A.F.C. Sudbury welcomed Conference South side Histon to King's Marsh for the sternest test of the pre-season period as the Ryman's League North season lays just three weeks away. A.F.C. were without Brett Girling who limped off the park at Needham Market with an ankle injury.
Sudbury started brightly with James Rowe laying back a neat pass into the path of Terry Rayner whose whipped cross into Andy Claydon saw the tall striker robbed of the ball before he could get his shot away. Sudbury forced two quick corners on 8 minutes, Paul Betson delivering dangerously from the right and seeing the ball glanced behind and Tommy Bradlaugh returning from the left a corner which just evaded the attentions of captain David Head.Bradlaugh then released Claydon down the centre of the park only for the Histon 'keeper to deny him with a fine blocking save. Histon came more into the game after 20 minutes forcing a succession of classy saves from Sudbury goalkeeper Nathan Munson.There was little Munson could do after making a fine parry on 21 minutes, the ball reaching Danny Bloomfield who calmly slotted home to give Histon the lead. Sudbury responded with a fine move with Paul Betson neatly finding Neil Calver who fed onto Andy Claydon. When his pathway to goal was blocked Calver found space for a shot, but sent his effort well over the crossbar.Shane Wardley then advanced forward only for his slippery run to end with a shot struck well wide of goal.Wardley was again to the fore when his superb run saw him release Rowe whose flicked shot was again well saved.Another fine save denied Andy Claydon after a slick interchange with Tommy Rowe. Sudbury ended the half in cracking form. Bradlaugh's corner was cleared at the expense of a further corner which Betson swung into David Head whose header looped over the bar. Kevin Hughes caused the Histon defence some problems and he set up James Rowe to calmly net the equaliser on 38 minutes. On 43 minutes Paul Betson's storming left wing run saw him cut inside and fire a shot which was parried by the Histon 'keeper. Neil Calver fired the loose ball high over the crossbar.

HALF-TIME 1-1

James Rowe's strong run through the middle saw him tripped in the box and A.F.C. Sudbury captain David Head stepped forward and cooly sent his team into a 2-1 lead. Sudbury's 3rd came just 2 minutes later and a superb goal it was too. Andy Claydon turning his marker on the right of the half-way line and flicking a sublime ball into the path of Neil Calver. Calver took the ball to the edge of the penalty area and crossed superbly for James Rowe to shoot home. Within a minute Neil Kennedy had reduced arrears with a close-range strike and Munson pulled off a flying save on 57 minutes to keep Sudbury ahead. Sudbury replaced Paul Betson, Kevin Hughes, Terry Rayner and James Rowe with Phil Battell, Kevin Barker, Simon Head and Paul Abrahams and shortly afterwards Marcus Bier replaced the impressive Nathan Munson in goal after a very solid performance from the new Sudbury 'keeper. On 68 minutes Simon Head fired just over when released by an Andy Claydon cross and it was Claydon who was denied by some fine defending following another skillful run from Shane Wardley.
Despite some shaky moments at the back following the substitutions, A.F.C. held firm to record their first win of the pre-season period. This was a highly encouraging display with the side passing and moving well. The team looked sharp against quality opposition and seemed to have already crafted a high level of understanding between them.

Richard Whiting