Back to square one?

A.F.C. Sudbury welcomed Soham Town Rangers to the King’s Marsh Stadium with a good contingent making the short trip from Cambridgeshire to swell the attendance to a healthy 255.

The home side attacked from right to left as viewed from the Brian Tatum Seated Stand in the opening half. In the third minute Soham’s Allan sent a speculative lob past Paul Walker’s goal before Ben Hunter’s shot was an easy save for Pope. A minute later and Paul Walker was out quickly from his goal to deny the on-rushing Watson. A right wing corner for Soham was swung in by Auger and Lloyd Groves should have done better with a free header from close range which went wide of the right hand post. Reese Harris sent a fine cross into the heart of the Soham defence which almost picked out a well-place Ben Hunter, but a Soham boot intervened and sent the ball clear.

On eleven minutes the visitors grabbed the lead when Lewis Clayton latched onto a loose ball from a long Russell throw from the left and made no mistake with a neat finish. On seventeen minutes A.F.C. Sudbury drew level. A foul on Ben Hammett saw a Sudbury free-kick which was only partially cleared before Reese Harris sent a fine cross from the right to the far post where Tom Maycock was on hand to tuck the ball into the net. Soham responded with Allan crossing for Auger to head wide.

Ben Hunter’s left wing corner was punched clear by Pope on twenty-seven minutes before Mulready drew a fine save from Paul Walker diving to his right to parry just a minute later. Reese Harris ran skilfully at the heart of the Soham defence with Ben Hunter’s shot gathered well by Pope. Mulready almost broke free into the home defence. but Walker was again off his line rapidly to make another excellent save. Sudbury ended the half with Ben Hunter’s corner reaching Tom Dettmar who screwed his shot well wide of goal.

HT 1-1

Both sides looked very evenly matched in the opening minutes of the second half. Neither goalkeeper looked likely to be troubled as the opening minutes ticked by. On fifty-four minutes Sean Marks sent a fine ball into Hunter whose cross was blocked. At the other end Auger delivered a corner into the Sudbury penalty area which rebounded off Lloyd Groves and saw Sudbury break down the pitch. Baris Altintop raced forward, but his cross found a Soham leg and the attack came to nothing. On the hour Reese Harris was fouled close to half way and Joe Whight’s dangerous free-kick saw Soham clear and break with pace. Only a superbly timed tackle by Ben Hammett denied the visitors a route through on goal.

On sixty-six minutes Sudbury broke the deadlock when Reese Harris fired in a right wing cross from the goal-line which cannoned off Lloyd Groves and into the net for an own-goal. Sudbury defended with determination, Bailey-Dennis marshalling the back line well throughout, but Soham were level within three minutes of the home side’s goal. Russell launched another long throw which dropped in the penalty area for Lloyd Groves to head home and perhaps atone for his unfortunate counter at the other end. On seventy-one minutes the game was turned on its head when Mulready ghosted in to head into the far corner of the net from another long throw from the right. Sudbury substituted Hunter and O’Malley on seventy-three minutes as they looked for the equaliser. Freddie King and Liam Bennett the men entering the fray.

Auger fired a fine shot just over the crossbar on seventy-nine minutes before Soham grabbed the decisive goal. The long throw again undoing the home defence and Lloyd Groves grabbed a second headed goal, technically a hat-trick with his goal at the wrong end! Joe Whight sent a free-kick just wide of the right hand post with two minutes left, with Pope unmoved in the centre of his goal. Allan’s strong run for Soham saw his cross-shot rap the home crossbar before Mulready drew a further superb save from Paul Walker diving full-stretch to his right.

Not A.F.C. Sudbury’s afternoon in a game they competed in well, but at 2-1 with a fortuitous goal, they were unable to close the game out, dealing with the long throw into the penalty area was the undoing and a concern, but something this young squad will learn from moving forward.

Richard Whiting