fired wide.
The visitors continued to dominate but could not force Banthorpe in the home goal to make a save. Ayrton Coley who started the game was seeing a lot of the ball but was failing to connect well with his colleague, this not being helped by the bumpy pitch making control difficult.
James Baker showed a touch of class as Soham’s Simpson tried to get away, the AFC man waited his time and then pounced with a perfectly timed intervention.
AFC had a number of free kicks all taken by Mitchell but there was no breakthrough before the break.
Half Time: - Soham Town Rangers 1 AFC Sudbury 0
The second half followed a similar pattern, AFC having the ball for most of the time but not penetrating the home defence.
Simpson was booked as he hacked at the back of Baker’s legs as he once again took command of an attacking situation, the Soham man showing his frustration.
Scott Kemp for AFC had an effort but again the ball went high over the bar, this just before the hour mark. There was then a good passing movement between Ben Robinson, Rymer and Clarke whose shot went wide of the mark. Rymer then missed a header with the goal gapping.
The home side made a couple of changes and with just over twenty minutes left AFC took Kemp and Rymer off and replaced them with Luke Callander and Jordan Blackwell.
Berquez put Coley through the middle but again his effort went over the Soham goal. There was foul in the right corner on Clarke for which Ofor-Gyasi was booked and the Bromwich surely should have been booked for a wild tackle, but was let off.
Soham had a break away and Simpson looked to have a great chance to increase their lead but he was tackle on the edge of the AFC area to stop the danger.
The AFC management changed the formation once again and Baker went up front and Mitchell ended up at left back, but at times there were only two Sudbury players at the back.
The Cambridgeshire side replaced Bromwich playing his last game for the club having been with them for some thirteen years and as he left the pitch to a good round of applause the AFC management team congratulated him.
The ball was constantly in the Soham half and with the game deep in stoppage time AFC were awarded a free kick on the edge of the home sides penalty area. Mitchell was prepared to take the kick as he had done with the vast majority of the others but up stepped Luke Callander to blast an unstoppable shot into the top corner of the net.
So a share of the points and third place in the league and now onto the play-off semi-final.
Att 182
YNOT