This was a game that saw AFC win for the fifth consecutive game and in doings so keep their fifth clean sheet in the process.

With Rhys Darg ruled out with a hamstring strain, that fortunately does not appear as bad as first thought, Danny Emmanuel came into the starting line-up. Robbie Martin was passed fit after leaving the last game at half time and it was he who would be the match winner.

Potters Bar started the game at a very fast pace and they had the majority of the play, so much so that it was ten minutes v=before their goalkeeper Bennett touched the ball.

AFC’s first real attack saw Dave Wareham get down the left but his effort at the end of the run saw the ball flying miles over the bar. The visitors got in an effort on Danny Gay’s goal after some good passing but Harrison shot over. James Baker headed the ball tamely into Bennett’s arms with seventeen minutes on the clock.

The visitors though they had taken the lead a minute later; a free kick went into the box and came out to Urquart whose powerful shot cannoned back off the post to Harrison who failed to trouble the net. The Potters came back in the twentieth minute with Harrison going through the middle, but a Gay came out and stood up to the forward and saved well with his body.

The game had been nearly all Potters Bar, but after twenty-seven minutes AFC won a corner, the visitors had amassed six or seven. Later on Wareham hit a cross on the run and big central defender Fraser headed the ball away. Wareham then took a throw out from Gay and raced forward but his shot went straight at Bennett.

In the last five minutes of the half AFC kept themselves in the game after O’Brien shot wide and then Harrison fired the ball over the bar.

Half time: AFC Sudbury 0 Potters Bar Town 0

The second half saw a much better performance from the home side against a side that had really dominated the first. AFC were however never in real control of it as the visitors battled to the very end.

What was to be the only goal of the game came after fifty-two minutes; Robbie Martin picked the ball up on the half-way line and went towards the visitors goal and decided to shoot from fully thirty yards, the ball zipped in off the diving Bennett. It was against the run of play but the AFC supporters were not complaining.

Potters Bar came back strongly with a sweeping ball across the goal that reached Simms whose fierce shot was expertly tipped over by Gay. From the corner the ball cannoned around the AFC box with first Henshaw then Nathan Clarke getting their bodies in the way to deny the visitors. Adam Dalby then had to do the same to deny Harrison as the pressure was on.

Martin was still lively at the other end and Fraser had to be alive to stop the AFC man who was causing the Potters real problems.

The first change came when Magwood left and Penner came on and he was soon pulled back by Nathan Clarke who was booked.

James Baker was performing heroics at the back heading away a couple of dangerous crosses as the visitors continued to attack. Hawes came on taking over from Martin who went off the rapturous applause.

Emmanuel had several good runs down the right hand side tempting the defenders to tackle and foul him. Both sided made changes with three minutes of normal time left O’Brien leaving and Clifford coming on for the visitors and Jemel Fox taking over from Wareham.

There were three minutes of added time and in that time the Hertfordshire side continued to attack but the AFC defence held out for a hard fought three points.

The rise up the table has been something else from twentieth to seventh in just over a month. The thing now will be to push on and get even higher.