A.F.C. Sudbury opened their league campaign with a home tie against Cheshunt on a boiling hot afternoon at The MEL Group Stadium, with The MEL Group sponsoring the fixture.

Cheshunt kicked off the match attacking the practice pitch end of the ground. The much-travelled Jose Espinosa swung a third minute cross into the home penalty area which Danny Gay grabbed above his six-yard line. Sudbury responded in kind with Lee Boylan sending a low shot straight to Glenn Williamson in the Cheshunt goal. In the fourth minute a mistake by Sam Clarke saw Espinosa slice a shot over the home crossbar. On seven minutes some fine passing under close marking from Cheshunt saw Ben Smith slide the ball into Sam Clarke whose shot from the right edge of the Cheshunt penalty area was successfully blocked. From the resultant corner from the right, Boylan met Cowley’s delivery, but his shot looped over the crossbar

Russell Pond received the ball from Sam Clarke in an exchange of passes, the former sending a fine cross from deep on the right wing into the Cheshunt penalty area, but the ball was just too high for the well-positioned Lee Boylan. Some slick passing exchanges, this time from the visitors saw Espinosa burst through the heart of the Sudbury defence only to be denied by a superbly timed and executed challenge from James Smith. Espinosa again found space on fourteen minutes, this time Ian Cousins putting his body in where it hurts to deny the busy Cheshunt front-runner. James Baker superbly evaded three Cheshunt markers close to half-way on the touchline, before attempting to switch the ball to the right wing and mis-placing the pass.

On twenty-one minutes Salt’s right wing corner was an easy take for Danny Gay. It was still Jose Espinosa who was causing Sudbury the most work, on twenty-nine minutes he fired another effort over the home crossbar. Four minutes later and Dave Cowley’s great ball into Ben Smith saw the Sudbury number eleven fire over the Cheshunt crossbar after some fine passing by the home team. Tony Burke latched onto a poor Sudbury clearance and only a fine finger-tip save from Danny Gay kept the game score-less. On thirty-six minutes however, David Hicks’ curling left-wing corner was met by an unmarked Jose Espinosa to give Cheshunt the lead. Sudbury pressed hard for the equaliser, but a well-drilled Cheshunt defence denied them an opening as the home side went into the break a goal behind.

H-T AFC SUDBURY 0 CHESHUNT 1

Eljay Worrell’s deep left wing cross threatened to open up the Cheshunt defence, but ‘keeper Glenn Williamson was on hand to pluck the ball from the air. Michael Shinn was booked for a frustrated flick at Lee Brennan as Sudbury struggled to make headway. On fifty-six minutes David Hicks fired a shot across the bows of the Sudbury goal, Danny Gay glad to watch the ball fly wide of the left hand upright. On the hour manager Chris Tracey sent Robbie Martin into the action with Dave Cowley making way. The change almost paid dividends straight away with Martin finding James Baker whose prod towards goal was cleared rather fortuitously off the goal-line. A sixty-first minute corner saw Michael Shinn’s superb delivery headed straight at Williamson by James Smith as Sudbury continued to press.

Boylan crossed for Worrell to hit a shot just wide on sixty-six minutes. Two minutes on and Robbie Martin found Lee Boylan in the penalty area but his shot was again blocked. On seventy-five minutes Sudbury almost drew level. James Baker received the ball from Robbie Martin on the right edge of the penalty area. Baker’s neat run and cross saw Ben Smith graze the crossbar with his shot from eight yards. With fifteen minutes remaining Sam Clarke made way for Ben Bowditch.

On seventy-nine minutes Espinosa found space in the Sudbury penalty area and drilled home Cheshunt’s second goal high into the roof of the net. Eljay Worrell was replaced by

Leon Antonie - Scored On Debut

Leon Antoine on eighty minutes and with a minute of normal time on the clock he met a Ben Smith cross and glanced a header past Williamson. The grand-stand finish did not materialise however. With Sudbury stretched with men committed forward, substitute John Megicks tapped home to seal a 3-1 away win for Cheshunt on the opening day of the season.

Richard Whiting