Progress Made In League Cup

A.F.C. Sudbury welcomed Leiston to the Wardale Williams Stadium in the Second Round of the Robert Dyas League Cup on a mild but wet November evening. Both sides observed a minute’s silence prior to kick-off in recognition of Remembrance Day, a hundred years on from the commencement of the First World War.

Leiston kicked off the game as rain began to sweep across the ground, the visitors attacking from left to right as viewed from the Brian Tatum seated stand. Former Sudbury player Scott Mitchell tried his luck from twenty-five yards in the opening minute, his shot sliding well wide of Louis Johnson’s right hand post.

Sudbury responded in kind with Ollie Berquez shooting wide of Alex Rossis’s goal. It was a slightly scrappy start, but this wasn’t to be the case for the entire match. On ten minutes Danny Block tried to work his way into the Sudbury penalty area, only for Lawrence Yiga to halt his progress with a fine tackle. Lee Flynn then sent a searching long ball out of defence for Kris Newby to chase, but the ball skipped rapidly across the damp surface and harmlessly behind for a goal-kick.

AFC were finding their feet against their higher-league opposition and when Ollie Berquez laid a ball into the path of Newby he whipped a first-time shot over the crossbar.

On thirteen minutes Leiston almost grabbed the lead. Leon Ottley-Gooch beat the offside trap and Louis Johnson rushed out to save brilliantly with a trailing leg. James Baker then denied Block with a fine tackle at the heart of the home defence.

Patrick Brothers, sent a sixteenth minute corner from the left cutting through the penalty area, defeating defence and attack alike before finally rolling out for a home throw. Leiston were forced into an early substitution when the injured Adam Tann was replaced by Ryan Noy.

Correy Davidson tore down the centre of the pitch in a fine run, only curtailed by an excellent stopping tackle by Blake Saker. On twenty minutes Lawrence Yiga was booked for a foul on Leiston’s Tom Winter on half-way. Three minutes later Leiston took the lead. This time it was Danny Block who beat the offside trap to home in on goal and thread the ball neatly past Johnson.

The lead lasted only two minutes when Sudbury made the perfect reply. Kris Newby’s left wing corner was brilliantly delivered and Terry Rymer was on hand at the far post to slam the ball home.

The home sides confidence boomed. Davidson went on another lightening run, this time his cross cut out at the far post as he sought to deliver into the Leiston penalty area. At the other end, Leon Ottley-Gooch found Danny Block on the edge of the Sudbury penalty area, but the Leiston number ten fired his effort over the crossbar under pressure from Ben Robinson. Lawrence Yiga’s back-header fell to Winter, but Ryan Henshaw’s rapid tackle ensured no dangerous progress was made.

Before the half was out the crowd were treated to two moments of goal-keeping brilliance. Tom Winter picked up a partial clearance and drilled a twenty-yard shot at goal. Louis Johnson leaped to his right to produce a fine stop and keep his side on level terms. Then Correy Davidson again ran brilliantly into the Leiston half. His brilliant ball into Kris Newby saw a first-time shot headed for the roof of the net only for Alex Rossis in the Leiston goal to leap and tip the ball over the crossbar. A stunning move and a really classy save. Berquez and Ayrton Coley then caused the visitor’s some alarm before the half-time whistle ended a highly entertaining half.

Half Time; AFC Sudbury 1 Leiston 1

A.F.C. Sudbury started the half with confidence. Ayrton Coley swung an excellent right wing cross into the Leiston penalty area which was gratefully thumped up-field and then the dangerous Tom Winter was stopped in his tracks by an excellent tackle by Ryan Henshaw.

On fifty-seven minutes Sudbury grabbed the lead their endeavour and work thoroughly deserved. Ayrton Coley’s strong right wing run saw him cross to Kris Newby who trapped the ball just outside the penalty area and fired it wide of Rossis into the net. Correy Davidson immediately made way for Jordan Blackwell for the home side.

A poor Sudbury clearance on sixty-three minutes saw Danny Block send a curling shot over the home crossbar as Sudbury searched for a winning goal in this pulsating tie. On sixty-five minutes Leiston forced four corners in quick succession as Sudbury were forced to man their defences with all they could muster.

The siege was lifted when Lawrence Yiga sent Kris Newby away, his shot sliding wide of the Leiston goal. Ayrton Coley went off to be replaced by Jack Guyton on sixty-seven minutes. Sudbury almost sealed the tie on seventy minutes. Jack Guyton’s brilliant turn saw him send Ben Robinson into the penalty area on the right. His cross found Ollie Berquez and only a superb block from Leiston’s Joe Jefford kept the ball out of the net.

Lee Flynn let fly from just outside the penalty area only for Rossis to palm the ball away, again with great skill. On seventy-five minutes Sudbury gained a third goal. Kris Newby sent a left wing corner into the penalty area. Jack Guyton’s shot was parried away and ball crossed to Lawrence Yiga (pictured)who made no mistake with a confident finish.

AFC largely snuffed out any thoughts of a Leiston recovery, Ryan Noy’s cross into an un-marked Lewis Bell should have seen them grab a goal back with ten minutes remaining, but the Leiston sub fired his shot over the crossbar.

Sudbury more than held on in the final ten minutes, they dominated play, their defence, well martial led by the out-of-position James Baker saw out time in the thoroughly professional manner they had displayed throughout the game.

Att 144

Richard Whiting