Sudbury welcomed Norwich to Delphi this week in the hope of overturning a 6-3 defeat away to Norwich in the cup a few weeks ago.                                                                     Sudbury made a much improved start to this match, compared to a few weeks ago when Norwich dominated the first half convincingly.  Sudbury were capable of matching Norwich on the ball in all areas of the pitch.  Despite an even opening to the match, Sudbury were fortunate when Norwich were guilty of poor finishing from close range in the box. Sudbury looked to have taken the lead on 24 minutes when Jodie Sharp’s long range effort ended up in the back of the net, only for a dubious offside decision resulting in the goal being disallowed. The match continued with both teams posing significant threats with Norwich again coming close when they hit the post having beaten keeper Charlotte Churchman.  Norwich were the team enjoying the better of chances as the half progressed but an impressive performance in goal by Churchman paired with poor finishing from Norwich, saw the scores level until the 37^th minute. Norwich’s opener came courtesy of a free kick awarded moments after Norwich again missed a golden opportunity in front of goal from close range.  The free kick was sent into the box where it was met by Norwich’s captain who slotted the ball home past the keeper. Despite going a goal down late in the half, Sudbury kept their heads and battled to get back into the game and were on the attack when the half time whistle blew.

Half time score:  AFC Sudbury 0 – 1 Norwich City Reserves

Sudbury took to the field in high spirits for the second half knowing the next goal would be vital in a match that was finely poised. At times Sudbury’s quick passing was cutting Norwich players out of the game, only for the final ball into the box to go astray and the attack to break down. Norwich were however still posing a danger from their long ball tactics and with just under an hour played Churchman pulled a spectacular reaction save from close range to deny the visitors.  Kate Baker’s introduction to the game from the bench was welcomed in the midfield area as she battled well and got Sudbury moving the ball forward. Impressive work by Emma Squirrell on 63 minutes looked set to be rewarded with a goal after battling past 3 defenders and rounding the keeper, only for the shot from a narrow angle to hit the post.  Sudbury continued to battle and on 80 minutes finally scored the goal they deserved, Chloe Mills chipped a delightful ball over the defence for Jodie Sharp who lobbed the keeper from the edge of the area. The momentum in the match was firmly with Sudbury who looked to press for a winner, however they suffered a cruel blow in extra time when Norwich scored the winner from a free kick against the run of play.

Full time score: AFC Sudbury 1 – 2 Norwich City Reserves.

In a match that Sudbury at least deserved a point, to concede in the final minute was a gutting blow to the team who had produced one of the most spirited performances of the season. The result does however see a huge improvement on the result from only a few weeks ago and shows how far the team has come in adapting to a higher level of football in such a short space of time.

Next up for the ladies is an away trip to Huntingdon Town next Sunday, against a team currently sitting bottom of the table.