The AFC Sudbury Academy Boys booked their place in the ECFA National Cup semi-final with a 2-1 victory over Dagenham and Redbridge yesterday.

After a competitive and evenly contested first half, the young Yellows stepped up after the break to take control of the tie.

The breakthrough came in the second half when Sam Cox found the net on the rebound from a penalty to give Sudbury the lead and settle the home side. The boys continued to push forward and soon doubled their advantage through Luke Burgess, whose stunnig strike from outside the area put the Suds firmly in command of the quarter-final.

Dagenham & Redbridge pulled a goal back late on to set up a tense finish, but Sudbury remained composed and defended well in the closing stages to see out an important win.

The result sends AFC Sudbury Academy Boys into the National Cup semi-final, continuing an excellent cup run and underlining the strength of the club’s youth development pathway.

Everyone at AFC Sudbury congratulates the players and coaching staff on a fantastic achievement and wishes them the best of luck in the semi-final.

Details on the semi-final will be announced once the draw has been made.