A.F.C. Sudbury travelled the twenty miles into West Suffolk for this twice re-arranged tie with local rivals Bury Town. Despite recent wet weather, the pitch looked excellent and played really well in the wake of some much-needed warmth.
Academy ‘keeper Luca Collins came in for Sudbury in place of the injured Paul Walker, Phil Kelly and Tom Dettmar the other changes from Saturday’s home defeat to Ware.

The opening exchanges were cagey and competitive as both sides got their respective teeth into the spirit of this local derby. On seven minutes Phil Kelly made space to cut inside and fire his shot straight at the well-positioned Luis Tibbles in the home goal. Former A.F.C. Sudbury man Tevan Allen missed out on a chance to open the scoring when Olly Hughes’ whipped cross was sent just behind his run.

Chances were at a premium as both sides looked solidly organised, with neither side able to exert real pressure in the last third of the pitch. On twenty-three minutes Tom Robinson made ground on the right, but his shot was screwed well wide of Luca Collins’ goal. At the other end Darryl Coakley crossed for Phil Kelly to race in, only for Tibbles to smartly come off his line and gather well. Three minutes on and Joe Whight headed Darryl Coakley’s left wing corner high over the home crossbar.

Just after the half-hour and Ollie Peters found himself the recipient of a yellow card as he made a legitimate attempt to hit a shot from the right hand edge of the penalty area. Olly Fenn was caught and required treatment, but the booking looked more heavy-handed than the offence.

On thirty-three minutes Luca Collins raced through a crowded penalty area to send a dangerously-delivered Lankaster free kick well clear of danger with a decisive punch. The Sudbury ‘keeper was at full stretch when Camal Ramadan’s free-kick fizzed past the post as chances began to come after a circumspect opening.

Five minutes from the break and Callum Harrison’s fine free-kick fell to Billy Holland whose header looped high over the home bar. Harrison was also responsible for the last effort of the opening half as his shot slid wide of the right hand post as the sides went into the break on level terms.

Half-Time:- Bury Town 0 AFC Sudbury 0

On fifty-one minutes Jack Lancaster latched onto a poor A.F.C. Sudbury clearance, but his shot went well wide of the A.F.C Sudbury goal. Four minutes on and Lankaster saw yellow for a check on Joe Whight’s surging run down the wing.

Manager Mark Morsley made the first A.F.C. Sudbury change on the hour when Mekhi McKenzie came on to replace Sam Mills. On sixty-two minutes A.F.C. Sudbury were awarded a penalty when Kelly was felled in the penalty area. Joe Whight delivered a low shot to the left corner of the goal, but Bury Town ‘keeper Tibbles leapt to his right to pull off a quite superb save.

Tyler French denied the home side shortly afterwards when his slide-tackle halted a Blues advance with his customary cool-headed competence. On sixty-seven minutes Bury came again with Lankaster trying to find the on-rushing Ramadan whose contact was only slight, before Lankaster shot wide of the right hand post on the follow-up.

On seventy muted Bury Town opened the scoring. Lankaster whipped a cross through the six-yard area from the left wing and Camal Ramadan was excellently place to fire home. Ben Hunter was then brought into the action replacing the excellent Tyler French who had been hobbling a little just prior to his substitution.

With ten minutes on the clock Tom Dettmar hit shot from just outside the Bury Town penalty area which went wide of goal. With five minutes remaining Callum Harrison hit a shot just wide as Sudbury strained every nerve to get back into the match.

With three minutes of normal time left, A.F.C. Sudbury’s endeavour paid off when Callum Harrison’s pin-point cross from the left after a mistake by Ryan Yallop was gleefully turned home by Phil Kelly at the far post. Right on the whistle, the ever-dangerous Ramadan sent a free-kick goal-wards, but a wonderful save by Luca Collins denied the home side as yet another A.F.C. Academy player stepped up to the First Eleven to serve his club with distinction.

Richard Whiting