A.F.C. Sudbury were back in Cup action as fellow Ryman League Division One North side Great Wakering Rovers came to the Mel Group Stadium. The visitors played the match in A.F.C. Sudbury colours, the red away strip, as they had overlooked loading their own kit onto the team bus!

The visitors kicked off the match, but it was the home side who laid down the early markers. Looking hungry for the ball, Sudbury piled forward, Robbie Martin, starting this game up front wearing ten, won a first minute corner which was cleared by Jack Carlile. Robbie Martin’s busy start continued with a twenty-five yard effort flashing past the left hand post. Martin then picked up a loose ball in mid-filed which he sent to Dave Wareham racing along the left wing. Wareham’s run saw him enter the box where his clever chip left Great Wakering ‘keeper Louis Godwin-Green having to shift quickly to his left to gather the ball. Michael Shinn’s left wing corner on seven minutes was met by the leaping Richard Howell, Godwin-Green comfortably making the catch.

On nine minutes Sudbury took the lead their dominant play so richly deserved. Nathan Clarke’s fine run with the ball from defence saw him link well with Robbie Martin. Martin’s strong right wing run saw him cross for James Baker to prod home from seven yards. Carlile sent a free-kick straight at Danny Gay, the nearest to a raid on the home goal Rovers had come in the opening quarter hour. Dave Wareham received a pass from Robbie Martin and linked well with James Baker. Baker’s shot was superbly blocked by Marc Gorbell, the Great Wakering number six stopping a certain goal. The resultant corner kick saw Ryan Henshaw’s effort cleared off the line as the one-way traffic continued inexorably towards the Great Wakering goal.

Dave Wareham’s left wing cross on seventeen minutes was just too long for the stretching Ryan Henshaw. At the other end, Great Wakering’s first meaningful foray into the Sudbury penalty area saw them equalise. Bradley Warner’s shot was blocked via a superb tackle by Nathan Clarke. The ball cannoned goal-wards, but Danny Gay changed direction to parry briliantly. Unfortunately for Sudbury the ball fell to Nathan Dewbury who made no mistake from close range. Ashley Sloots sent a superb ball through to Dave Wareham whose twentieth minute cross was thumped clear. Great Wakering, buoyed by their goal, were enjoying a brighter period of possession. Ashley Sloots beat Carlile to a Dewbury cross at the cost of a corner which was delivered by Warner. This evaded attack and defence alike and rolled out safely for a goal-kick.

Adalberto Pinto was booked for a trip on Robbie Martin on the right touchline as the visitors found the tricky pace of the Sudbury number ten too hot to handle. The visitors were further punished when Dave Wareham’s free-kick left their defence in tatters and Nathan Clarke knocked home the loose ball on twenty-nine minutes. Bradley Warner was booked for dissent before the re-start as Great Wakering threatened to loose their composure. On thirty-nine minutes Sudbury went 3-1 up when a Dave Wareham right wing corner, again a set-piece delivered with masterly skill, fell for Ryan Henshaw at the back post to finish in the easiest of manners. Nathan Clarke then blocked a Marc Gorbell effort to keep any ideas of a Great Wakering revival on the backburner. Nikki Beale broke free in a three against two attack. The Wakering defender crashing the ball into the side-netting when easier options looked to be available. On forty-one minutes Richard Howell sent a thirty yard shot screaming towards goal, but Godwin-Green rose to neatly tip the ball over the crossbar. From the resultant corner Sudbury sealed their first half dominance in style. Dave Wareham’s right wing corner fell for Nathan Clarke to add his second of the afternoon and Sudbury’s fourth. Before the break there was time for James Baker to turn the defence and send a dipping shot just over the crossbar.

H-T 4-1

The second-half opened with Richard Howell sending a shot on the turn past the right hand post. Bradley Warner won Great Wakering a forty-ninth minute corner after he’d appeared to push Ashley Sloots as they raced after the ball. Sloots was booked for dissent, but the corner was dealt with calmly by the assured home defence. On fifty-seven minutes it was 5-1. James Baker’s deflected shot fell to Robbie Martin who fired the ball into the back of the net for a much-deserved goal. Nathan Dewberry joined his fellow Wakering players into the yellow card club for dissent in what had certainly never been a dirty or foul-strewn game. Godwin-Green punched clear a Michael Shinn corner kick before Nathan Clarke denied Warner in the home penalty area with a further superbly executed challenge.

On sixty-seven minutes James Baker left the field to be replaced by Craig Calver. Three minutes later and Richard Howell’s superb turn and cross deserved a Sudbury head or foot to turn home after such a sublime move, but the ball evaded all the personnel on hand in the penalty area. A minute later Dave Wareham’s charging run saw him send a shot via a Great Wakering defender into the side-netting. From the left wing corner, Beale was penalised for a shirt pull and Sudbury were awarded a penalty. Dave Wareham obliged from the penalty spot to make it 6-1. The industrious and highly effective Robbie Martin was replaced by David Lorimer on seventy-four minutes. Lorimer was through with Michael Shinn’s pass on seventy-five minutes, but was taken wide and missed a great chance to add to the score. It was Craig Calver, five minutes on, who sent David Lorimer clear, but again he took too long and Godwin-Green was able to fall and smother at his feet.

Danny Swain came on with Ashley Sloots making way with six minutes remaining. Great Wakering finished with anything but a whimper as first Billy Johnson rattled a post and then Nathan Fletcher blasted high over the crossbar and out of the ground from eight yards.  Nikki Beale then struck the foot of the left hand post as the late flourish continued. Steve Adams sent a header just wide in the first minute of injury-time as time ran out on a comfortable win for Sudbury and progression to the next round of the F.A. Trophy.

F-T 6-1

Richard Whiting