AFC Sudbury edge five-goal thriller at Walsham-le-Willows to progress through in Suffolk Premier Cup

A plucky display from Walsham-le-Willows gave AFC Sudbury a testing night in the Endeavour Automotive Suffolk Premier Cup at the Morrish Stadium but it was one a strong visiting side were able to come through as they held on for a 3-2 victory.

With only two first-round ties on Tuesday, they were among the sides who entered in the second round in a competition which has traditionally ended with a showpiece final at Ipswich Town’s Portman Road but has been staged at Bury Town FC for the past two seasons and over at Colchester United FC in recent memory.

It was a fixture which pitted strong starting Thurlow Nunn League Premier Division outfit Walsham against a side who had also had an encouraging opening to their campaign two leaves higher in the Pitching In Southern League Premier Central.

And Marc Abbott was certainly not taking the challenge lightly if his team sheet was anything to go by as it contained the usual list of first-team regulars supplemented by a few younger faces on the bench.

He did rotate his goalkeeper though with experienced number two James Philip getting the nod ahead of James Bradbrook.

Things certainly looked to be paying off when Callum Page doubled their advantage four minutes after Josh Allen fired them ahead half-an-hour in.

But Walsham showed plenty of character in the tie with George Bugg firing in the first of two goals from the penalty spot ahead of the break before reducing the deficit back to one a minute from time after Joe Neal had converted a penalty for the visitors early in the second period.

AFC had to head into seven minutes of stoppage time with 10 men after using all their substitutes with one of those, youngster Sam Cox, helped off after a long delay with what appeared to be a serious ankle injury.

But the Yellows managed to hold out under some late pressure to seal their progress into the third round, despite one first-round tie, involving Bury Town and Leiston next Tuesday, still outstanding.

Elsewhere tonight, Stowmarket Town went to a penalty shootout at home to an Ipswich Town XI after playing out a goalless draw at Greens Meadow but ended up losing out 4-3.

In the first minute at Summer Road, Sudbury signalled their intent with Neal firing in a shot from outside the box that Ryan Dunne spilled out before Reon Huckvale’s run from half way for the hosts was halted by a perfectly sliding challenge following a good recovery run from Ryan Henshaw.

On the quarter-of-an-hour mark a slick Sudbury move ended with former Ipswich Town professional Page seeing an effort deflected wide after he danced his way into the box.

Walsham were certainly holding their own and midway through the half came close to taking the lead when Ethan Garcia went on a strong run that saw him gain a clear sight of goal but he fired his angled shot straight down the throat of Philp.

A good slide pass put Ollie Peters through in the Walsham area in the 28th minute but Dunne managed to make he save.

Play soon switched up the other end with Huckvale bursting down the right and drawing a near-post save from Philp.

But it was the higher-league visitors who took the lead on a breakaway on the half-hour mark. Neal carried the ball well before his narrow-angled shot deflected back out to Allen who lifted it coolly into the top right-hand corner.

The Willows found themselves two goals down four minutes later when they were caught out at a corner with Neal’s delivery flicked on to the far post where Page was able to backheel it over the line.

Walsham should have halved the deficit a few minutes later when Huckvale was sent clear on the counter, but Philp did well to narrow the angle and make the block.

But their promising forays forward finally paid off six minutes before the break when the dangerous Huckvale drew Ryan Henshaw into a foul on the right side with former Stowmarket man Bugg then stepping up to fire in an unstoppable spot-kick into the top left-hand corner.

Up the other end Sudbury soon looked to be denied a stonewall penalty in the 44th minute. Nicholls picked up the ball from Ben Isaacson’s fierce cross before losing his footing then jumping into a desperate recovery tackle to halt Page with the referee giving it a look before letting play carry on.

Ben Bradley replaced Jake Turner in the heart of Sudbry’s midfield when the teams re-emerged for the second half with Neal taking over the captain’s armband.

And the visitors quickly changed the complexion of the tie with a third goal within three minutes of the re-start as they finally got a deserved penalty of their own. Walsham captain Sam Nunn was the offender, despite a wild challenge in the build-up as Liam Botten blew up when he went through the back of Peters.

Dunne managed to get hand to Neal’s kick but could not do enough to keep it out.

Walsham looked to get a foothold back in the tie but Bugg saw his deflected effort land on the roof of the net after Nunn called in vain for a penalty for apparently being pulled down.

The flow of the game was then disrupted by both sides making double substitutions but academy player Sam Cox, who replaced Isaacsson, only lasted less than five minutes before he suffered a serious ankle injury that left his side having to go into the final 10 a man short, having used all three changes.

It was a situation which suddenly galvanised Walsham who went close when Garcia’s effort had to be tipped over the bar by Philp.

And their pressure paid off in the 89th minute when Bugg converted from inside the area following the ball coming in from the left-hand side.

Further drama followed when AFC boss Abbott was shown a red card for throwing the ball away in what the referee saw as a bid to waste time.

It all set up a grandstand finish heading into the seven minutes of added time but a Garcia cross whizzing past everyone was as near as Walsham came to forcing a penalty shootout on a night where they could certainly be proud of their efforts.

Walsham-le-Willows: Dune, Cooper, McKenzie-Vince, Tompkins, Moss, Nunn (cpt), Nicholls (Chapin 65’), Hubbard (Glover 76’), Garcia, Bugg, Huckvale (Twinn 65’).

Unused sub: Lanchester.

Booked: None.

AFC Sudbury: Philp, Lewis, Isaacson (Cox 71’), Turner (cpt), Henshaw, Dickens, Allen (Terminello 71’), Peters, Neal, Cowling, Page.

Booked: Turner (25’ foul).

Attendance: 66 (paying).

SuffolkNews Man of the Match: Joe Neal (AFC Sudbury). The striker certainly led from the front with his workrate on a night where things didn’t all go their way, and set up a goal as well as adding another to his tally. Ended with the captain’s armband.