A first league meeting between A.F.C. Sudbury and Haringey Borough saw the home side pressing for a return to the top echelons of the table whilst their visitors were looking to pull away from the bottom places. Luis Tibbles made a home debut in goal whilst academy product Ryan McNicholas was given a place on the bench.

Sudbury kicked off the game attacking from right to left as viewed from the Brian Tatum seated stand. Ben Robinson won an early corner for Sudbury in the third minute which Jordan Blackwell delivered for the rising Stefano Mallardo to head over the crossbar. Wayne Blackman’s trickery won a further home corner on six minutes. Craig Parker’s header fell for Mallardo once again who headed over the Haringey crossbar once again.

Daniel Ailey shot wide on eight minutes and sixty seconds later he rose to head against the outside of the right hand post as the visitors enjoyed some rare territorial advantage. Ishmail Kamara looked to slice open the home defence, but a finely judged tackle by James Baker snuffed out any danger and Sudbury cleared their lines. At the other end Sam Clarke’s powerful effort went wide of the right hand post as Sudbury attempted to break down a resolute Haringey back line.

Luke Callander exchanged passes with Wayne Blackman and sent a powerful shot high over the Haringey crossbar. Ashley Fashanu found space on the edge of the home penalty area, but a superb block by Ryan Henshaw denied the opening, the loose ball fell towards Stefano Mallardo who lost out to Leroy Griffiths whose snapshot was dealt with by a fine save by Luis Tibbles leaping to his right.

Jordan Blackwell then put in a trademark left wing run at pace after a fine cross-field pass by Luke Callander and his whipped delivery was cleared from the near post with some desperate defending being exercised by the Haringey defence. On twenty-five minutes a give-and-go passing move saw Ryan Henshaw release Ben Robinson whose ball into the penalty area was again desperately cleared by a well-drilled and busy Borough defence.

Wayne Blackman’s hard-working afternoon won Sudbury another corner on thirty-one minutes. Jordan Blackwell sent over the set-piece low and saw the ball returned for a second chance. This was cleared as far as Sam Clarke whose shot was driven wide of the right hand post. Saleem Mastri sent a rare shot towards the home goal as Haringey briefly broke the shackles, but again Luis Tibbles was on hand to save well.

Daniel Ailey looked to turn in the home penalty area, but, well-marshalled by Stefano Mallardo, he conceded a free-kick when fouling the Sudbury number three. On thirty-seven minutes Liam Wales found space in the crowded Haringey penalty area and sent a shot skidding just wide of the right hand post. Sam Clarke then charged along the right wing only to be fouled as he bore down on goal. Jordan Blackwell got onto the end of the free-kick and Ashley Harris in the home goal sprung dramatically to his right to make an acrobatic save.

James Baker again denied Kamara with a deft challenge before Stefano Mallardo made Daniel Ailey’s task in front of goal difficult enough for him to fire his shot high over Luis’ Tibbles goal. Liam Wales then swung a nice pass into Wayne Blackman who returned the compliment for the Sudbury number seven to send his shot just over the crossbar in a sweet move.

After a brilliant passage of play in which Sam Clarke, Wayne Blackman and Jordan Blackwell all exchanged neat, incisive passes, Blackman was fouled on the edge of the Haringey penalty area. Craig Parker curled a sublime free-kick around the home wall which Ashley Harris did well to parry down to his left, but Liam Wales (pictured) reacted brilliantly to fire A.F.C. Sudbury into a richly deserved lead.

Half-Time;- AFC Sudbury 1 Haringey Borough 0

Jordan Blackwell sent a shot high and wide of the Haringey Borough goal on forty-seven minutes, but Sudbury soon doubled their lead. Jordan Blackwell capped a fine run to cross for Luke Callander to fire home. A neat pass from Luke Callander sent Liam Wales clear, but, appearing to be held, Wales was unable to get his shot away.

On the hour Liam Wales sent Ben Robinson away and his pass into Luke Callander looked to have goal written all over it but for the desperate visitor’s defence during which Callander seemed to be the latest home player to have his shirt tugged in the penalty area.

An increasingly rare Haringey attack saw Ishmail Kamara send a fine cross into the heart of the home penalty area where Ryan Henshaw rose to thump a towering header clear of danger. Liam Wales and Ben Robinson exchanged passes with the latter finding Jordan Blackwell who hooked his shot just wide of the Haringey goal with Harris rooted to the spot. On sixty-eight minutes A.F.C. Sudbury rang the changes with Luke Callander and Sam Clarke making way for Ollie Berquez and Ross Bailey.

On seventy-two minutes Liam Wales was sandwiched by two Haringey defenders, but play continued. Ollie Berquez won possession in the centre of the park, midway into the visitors’ penalty area. From his pass Jordan Blackwell won A.F.C. Sudbury a corner. From this set-piece Ryan Henshaw had a header cleared off the goal-line and Craig Parker thumped two shots towards goal which were somehow blocked as the Haringey back line combined a certain amount of luck with a despairing work-ethic to keep the home side from running up more goals.

The excellent Wayne Blackman made way for the debut making sixteen year old Ryan McNicholas with five minutes of the match remaining for the youngster to impress. Jordan Blackwell was found by Ollie Berquez on the right and his cross saw Liam Wales fire just wide of goal.

Sudbury continued to batter the visitors’ defence, Ollie Berquez squeezing a shot just wide of goal with a couple of minutes remaining. Jorge Djassi-Sambu had a free header with a minute remaining, but sent his effort high over the home goal in a noticeably rare Haringey attack. Sudbury came on strongly again when Craig Parker’s blistering run saw his shot cannon off the legs of Ashley Harris and somehow cleared away.

A patient win by A.F.C. Sudbury which lifts them to fourth place in the Ryman League Division One North ahead of their second round tie against Felixstowe and Walton in the Suffolk Premier Cup on Tuesday evening.

Att 217

Richard Whiting