Well if you attend any AFC game these days you can rarely fail to be entertained and you can be sure that the Sudbury boys will give their all, even if they end up with only ten!

This was no different, a goal down to the league leaders and down to one below the eleven, they remainder battled away well past the ninety minutes and duly got their just reward.

The AFC management had to make a change as Captain Sam Clarke started his four-match suspension, and Lawrence Yiga came in to take his place in midfield. New signing Craig Parker was only fit enough to start on the bench. The opposition fielded two ex-AFC men in Dave Cowley and newly signed Craig Pope and two others on the bench, Leon Antoine and Robbie Martin.

There was a good crowd in attendance, many who had arrived early to use the clubhouse facilities. The pitch was looking heavily sanded in places but was flat and for the time of year and considering the recent weather not too bad. The AFC side had the newly formed AFC Girls Team to walk out with them as mascots.

Cowley and Read for Harlow had shots blocked early as the visitors went on the front foot. AFC then had a throw that Kris Newby feigned to take long but it went short and Jordan Blackwell shot was seemingly tipped over by Thompson, however a goal kick was given.

Harlow were almost caught out when a long ball out fell to Terry Rymer and he attempted to lob the ball over Thompson but was unsuccessful. Ryan Henshaw was then alert to get across and make a fine sliding tackle out on the left wing.

There was a let off for Newby on twenty-minutes as he and Cowley went for the ball with the AFC man catching the Harlow skippers’ head with his arm. There was just a lecture from the man in the middle for Newby.

Yiga was then subjected to a challenge that appeared to have a Harlow arm catch him around the back of the head. The AFC man stayed down and was treated firstly on the pitch and then off it for a bad cut behind his ear. He was bandaged up and returned after some seven minutes away from the fray.

Ten minutes after his warning Newby was duly booked, stepping in the way of Stamp to block a Harlow attack.

The Essex side prompted well by Dadson had an effort go wide when Smith fired over from him. Read their leading scorer was not having his own way with AFC’s stand-in skipper marshalling him well.

There was a booking for Pope as he up-ended Blackwell and Henshaw was also in the referee’s notebook in the final minute of the half.

Half time; AFC Sudbury 0 Harlow Town 0

AFC had a penalty appeal turned down when Ollie Berquez had a shot that appeared to be handled but nothing was given.

Yiga strode forward and endevoured to repeat his goal against St Neots but this time the ball went well over. Newby and Ben Robinson combined well on the right hand side and won a corner that came to nothing.

On sixty-three minutes Harlow took the lead. Henshaw was adjudged to have fouled on the left edge of his penalty area and up stepped Cowley to put the ball passed Garnham’s outstretched right arm.

Two minutes later Thompson made his first real save of the game when Rymer got clear and the Harlow stopper saved well with his legs to deny the Sudbury forward.

A couple of changed were forthcoming, Read going off for Harlow having had no joy at all against Baker being replaced by Jones, and young Blackwell having worked hard in the last few games for AFC went off and Ayrton Coley recently returned from his loan at Haverhill Rovers came on.

There were eighteen minutes left when Newby was sent off for a second yellow, his second dismissal in a week.

Harlow took off centre half Goodhind and replaced him with Gorbell who would play a decisive part in latter proceedings meanwhile Berquez left and Parker came on for AFC.

The ten men were certainly not being overawed and Rymer went through and fired over with Yiga unmarked on his right. Garnham saved low down and was clattered into by Stamp the referee stepped in as the two squared up but took no further action.

With two minutes left Rymer was taken off and Baker was pushed up front with young Kyran Clements coming for his first team debut. He became the 299th player to appear in a first team shirt. Harlow countered the move by bringing on Antoine.

The game went into stoppage time and on the stroke of ninety-five minutes Tyler Kemp drove forward and got the ball to Parker entering the Harlow penalty area. There was substitute Gorbell to trip the AFC man. A penalty. Up stepped Baker to blast the ball home and to earn the home side a well earned point.

This was certainly not a classic but a game that AFC did not deserve to win but did not deserve to lose so probably a point apiece was about right.

Att 329

YNOT