Third Successive Home Defeat

A.F.C.Sudbury welcomed Leatherhead to the Wardale Williams Stadium looking to bounce back from a narrow 2-1 defeat at high-flying Leiston on Tuesday evening. Stefano Mallardo came in at centre-half to replace the suspended Ryan Henshaw and Craig Parker made a welcome return to the starting line up.

A.F.C. Sudbury kicked off the game attacking from right to left as viewed from the Brian Tatum seated stand. After a slow start, Evan Lopes fired a shot high over the home crossbar before Tom Bradbrook broke free and sent a powerful shot towards goal which Marcus Garnham saved well, low down to his right. Sudbury responded with Rob Eagle releasing Liam Wales through the centre of the park and his neat forward ball saw Joe Taylor in the Leatherhead goal leave his line to gather quickly.

A fifteenth minute corner from Jack Newman saw Adam Tann head wide before an excellent switched pass to the right wing from Rob Eagle to Sam Bantick saw the latter’s first-time cross hit just over the crossbar by Jack Wilkinson.

On twenty-one minutes Leatherhead took the lead. Evan Lopes skilfully worked space in the home penalty area with a neat turn and slotted comfortably past Marcus Garnham. Garnham then had to be sharp off his line to deny Ben Francis as the visitors grew in confidence.

Rob Eagle had two bites of the cherry on the left as he finally cut dangerously into the Leatherhead penalty area, only for his shot to be parried by Taylor and cleared. Lopes then found Francis whose dangerous cross was blocked by James Baker as the home side struggled to get into the game.

On the half hour Jack Wilkinson was fouled twenty-five yards from the visitors’ goal. Jack Newman laid off the ball for Craig Parker to fire a fine effort just wide of the Leatherhead goal. Evan Lopes’ fine right wing cross was met with a strong header by Adam Tann with Ben Robinson able to clear the ball further upfield.

From a fine left wing corner delivered by Rob Eagle Stefano Mallardo ran into the penalty area to send a header rifling just over the Leatherhead crossbar. Sudbury continued to press, but often passes from both sides were going astray and the home side went into the break a goal down following a less than inspiring half of football.

Half Time;- AFC Sudbury 0 Leatherhead 1

The second half saw A.F.C. Sudbury start the brighter of the two sides. Ben Robinson neatly passed to Sam Bantick whose cross was met by Ryan Mahal with a brave header to deny Jack Wilkinson. Liam Wales tried out the Leatherhead defence with a strong run, but again their well-drilled back line denied an opening.

Ten minutes into the half and A.F.C. Sudbury drew level. Rob Eagle’s incisive pass into Liam Wales saw the Sudbury number nine make no mistake with an accomplished finish.

Ben Robinson’s pass for Sam Bantick to chase saw Joe Taylor rushed off his line to clear for the visitors amid muted shouts for handling the ball outside of the penalty area. Tom Bradbrook had a chance to send Leatherhead back into the lead, only a superbly-timed tackle by Adam Tann stopped him in his tracks.

Liam Wales then found Sam Bantick on the right, but his cross was cut out. Next Jack Wilkinson crossed for Craig Parker to shoot just wide of the goal on the stretch. Parker then had a shooting attempt in the Leatherhead area which went straight at Taylor who saved easily.

On seventy-four minutes Sam Bantick was replaced by Tyler French as Sudbury looked for that elusive winning goal. It would be Leatherhead who gained the initiative on seventy-seven minutes. With space in the area substitute Callum Davies twisted and turned and fired low past Marcus Garnham to put the home side on the back-foot once again. Substitute Keirnan Hughes-Mason broke free, but Marcus Garnham quickly gathered the ball as he bore down on goal.

Six minutes of added-time saw Leatherhead comfortably defend and A.F.C. Sudbury unable to create a chance to equalise. A dull, error-strewn game which will have been one A.F.C. Sudbury would have expected to win, but it was not to be. They can bounce back on Tuesday evening when they travel to Waltham Abbey for a League Cup second round tie.

Att 258

Richard Whiting