No Joy At North Road

This game was one that will be best forgotten, as it was one of the poorest performances by an AFC for some considerable time and certainly since the new management team took over.

There was only one change from the last fixture with Terry Rymer recalled to face his former club and Jordan Blackwell dropping to the bench. Newly re-signed Scott Mitchell had to sit the game out as he finished a three match suspension.

There was very little action in the first twelve minutes as both sides exchanged the ball without troubling the goalkeepers. A minute later the home side should have taken the lead following a right wing corner when Cripps was allowed space to send a powerful header just wide.

There was a flair-up in the twenty-first minute that saw AFC’s Kris Newby and Brightlingsea’s Berkane booked. It appeared that the officials may have seen the aftermath but not the original coming together, thus booking both players.

The Essex side took the lead after twenty-four minutes, Griggs crossed from the right James Baker headed the ball up into the air, Marcus Garnham came and punched but unfortunately straight to Turner who fired home.

Newby and Ben Robinson combined well on the AFC right but there was no end product. Tyler Kemp committed a foul and received a yellow card for his trouble.

Ollie Berquez (pictured) then had a couple of headers from crosses but both went wide of the mark, while Baker had one pushed over by Plummer in the Regent goal. Rymer put in a cross that was headed down to Craig Parker who tamely fed the ball into the keeper’s arms in the centre of the goal.

The home side nearly increased their lead when Gordon did well turning sharply and firing the ball towards the AFC goal only to see it strike the post and bounce away.

There was an incident just before the break that saw Turner booked for simulation this after there had been a collision involving Newby who was increasing finding the situation frustrating. The referee only spoke him to when all around were baying for a second yellow card.

Half –Time;- Brightlingsea Regent 1 AFC Sudbury 0

There was a common sense change by the AFC management as the half started with Newby being withdrawn and Jordan Blackwell taking over. He was soon involved marauding down the right side.

Rymer went through the middle and had a shot that was comfortably save by Plummer, before Gordon had an effort go wide for the home side.

AFC won a couple of corners as their game improved from the first half and put some pressure the North Road team but could not find any real penetration. Parker drove into the box but could not covert and there was a penalty appeal as both Rymer and Blackwell went down in quick succession.

With twenty minutes left Jordan Heath, an ex-AFC Academy player came on with Canfer going off. Regent’s Gordon tussled with James Baker and ended being booked. Six minutes later the home side doubled their lead when Kelly was on hand to shoot home when the ball rebounded to him unmarked.

Ayrton Coley came on in place of Berquez before Callander had a header that fell into the goalkeeper’s arms. Gould and Joseph came on for the home side and it was Gould who in the first minute of stoppage time fed Heath to scoring the home sides third goal.

It was a day best forgotten by the AFC players who know that they can do much better and will have to do so to ensure a play-off place after the final three games of the season that are to come.

Att 242

YNOT