A.F.C. Sudbury Reserves travelled to Brewers Green Lane, Diss for the twelfth staging of the Final of the Chell Trophy in which they played Gorleston. A minute’s silence was held before the kick-off to honour Jimmy Jones, Gorleston Football Club’s President. The former director and vice-chairman of Norwich City Football Club sadly passed away last week at the age of 73.

Gorleston kicked off the final attacking from left to right as seen from the main stand. The match was played in very heavy rain throughout, with the spectators all seeking refuge under the ample cover at Brewer’s Green Lane.

In the opening minute Danny Emmanuel flicked a neat pass from centre-field into Lee Ifield sprinting along the left wing. Ifield whipped a cross into the Gorleston box, but goal-keeper Jack Whatmough gathered the ball comfortably. In the third minute Ryan Kent hit a shot from just outside the penalty area which Whatmough saved well diving to his right. Sudbury’s dominant early start continued with Ifield crossing for Steve Adams to send a header just over the Gorleston crossbar. Two minutes later and Sudbury had a glorious chance to grab the initiative. Ryan Swallow’s right wing cross fell for Danny Emmanuel whose shot from six yards was cleared off the goal-line by Tom Daniels. Sudbury’s vice-like grip on possession continued. Danny Emmanuel stepped away from the close attentions of Elliot Hannant to cross for Ryan Swallow whose shot went wide of the right hand upright with Whatmough rooted to the spot.

On eight minutes Lee Ifield’s clever ball over the top aimed for the on-rushing Danny Emmanuel, was neatly gathered by the alert Jack Whatmough. Steve Chisholm was next to send a long through-ball for Danny Emmanuel to chase and although the Sudbury striker looked to have been barged off the ball by Daniels, no whistle sounded and the threat to the Gorleston goal was averted. On nineteen minutes Danny Emmanuel weaved his way into the penalty area and although turning two defenders, his shot was ultimately blocked. On twenty-three minutes Sudbury came even close to breaking the deadlock. Steve Chisholm’s left wing corner fell for Steve Adams to head goal-wards, only for the ball to be headed off the goal-line. Danny Emmanuel blasted the loose ball high over the Gorleston crossbar.

Gorleston responded to this with Keegan Middleton running onto a long goal-kick played down the centre of the park, but the timing of his run led to the raising of the linesman’s flag for offside. Middleton then delivered a free-kick from a central position twenty-five yards out, but Chisholm rose unchallenged to head the ball clear of the Sudbury penalty area. The early pace of the game had settled slightly, but Sudbury continued to control possession. Elliot Hannant fouled Lee Ifield as the diminutive Sudbury number eleven again raced passed him. In a rare Gorleston attack Jack Garrad ran at pace at the heart of the Sudbury defence, but his shot was well wide of Fred Howe’s goal. On thirty-eight minutes Ryan Henshaw was booked for a foul and was soon joined by Gorleston’s Matthew Oldham three minutes later.

Sudbury’s Ashley Sloots swung a forty-second minute free-kick to Danny Emmanuel. His pass to Ryan Swallow saw the latter cross, but again Whatmough was alert to gather the ball. Sudbury were awarded two more free-kicks before the break, both comfortably dealt with by the Gorleston defence as the half frustratingly ended goal-less.

H-T 0-0

The half began in continuing torrents of rain. Sudbury appealed for a forty-sixth minute penalty when Scott Kent fell in the Gorleston penalty area, but the shouts were half-throttle at best and play continued. On forty-seven minutes A.F.C.Sudbury Reserves finally grabbed the lead. A long ball down the centre of the park was missed by ‘keeper Whatmough and Danny Emmanuel’s header rolled into the net despite a valiant chase by Gorleston defender Kyle Howell.

There was a long hold up for an injury to Harley Peek who was in a very distressed condition. He was patched up and briefly returned before finally having to surrender to his injury just minutes later to be replaced by Nathan Welton. On the hour Ryan Kent dispossessed Jack Garrad and hit a shot towards goal which Whatmough saved brilliantly diving to his left. A minute later and Gorleston won their first corner of the game. Garrad delivered from the left, but Kent was on hand to head powerfully clear

On sixty-three minutes Ryan Kent hooked a shot wide of the Gorleston goal. The game was a little scrappy at this stage, understandably in the very difficult conditions. A header in the seventy-first minute by substitute Welton was very well saved diving to his right by A.F.C. Sudbury’s Fred Howe. Largely thanks to the foraging runs of Jack Garrad, Gorleston were enjoying better possession as the second half wore on.  Keegan Middleton broke through the centre to send a weak shot at Howe, a far busier man than he’d been in the opening period when his was the only relatively clean kit still on show when the whistle sounded for the break.

On seventy-three minutes Smith replaced Swallow for Sudbury. Two minutes on and Smith’s throw from the right, mid-way into the Gorleston half saw Ryan Kent dramatically execute an over-head kick which went just wide of the far post.

With eight minutes of normal time remaining Gorleston levelled the tie. Garrad was adjudged to have been fouled in a crowded penalty area and Matty Anderson sent his spot-kick high into the Sudbury net. Almost from the re-start, Middleton broke free from a superb turn in the box, his cross reaching Anderson whose header cannoned of Fred Howe in the Sudbury goal and agonizingly crossed the line to give the Green’s the lead.

Shane Benham was brought on with six minutes remaining, Ryan Kent making way. Two minutes into added time, Steve Adams received a fine cross from Steve Chisholm, but inexplicably put the ball wide with the goal at his mercy. Jack Garrad then crashed a shot off the Sudbury left hand post with the A.F.C. Sudbury defence stretched, and Peter Oldham blasted the loose ball over the crossbar when it seemed easier to score. Sudbury continued to press in the near-fourteen minutes of added time, but Gorleston remained calm under the pressure to record a victory, perhaps against the run of play, making Sudbury pay for a not making more of the chances they created. Both sides did well to play football on a night of heavy rain and played well on a pitch which held up superbly and did the ground-staff at Diss Town Football Club immense credit.

A.F.C. Sudbury Reserves’ Jacob Brown was honoured as the Man-Of-The Match that underlined the losing side’s overall superiority on the night.

Richard Whiting