With play-off points important to both teams Sudbury’s 14 game unbeaten league run came to an end when Dereham came from behind to complete the league double over the Suffolk side in a wind effected game. All the goals came in the first eighteen minutes of the second half.

Sudbury boss Jamie Godbold made one change from the side that started the previous game with the well again Terry Rymer replacing the injured Craig Parker who was named amongst the substitutes.

Sudbury had the strong wind at their backs in a goal less first half and although they had the majority of the play they never came to terms with the windy conditions and only once tested the home keeper Andy Wilton when he made a terrific save to tip over a fierce drive from Luke Callander.

Half time: Dereham Town 0 AFC Sudbury 0

The majority of the goal mouth action came in the opening eighteen minutes of the half, when Sudbury, now with the strong wind in their faces, took the lead after only 51 seconds of the restart when a fine Ben Robinson through ball found Luke Callander who rounded the home keeper and finished clinically from the narrowest of angles.

But, within two minutes Dereham levelled when Michael Clunan scored direct from a 25-yard free kick that caught keeper Marcus Garnham rooted to his line.

That was the start of a bad Sudbury spell who seemed to press the self-destruct button. Within two minutes Dereham were awarded a penalty when Ryan Henshaw, who was shielding the ball out of play, needlessly fouled Ryan Hawkins as he was trying to keep the ball in. Luke Tuttle successfully despatched the resulting spot kick to put Dereham into the lead.

On the hour Sudbury had vociferous appeals for a penalty of their own when a free kick was cleared to Jordan Blackwell on the edge of the box and his fierce drive goal wards appeared to be handled by a defender in his attempted clearance. But penalty appeals fell on deaf ears.

Worse was to come for Sudbury three minutes later when Dereham were gifted a third goal in bizarre circumstances. Keeper Garnham received the ball from a Sudbury throw-in and was quickly closed down by Liam Wales who blocked the keeper’s attempted clearance and the ball spun into the unguarded net for the most farcical of goals.

Dereham Town’s Aldiss Park pitch has never been a happy hunting ground for Sudbury sides and so it proved yet again as there was no way back for Godbold’s team who remain in third place but their nearest play-off challengers, Brentwood Town, have moved to within two points with a game in hand.

Att 281

Pat Arbon