AFC Let In Late Goal

A stoppage time equaliser earned the hosts, who play in the Ryman Premier Division, a replay after Sudbury, who had been trailing at the break, scored twice in the second half to look as if they had booked their place in the next round.

Manager David Batch made two changes to the side that began the previous game with Terry Rymer and Correy Davidson starting at the expense of Ayrton Coley and Lawrence Yiga who dropped to the bench.

The speedy Davidson proved a real handful to the home defence and it was his equalising goal that started Sudbury’s second half revival.

It was a beautiful day weather wise on the West Sussex coast and although the Sudbury fans in the crowd of 325 were vastly outnumbered they were in good voice. They saw an entertaining game in which their side matched their higher league opponents who looked dead and buried until they eared a replay with a somewhat fortunate last ditch equaliser.

The only goal of the first half came after 25 minutes when Bognor, who had done most of the pressing without causing many problems to the Sudbury rearguard, took the lead when Ashley Anderson scored from the penalty spot after a handball by defender Ben Robinson in a goal mouth scramble.

Half time: Bognor Regis Town 1 AFC Sudbury 0

AFC upped their game in the second period and were level within three minutes of the restart when Kris Newby did well on the right and his low cross was turned into the net by Davidson at the far post.

Twice Sudbury had good chances scrambled away before the home side were denied by visiting keeper Marcus Garnham who did well to tip a flick from Harvey Whyte over the bar for a corner which came to nothing.

The visitors made their first substitution after 54 minutes when James Baker replaced Rymer.

Baker was soon in the thick of the action and it was his goal that gave Sudbury the lead after 67 minutes. Davidson was the provider when he broke through only to see his shot deflected and Baker (pictured) poked home at the far post.

Seven minutes later Sudbury’s Ryan Henshaw was yellow carded for a foul on Ollie Pearce as he attacked. From the resulting free kick Bognor did get he ball in the Sudbury net but the effort was ruled out for an infringement.

AFC went close again when a teasing cross from sub Coley just eluded Baker’s head. Bognor pressed hard for an equaliser in the closing minutes only to be denied by some sound Sudbury defending particularly when Yiga, who had not been long off the bench, made a great clearing header.

But in the first of four minutes of stoppage time Sudbury hearts were broken when from a move down the Bognor left a hopeful cross-cum-shot from Pearce looped over Garnham and went in off the post to level the scores to force a replay in Suffolk.

Attendance: 325

Pat Arbon