A.F.C. Sudbury entertained bottom-placed Aylesbury United at the King’s Marsh, the Ducks having won just once this season in amassing just seven league points. Into the Sudbury squad came Jemel Fox with Daniel Swain given a start ahead of Stuart Walker who took a place on the bench.

Aylesbury forced the first corner of the afternoon with Lewis McBride swinging in a left wing delivery which was saved at his near-post by Richard Wilmot. The Sudbury ‘keeper quickly sent the ball up the park where Craig Hammond was able to square from the left for Craig Hughes to open the scoring. Sudbury almost doubled their lead two minutes later when Sam Clarke found Danny Emmanuel on the right wing. His dangerous cross was almost met by a sliding Craig Hammond at the far post. It was two on fourteen minutes when Curtis Haynes-Brown delivered a superb long throw into the penalty area from the left wing. Craig Hughes back-heeled the ball and Danny Emmanuel struck a low shot past Jack Sillitoe.

Aylesbury got back into the game immediately when Shiblu Miah broke free. He escaped the offside flag to finish with some aplomb past Richard Wilmot. Sudbury then had a great chance to score when Craig Hughes sent Gareth Heath free through the middle. Heath returned the ball to Hughes whose cross from the left wing flashed across the Aylesbury six-yard area and harmlessly out for a goal kick. Craig Hughes shot straight at Sillitoe when released by Danny Brown as Sudbury continued to pile on the pressure. On twenty-five minutes Curtis Haynes-Brown found Craig Hammond on the edge of the Aylesbury penalty area, but the Sudbury striker shot tamely wide of goal.

Gareth Heath then had a shot blocked after Haynes-Brown had found him with a fine pass from the left wing. On twenty-eight minutes Hammond’s strike was superbly saved by Sillitoe. From the resultant corner from Heath, Danny Emmanuel laid the ball into the path of Sam Clarke who fired a shot over the crossbar. On the half-hour referee Sannerude booked Sudbury captain Gareth Heath for a foul when initially he’d looked as if he was about to award a throw. Danny Brown was quickly into the book alongside his captain when he fouled McBride in what was fast becoming a scrappy encounter on a difficult surface.

Chances were few and far between as the early endeavour of Sudbury seeped away somewhat as the half progressed with the opposition adding little in the way of a fighting force in the match. Gareth Heath’s free kick just before the break saw Rhys Darg rise highest to head just wide of the post.




H-T 2-1

Sam Clarke was substituted at the break with Stuart Walker taking his place. Richard Pringle’s left wing corner on forty-nine minutes was superbly claimed by Richard Wilmot rising well to claim the catch. On fifty-one minutes Gareth Heath released Danny Emmanuel on the right with a fine ball. Emmanuel did well to get into the Aylesbury penalty area, but his cross was behind his forwards and easily cleared. The quality of play was still very poor until Craig Hughes found Craig Hammond in the area with a brilliant ball and the finish was polished beyond Sillitoe.

Daniel Parsons, newly thrown into the action, went on a run, but his weak shot was easily gathered by Richard Wilmot. Sudbury finished the game off with the next move of the game. Kevin Ayodele should have easily dealt with an attempted lob over him by Craig Hughes, but the Sudbury number nine returned to easily rob him. Hughes crossed for Craig Hammond to control the ball on the edge of the penalty area and shoot excellently into the corner of the net. On sixty-one minutes Curtis Haynes-Brown made way for the debut of Jemel Fox

One-way traffic now ensued with Gareth Heath bursting through the middle to find Craig Hughes whose shot was very well saved by Sillitoe. Stuart Walker won possession brilliantly in the centre of the park. He found Craig Hughes whose snap-shot curled over the crossbar. Jemel Fox marked a highly impressive debut when his cross from the left wing on seventy-one minutes was touched home by Craig Hammond to mark a notable hat-trick. Hammond even had time to attempt to catch Sillitoe off his goal-line on seventy-nine minutes with an audacious volley from near the half-way line. He was replaced to warm applause with ten minutes remaining by Jack Jones.

With seven minutes left Richard Pringle got the better of Danny Brown who he had appeared to have pushed on the edge of the home penalty area. He went on to hit a low shot past Richard Wilmot to make the score 5-2 to Sudbury. Right on time Craig Hughes sent a thunderbolt shot from inside the penalty area against the post and referee Sannerude had time to cap a very average performance by needlessly adding Stuart Walker to his book.

Richard Whiting