At the end of ninety-five minutes AFC came away from Victory Road with the very least they deserved a point. It was a game that saw AFC make it ten points out of a possible twelve in their last four games.

AFC manager Chris Tracey made a couple of changes to his side, with Nathan Clarke coming back into central defence at the expense of Jemel Fox and Danny Emmanuel taking the injured Robbie Martin’s place.

Leiston for their part named eight players who had played for AFC in their sixteen-man squad, they were unable to name two more Gareth Heath and Stuart Boardley both injured. Ex-AFC Sudbury manager Mark Morsley was in the stands, sitting out the second of a two-match touchline ban, in the technical area was ex-Sudbury Town man Steve Ball.

Leiston started brightly with Rhys Henry getting away down the right and avoiding a challenge with the referee playing a good advantage, fortunately his cross was cleared.

Jon Docker, he had taken four hours to reach Leiston, did well and earned a corner that Shinn put over and Johnson the home keeper dropped the ball but nothing came of it.

Daniel Emmanuel was working hard tracking back and did well on a couple of occasions denying possession to Michael Brothers. The home side took the lead on twenty-one minutes. A Luke Hammond free kick from the right side feel at the feet of David Head, he back heeled it and Danny Smy somehow flicked the ball into the net. The goal had come against the run of play.

Head was the savior for Leiston a few minutes later when he headed a way a wicked Dave Wareham cross from under his own bar. From the corner a Steve Adams header was cleared on the line by Shane Wardley. Leiston countered after a mistake by the normally assured Adam Dalby, with Leon Ottley-Gooch taking the ball forward but shooting wide.

On thirty-eight minutes there was great run out of the AFC defence by Nathan Clarke as he marauded forward from the halfway line only to shoot over. It was a positive move and was applauded by his manager.

In the final five minutes of the half, firstly Brothers should have increased the home sides’ lead. He received a great cross from Ottley-Gooch controlled the ball well but he shot tamely and Danny Gay was able to collect easily. For AFC Michael Shinn put in a free kick that bounced at the feet of keeper Louis Johnson and he managed to stick out his foot to deny an equaliser.

Half time; Leiston 1 AFC Sudbury 0

Three minutes into the half there was booking for Wareham when he clashed in the corner after the ball had gone, this not seen by the referee but his assistant did.

AFC best chance of the game came on fifty-two minutes, Wareham crossed and there was Docker to head the ball into an unguarded net. Somehow he guided the ball across the goal and wide of it. He was later to blame the glare of the floodlights! It was bad miss and had come after some sustained pressure from the visitors who had started the half with a much higher tempo, something the home side tried to slow at every opportunity.

Docker put in a great ball to Emmanuel and earned a corner, the two were beginning to combine well. Steve Adams was the saviour for AFC when he got in a great block to deny Henry.

Leiston made the first change of the game with Patrick Brother taking over from Ottley-Gooch on seventy minutes and he very nearly scored with his first touch of the game, the ball being diverted for a corner. From it Nathan Clarke managed to keep the ball out from a Joe Jefford effort.

On seventy-five minutes Danny Emmanuel was flying down the let wing when Sheridan Driver went in to get the ball with a high foot. There was loud noise as both players went to ground and with nearly all twenty-two players rushing to the incident. Emmanuel was fortunate not to be injured. The referee decided a red card was in order and Driver left the field of play.

Both sides at the stoppage made substitutions, with Goldfinch on for Leiston to shore up their defence, Henry being sacrificed, Adams came off for AFC with a hamstring injury and Fox took over.

AFC continued to press trying to make their numerical advantage pay and both Nathan Clarke and James Baker headed over the Leiston bar.

With ten minutes of the game left, AFC manager Tracey decided to make a positive change with defender Ashley Sloots being replaced by the returning Rhys Darg playing up front with a three-man defence.

Michael Brothers for the North Suffolk side broke away and only a great interception by Shinn denied him increasing the lead.

The referee signaled there would be four minutes of stoppage time and in

Michael Shinn with James Baker After Well Earned Point

the first of them Patrick Brothers shot over. AFC continued to press forward in search of getting something from the game. In the ninety-fourth minute there was chance from corner, even Danny Gay going up for it, however the ball failed to get passed the first defender. Another was earned again it was poor from Dave Wareham and it went back out for a throw in on the right hand side. He took it getting the ball to Docker, the ball was crossed to the far post and there was Michael Shinn to blast the ball in of the post to get a much-deserved equaliser.

Shinn somehow managed to sprint his way back to halfway line where he was mobbed by his teammates showing their delight at getting something from the game.

The match was re-started only for the final whistle to be blown. Getting a point was certainly well deserved against a team lying third in the table. It was a game surely enjoyed by the crowd of 327 who all gained free admission after the previous attempt was fogged off.

AFC will need to continue to believe in themselves if they are to rise further up the table and try to get closer to those play-off places.