A.F.C. Sudbury welcomed tenth-placed Harlow Town to the MEL Group Stadium for a Ryman Division One North tie sponsored by the MEL Group. Sudbury, with one win, a pair of drawn matches and a defeat, were looking to build on their tough F.A. Cup win against St Ives in mid-week.

The match started slowly on a humid and breezy afternoon. Harlow mounted the first meaningful attack in the fifth minute when Mark Taylor found space on the left wing to send a cross into the Sudbury penalty area. Danny Gay got his first touch of the ball in safely plucking the ball out of the air rising confidently in his penalty area. A Sudbury free-kick just into the Harlow half saw Sam Clarke’s delivery met by a James Baker leap, but Bertrand Bossu jumped well to make the catch. Richard Howell broke free from a poor clearance out of the Harlow defence with only a very well executed challenge by Lee Gledhill averting the danger. Robbie Martin fired high over the Harlow crossbar on seventeen minutes and when a clearance reached Sam Clarke just outside a packed Harlow penalty area two minutes later, he too fired well over.

Harlow were forced into any early change when Cormac Hegarty was replaced by Luke Marshall on twenty-four minutes. On twenty-five minutes Leon Lalite was yellow-carded for a foul on half-way on Ryan Henshaw. Harlow broke through Rhys Henry, but Robbie Martin put in a well-timed tackle to halt the danger. The Sudbury man put in a fine ball towards James Baker, but the Sudbury number nine was beaten to it by Bossu rushing from his goal. A free-kick to Harlow on the half-hour saw John Dockers’s delivery half-cleared by Tom Devaux and Mark Taylor’s weak shot an easy gather for Danny Gay dropping to his knees. Sudbury’s best move of the game thus far came on thirty-two minutes. James Baker did well to hold off the Harlow mid-field and ran strongly down the left wing. His whipped cross flashed across the Harlow goal with Danny Emmanuel just failing to get on the end of it.

Robbie Martin fed the ball quickly into Richard Howell whose excellent effort on the turn was turned over the crossbar by Bossu. David Lorimer was booked for a foul just outside the Harlow penalty area as the game stagnated into a high ball free-for-all with passing football very much at a premium. Sudbury survived a forty-forth minute corner from the right which ping-ponged dangerously in the penalty area before being stabbed clear.

Half -Time-  0-0

In the opening minute of the half a Ryan Henshaw cross caused a degree of panic in the Harlow defence as Sudbury began with more purpose. Two minutes into the half and Sudbury could count themselves a little unfortunate not to have taken the lead. A free-kick two yards form the Harlow penalty area was neatly flighted by Richard Howell, only for Bertrand Bossu to leap to his right to pull off a superb save. It was 1-0 on

AFC Scorer Robbie Martin

forty-nine minutes and it was a goal which would grace any game of football. Robbie Martin ran at the heart of the Harlow defence slipping three tackles with close control. He played a one-two with Richard Howell and then fired the ball into the back of the net.

Things seemed to be going from bad to worse for Harlow when Mark Taylor was shown a red card for a heavy tackle on Ryan Henshaw. Danny Gay was booked for his protests as the game was held up for quite a period. Danny Emmanuel ran strongly along the right and found Sam Clarke whose shot went just wide. Ryan Henshaw was then booked for Sudbury before James Baker came close following another fine Danny Emmanuel run. Dave Wareham was brought into the action with David Lorimer making way on fifty-seven minutes. Harlow levelled on sixty-six minutes when substitute Luke Marshall was allowed to run into the penalty area to finish with a crisp shot across the goal into the net. James Baker limped off to be replaced by Ashley Stoneman as the home side looked to regain the initiative. It was Harlow who almost wrestled the lead when Rhys Henry capitalised on some poor defending. He waltzed past Danny Gay, but hit his shot wide of the goal.

Bossu gathered well after Danny Emmanuel had held the ball up for Robbie Martin to send a shot through a mass of legs in the visitor’s penalty area. From a corner kick, the ball fell to Sam Clarke whose stinging drive was sensationally saved by Bossu leaping high to his left to tip the ball away. The Sudbury captain was then booked for a challenge on Mitchell before Harlow stole the three points when Marshall was again allowed too much space and his cross fell for Rhys Henry to slam home the winner.

Danny Emmanuel MoM Awarded By MEL Group

Sudbury travel to Grays Athletic, league leaders going into this game, on Wednesday night before travelling to Leiston in the F.A.Cup next Saturday. They will need to perform much better to get anything from either match.

Richard Whiting