The early pressure came in a scrappy opening from Heybridge on a beautiful flat grassy playing surface and Norton in the Sudbury goal had to be alert to save well to deny Swifts an early goal.

Both sides were looking to attack and there was a good midfield battle occurring in the centre of the park, where ex–Sudbury Wayne Saunders was playing for the home side. It was not until the quarter of an hour that AFC won their first corner when Dance flicked on an Ifield ball to the far post where the keeper made a good catch under pressure from Kent and Jackson.

Heybridge’s forwards were fast and strong and wanting to battle for the ball which slightly unnerved Sudbury and they could have scored when Norton, coming out to save was beaten only for Steve Chisholm to come across to make a good stopping tackle with Holmes on hand to clear.

Halfway through the first half Sudbury could have scored themselves when a Holmes, Thurgood, Sharp move set Kent free but he was adjudged offside, this was followed by with Dance going close from a Jackson / Brown move.

At the other end Matt Norton had to make an important save to deny Swift’s Flatts as he burst through. Heybridge did take the lead in the thirty-third minute when a quick ball up to Jake Brown, who turned the defence and shot under the diving keeper into the right hand side of the goal.

Sudbury were being found out as The Swifts’ midfield played the ball around and release their fast awkward forwards and Sudbury had a let off when Flatts was set up and he beat the exposed Norton only to see his shot go across the goal.

Sudbury got the equaliser two minutes into stoppage time from a move started by Chisholm and from a great controlled run and cross by Stepney Thurgood Ryan Kent headed in at the far post when everyone else had missed the ball, including the keeper under pressure from Dance.

AFC Sudbury were possibly a touch lucky to be on terms when Heybridge were the better side in the first half.

Half Time:     Heybridge Swifts Res 1  – 1 AFC Sudbury Res

Early in the second half Aaron Bowmer, a recent signing, replaced Thurgood who went upfront with Kent dropping back. Sudbury were beginning to show more shape and commitment but the the physical threat from Swifts’ was always present.

On fifty-eight minutes Heybridge scored their second when a quick break split the midfield and exposed the defence again and Norton coming out to save brought down Perrie Flatts in the area – Penalty and it was Flatts who scored from the spot himself.

Norton was in the action many times having to make catches and saves as Heybridge attacked but the Swifts’ keeper had to make an important save himself on sixty-five minutes from Kent cross to Bowmer in the six-yard box who had another chance in the sixty-seventh minute from an Ifield cross but his header went wide.

In the seventy-second minute Johnny Moore, who had worked tirelessly upfront, had to come off and be replaced by Danny Dance because of an injury he had picked up in the first half, This happened when he was ‘tackled’ from behind by a trailing leg which caught him badly on his calf requiring treatment which went on during the second half in the dug out from Physio Kim Sayers.

Heybridge were the more threatening of the two sides and they were always looking to increase their lead and were better at finding space and their man with  passes. With ten minutes left of normal time Dan Smith was introduced in place of Sharp. With three minutes left Matt Norton had to make a double save to deny the Swifts’ No 10.

Into stoppage time Sudbury had a couple of chances from Holmes and Bowmer  but it was Heybridge who added a third in the ninety-fourth minute when  Sudbury went to asleep and Pleace’s angled volley sped into the right side of the Sudbury net from the edge of the area.

The Wizard Of Oz