A great team performance from a below strength AFC side who went into the game with a makeshift defence and were on top until they made a couple of substitutions that allowed a spirited Bury back into the game and in the end a draw was probably the correct result.

AFC manager Chris Tracey had to play Russell Pond and Robbie Martin as his two full backs and Adam Dalby and Sam Clarke as the two central defenders and they all performed with a great deal of credit.

Included  in the AFC side were two experienced players Ben Bowditch who last season was at Thurrock and Ben Smith who was playing in the Football League with Aldershot.

Early action saw Sam Clarke lose the ball and allow his namesake in but Danny gay saved well. Boylan was anxious to let fly at every opportunity and he did so on twelve minutes, before three minutes later Dave Cowley headed wide.

Bury replied with Billy Clarke having a couple efforts that went wide before just after the half hour mark Boylan went through the keeper dithered but the Sudbury man’s shot went into the side netting.

The home side thought they had taken the lead when Sam Reed fired, Gay saved and Lee Reed put the ball into the net, he was however flagged offside.

On thirty-nine minutes AFC took the lead, Smith, Cowley and Boylan combined on the left and the latter blasted home.

Half-time; Bury Town 0 AFC Sudbury 1

AFC made two changes at the break, Pond having a thigh injury was replaced by Adam Gillespie and Bowditch having his first game for sometime was replaced by Danny Charge.

The vistors doubled their lead on fifty-eight minutes and again the scorer was Boylan. Cowley and Webb  had the ball on the right the latter crossed and there was Boylan at the near post to get the ball into the net.

Bury came more into the game with Sam Reed blasting a shot that hit the junction of the crossbar and post and cannoned away. They then had a free kick that Gay did well to save low down as the home side pressured AFC. Bury made a couple of changes one of them being a player who was at AFC last season, Luke Ingram.

On sixty-seven minutes Boylan came off to applause from the Sudbury supporters in the crowd of 174, young Ryan Swallow took over. The change meant a different formation for AFC and it allowed Bury to get far more of the ball and exert pressure on their visitors.

Gay had to be alert to tip over a shot from Reed and then Hall seemed to go straight through the AFC defence and scored Bury first goal with ten minutes of the game left. Three minutes later they drew level, the ball was played into the penalty area and Martin and Dalby seemed to stop and gay came out but Billy Clarke nipped into score.

Bury thought they had got a third a few minutes later. Gay had the ball in his hands attempting to kick it out, Clarke appeared to kick it from his hands and then put it in the net. The referee apparently was not sure what had exactly happened and after consulting his assistant gave AFC a free kick.

The only blot on the night was a very late booking for Sam Clarke for a robust challenge.

It was a good workout with some neat football played by both sides and considering both sides were missing key players showed there is strength in depth at both clubs. It was certainly AFC’s best performance of the 2012/13 pre-season, and augers well for the long league season to follow.

YNOT