Good Performance but no points

A good midweek crowd of 213 saw Sudbury play well, particularly in the first period, but the home jinx struck again as fourth placed Brentwood Town snatched the points with a solitary smash and grab second half goal.
Manager David Batch made one change from the side that started at Romford on Saturday with Lawrence Yiga starting in midfield at the expense of Terry Rymer. He was named amongst the substitutes along with James Baker who had recovered from illness. Recently signed goal keeper Marcus Garnham was making his home debut.
Sudbury kicked off and within seconds created a chance when Scott Kemp seized on a defensive error and raced goalwards but his shot lacked power and was easily saved.
This basically set the pattern of a goal less first half as two minutes later Sam Clarke headed over after Jack Wilkinson’s long throw had only been partially cleared.
More pressure on the Brentwood goal was scrambled away and Yiga fired a shot from distance that Brentwood keeper Ollie Bowles tipped over for a corner which was scrambled clear.
It had been all Sudbury until Brentwood created their first chance after 29 minutes when Sherwin Stanley seized on a loose ball but his shot was easily saved by Garnham.
For Sudbury Kris Newby fired over and two more corners went unrewarded before Brentwood were given the best chance of the half after 35 minutes when a defensive error gifted the ball to Stanley and his angled shot, with the goal at his mercy and with Garnham in no-mans-land, struck a post and was scrambled clear.
At the other end three minutes later Yiga was at it again. This time with another shot from distance but it just missed the target with the keeper beaten.
Sudbury continued to pile on the pressure as half time approached and a free kick into the box was scrambled clear for another corner and from it Ryan Henshaw fired over.
In first half stoppage yet another Sudbury corner created an opening at the back post but that too was missed.
Half time: AFC Sudbury 0 Bentwood 0
Having had most of the play in the first half without piercing the Brentwood defence it began to look as if Sudbury would be punished. And that is what happened but not until the home side created another chance when Ben Robinson broke down the right and his cross just eluded Newby and Bowles saved.
The sucker punch came ten minutes after the restart. Brentwood won a free kick wide right. It was taken by Robbie Rees and visiting skipper Martyn Stokes stole in to head past Garnham from six yards.
That goal proved to be the winner. But apart from another Brentwood chance when substitute Danny Aldwincle broke only to be denied by Garnham, it was mainly Sudbury searching for the equaliser.
The introduction of Baker, Jordan Blackwell and latterly Correy Davidson gave Sudbury renewed hope none more so than when Newby’s well struck free kick was well saved by Bowles.
But the equaliser they deserved never came as Brentwood defended stoutly to hold on for a hard-fought win.
Pat Arbon