Narrow Trophy Defeat

AFC Sudbury’s fine FA Trophy run ended on Saturday when Vanarama Conference side Braintree Town scored the only goal of the game in the second half to progress to the second round proper of the competition.

Sudbury got to this stage the hard way having been drawn away in all the previous rounds. That is the preliminary round and three times in the qualifying rounds where three times, including two relays, they beat teams who play one step higher in the football pyramid.

The hosts, who are three leagues higher than David Batch’s side, did just enough to clinch victory, but they were made to fight all the way to the final whistle, by a Sudbury side who were a credit to their lower status.

Batch made three changes, one being forced by central defender Ryan Henshaw serving a one match ban. Former Braintree Town player James Baker (pictured), who had missed the three previous games through injury, started in defence having passed a fitness test before kick-off. Baker went on to give a man-of-the-match performance and he came within a whisker of equalising just before the end.

Correy Davidson also passed a fitness test and he started along with Ayton Coley who replaced the injured Kris Newby, while Scott Kemp and Jack Guyton dropped to a very youthful substitutes bench.

There was a good Sudbury support amongst the crowd of 547 and they saw their side make a positive start with Terry Rymer’s teasing cross from the right beating the home keeper but the ball was scrambled away.

Defences went on to dominate the first half although Braintree should have taken the lead after 20 minutes when from a break Simon Akinola rounded keeper Marcus Garnham and with defenders struggling to get back on the line the home striker’s shot rebounded off a post into the arms of the grounded Garnham.

Two minutes later Davidson broke down the left for Sudbury left and his cross found Coley who hurried his shot and fired over.
At the other end Alan Massey was denied by a fine save by Garnham and the loose ball was scrambled away to leave it goal less at the break.

Half time: Braintree Town 0 AFC Sudbury 0

Sudbury forced two corners early in the second half but they came to nothing
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The hosts began to enjoy plenty of possession but they were finding it difficult to pierce a sound Sudbury rear guard well marshalled by Baker.

However, their pressure paid off after 57 minutes when a ball in from the right fell kindly to Akinola who made amends for his earlier miss by giving Garnham no chance with a fiercely struck shot.

That goal proved to be the winner but credit to Sudbury they kept battling on for the equaliser. The closest they came was in the 87th minute when they won a corner on the right and from it Baker’s header hit the cross bar and bounced over leaving the Conference hosts narrow winners from absorbing and well contested game.

Att 547

Pat Arbon