AFC went to Hayes Lane on a wet Tuesday evening and came away from the league leaders with all three points, the winning goal being scored late on by George Clarke, his first for the club.

Manager Jamie Godbold was in attendance having missed the previous two games to see his side make it six successive victories and stay in second place in the table only three points behind the opposition and still with two games in hand.

Joe Maybanks came back into the starting line-up with George Clarke on the bench.

AFC started very brightly with Luke Callander and Craig Parker linking up well in the first twenty seconds with the latter forcing Blue in the Cray goal to save well and concede a corner. From it he saved a Henshaw header. Nine minutes alter Maybanks swung over a deep cross that the home defence were forced to put out for a corner. Maybanks took the kick and there rising unchallenged at the far post was Ryan Henshaw to head home.

Ben Robinson broke on the right got the ball in Callander and his shot forced Blue to get down to save. James Baker at the back did well shepherding the ball out of play with Bremner snapping at his heels.

Callander was on the end of a good move involving Maybanks and Jack Wilkinson, making his fiftieth appearance for the club, before the forward shot over. 'Cally' was getting involved with many of the AFC attacks and looked lively throughout.

Baker and McCollin clashed as the Cray player went down in the penalty area, but referee game nothing, except for waving play on much to the despair of the home forward. Ollie Berquez showed great determination as he tracked back well to deny Tajbaksh who was heading goalwards.

Marcus Garnham in the AFC goal had had little to do but proved his worth twice in quick succession. A free kick twenty five yards out was blasted by Basey and the keeper got down well to his left to push the ball around the post. He made an even better save second later when from the corner the ball fell to McCollin, the Wanderers forward shot hard through a mass of players and seeing the ball later Garnham dived to his right to fingertip the ball away from the goal.

The half ended and AFC had been clearly the better side looking dangerous on most occasions but knew the hosts would up their game in the second period.

Half-Time Cray Wanderers 0 AFC Sudbury 1

It was AFC and Callander who had the first chance of the second half the Sudbury man shooting and Blue in the home goal saving. Maybanks went on a run through the middle but saw his shot blocked and the Braintree loanee went down injured as play went on around him. He received treatment and went off but quickly recovered and returned to the fray.

Garnham again produced a fine save as Cray were getting much more of the ball and pressuring the AFC defence, the keeper making a great save from McCollin who had breached the defence to fire in a shot from the right.

Cray were certainly showing why they are top of the table as they pressed forward trying to equalise and on fifty-eight minutes they did. A free kick from the right hand side went into the AFC penalty area, Garnham rose well and punched the ball out, however it fell to McCollin on the edge of the area, he shot and the ball deflected off Ollie Berquez into the back of the net.

On sixty-five minutes AFC were awarded a free kick as Osifuwa handled and was booked, but Maybanks effort was awful. Both sides were going for the three points not content with a single one. George Clarke (pictured) took over from Maybanks before Henshaw upend Roberts and was booked for it. Baker and Wilkinson made saving tackles to keep the ground-sharing Cray out.

Six minutes from time AFC struck with what was to be the winning goal. George Clarke won the ball in midfield went forward interchanging passes and when in the penalty area slid the ball under the advancing keeper, Blue. It was the young player's first goal for the club.

Craig Parker went down injured as AFC were about to make a substitution but he was able to continue with Ross Bailey replacing Callander. The man in the middle indicated four minutes of stoppage time and AFC held onto their lead to avenge a heavy beating at home from the opposition earlier in the season.

A good victory, well deserved and keeping AFC in the play-off places and well in touch with the leaders going into the Christmas period.

Att 113

YNOT