A. F. C. Sudbury welcomed local Suffolk rivals Mildenhall Town back to the King's Marsh Stadium for the second time in five days for this First Qualifying Round of the Emirates F.A. Cup.
Coming into the A.F.C Sudbury starting eleven after Monday’s game were Jack Newman, Joe Claridge, Louis Blake, Rhys Henry and Alfie Carroll. Dropping to the bench were Tevan Allen, Sam Clarke, Mekhi McKenzie, and Ollie Dunlop, while L'heureux Menga had left the club on Friday.

A. F. C. Sudbury kicked off the game attacking from left to right as viewed from the Brian Tatum Stand. Jake Chambers latched on to the ball in the opening minute for Mildenhall Town, but the ball ran out of play for a goal-kick. On four minutes Rhys Henry quickly sent the ball into the path of Adam Mills who shot straight into the midriff of Sam Roach.

Mills turned provider a minute later in this heartening opening from the home side and his cross was just ahead of the on-rushing Louis Blake. Josh Curry capitalised on hesitancy in the A.F.C. Sudbury back line to find Danny Crow, but Paul Walker was well-placed to gather his shot. Dan Brown was next to show for Mildenhall, but his long range effort was merely speculative as his shot was again easily saved by the home ‘keeper.

The home defence was closing the visiting attack down with a pleasing work-rate. Josh Curry shot well over the home crossbar as the defence closed in on the ‘Hall number three. A lovely one-two saw Louis Blake and Rhys Henry exchange passes with Henry hitting his shot just wide of the visitor’s goal. On the half hour it was the turn of Dave Cowley to go on a characteristic mazy run before his curving shot went just wide of goal.

Within two minutes Jeremiah Kamanzi had run in from the right wing to unleash a shot which fizzed just over the Mildenhall crossbar. Joe Claridge got forward for Sudbury and was able to fire a shot from twenty-five yards over the crossbar. With just eight minutes to the half-time break the players were invited to take a drinks break.

Danny Crow needed a firmer touch as his effort from a Jake Chambers-Shaw free-kick went wide of the home goal. Just before the break Joe Claridge was robbed by Chambers-Shaw and only a fine block by Alfie Carroll denied the Mildenhall man a real chance of a goal. An evenly-matched first-half thus ended goal-less, as indeed it had in the League encounter on Monday afternoon.

Half-Time:- AFC Sudbury 0 Mildenhall Town 0

Mildenhall made a change at the interval with two ex-AFC players involved, off went Jacob Brown and on came new signing Craig Calver.

Louis Blake was fouled just outside the Mildenhall penalty area two minutes into the second half. Jack Newman’s excellent strike went just wide of the left hand post as the home side again started well. A.F.C. Sudbury grabbed the initiative on fifty-one minutes when Rhys Henry turned the ball into the path of Jake Turner whose curled shot from just outside the penalty area raced into the net.

Sam Clarke came on to replace a limping Jeremiah Kamanzi on fifty-nine minutes as Sudbury looked to build upon their lead. On sixty-six minutes Adam Mills rose to head out of defence and then embarked on a fine run which the Mildenhall defence had to be ultra-alert to snuff out.

With twenty-minutes left on the clock, Tevan Allen came on for the home side with Adam Mills making way after an afternoon in which he’d ran himself into the ground and caused the visitors all manner of problems with his industry on and off the ball.

On seventy minutes Mildenhall levelled the tie when Mildenhall split the A.F.C. Sudbury defence through the middle of the park and Jake Chambers-Shaw finished calmly past Paul Walker.

Tevan Allen has been growing steadily into his first team role and on seventy-four minutes he latched onto a neat ball from Dave Cowley to send a rasping effort just wide of Sam Roach’s goal when cutting in from the right wing. With nine minutes remaining Mildenhall substitute Craig Calver curled a smart-looking shot goal wards, but Paul Walker leapt to his left to turn the ball away for a corner. A fine save.

Into injury time the sides went, still locked at 1-1 and Alfie Carroll conceded a free-kick on the edge of the home penalty area when he took down former Sudbury striker Danny Crow in a position of some danger. Joe Arsensi struck the set-piece with Paul Walker leaping at full-stretch as the ball went wide of the right hand post.

So it’s a third meeting for the clubs in nine days when the replay takes place at Recreation Way on Tuesday evening with a 7.45 kick-off.

With two wonderfully evenly-matched sides, the game promises to be a cracker!

Richard Whiting