Recap
Bishop’s Stortford 6-1 AFC Sudbury Match Report 12/8/25
Pitching In Southern League Premier Central Division
Hamish Arnold
Saleem Akanbi scored his first Bishop’s Stortford goal and followed it up with a goal of the season contender as the Blues thrashed AFC Sudbury 6-1 at Woodside Park on Tuesday. It was Steve Castle’s joint biggest win and biggest League win as Stortford manager, and his side sit top of the early Pitching In Southern League Premier Central Division Table on goal difference.
It was the Blues’ biggest League win since April 2023, the biggest win in the first home League game for the Club in over 21 years, and the first time Stortford have scored six goals with Castle in charge.
Sudbury goalkeeper Marcus Garnham was injured in the warm-up, and without a substitute goalkeeper, it was down to ex-Blues defender Kyran Clements to don the gloves. Akanbi broke through on goal in the first minute in the left channel, but his right footed shot was curled wide of the bottom right corner. Luka Chalwell controlled Leon Davies’ floated cross from the left on his chest, and the volley shot was blocked for a corner. The first set piece into a dangerous area brought about the first goal in the 21st minute. Cole Dasilva’s left footed inswinger from the right bounced off Jaden Ogwuazor with Akanbi on hand to finish from close range. Obi Onyeagwara thought he had doubled the lead three minutes later but was flagged offside in the middle of the box, before Clements punched clear a cross from Dasilva from which Brad Russell fired wide with a 20 yard volley. From a Sudbury corner, Stortford countered as Onyeagwara played a through ball to Akanbi on the left wing, he dribbled into the box but Clements saved from a tight angle. Chalwell saw his looping header saved from Russell’s right wing cross, before a wayward pass in the Sudbury defence fell kindly to Akanbi, who spotted Clements off his line and fired a stunning effort from near the centre circle, dipping just under the crossbar. Gowuazor’s header from a deep free kick forced Clements into a fingertip save over the bar, before the visitors pulled a goal back on the stroke of half time, when Marcel Lewis forced a save from Adam Hayton, the Blues failed to clear and Jack Palmer finished on the rebound. In first half injury time, Jacob Goredema fired wide from 25 yards.
HT 2-1
Onyeagwara dribbled on the left wing, with four defenders around him he picked out Chalwell with a through ball, his shot was fumbled by Clements to restore the two goal lead.Two minutes later, Chalwell picked out Jack Smith, who passed to Onyeagwara but he fired over the bar from a four-on-two counter-attack. From the left side of the box, Palmer’s shot was saved low by Hayton, Marcel Lewis saw his shot tipped round the post on the rebound. From Marcel Lewis deep free kick, Kane Gilbert found himself in space and made contact with the swerving ball but couldn’t divert it on target.. Harry Titchmarsh fired wide on the counter-attack from Onyeagwara’s through ball, before Russell’s chipped shot from a tight angle was clawed away from goal by Clements. From a left wing throw for the Blues, it was worked to Dasilva on the edge of the box, his shot was blocked, Presley Evans miscued his shot and Akanbi tried to get his head on it but Clements saved. Nahum Melvin-Lambert failed to capitalise on a one-on-one against Clements, with the make-shift goalkeeper rushing out of his area and making a perfect tackle to snuff out the attack. Charlie Lewis was shown a straight red for a foul on Akanbi when he was through on goal, with the defender setting off the fire alarm in frustration as he made his way to the changing room. The free kick was defended but the visitors conceded a penalty from the resulting corner as a defender tried to punch the ball clear, Dasilva fired into the bottom left corner from the spot for the third time in two games before Melvin Lambert was slid through by Akanbi after winning the ball back from the kick off, he went round Clements and finished calmly, before Dasilva’s floated cross was nodded down by Chalwell for Melvin-Lambert to bag a late brace, the second goal coming from the last kick of the game.
FT 6-1
TEAMS
Bishop’s Stortford XI
1 Adam HAYTON
3 Leon DAVIES (Forde 65’)
4 Jack SMITH (Titchmarsh 58’)
6 Mark HAINES (c) (Thompson 58’)
7 Obi ONYEAGWARA (Assist 49’) (Evans 65’)
10 Brad RUSSELL
12 Fabio VIRCIGLIO (Melvin-Lambert 58’)
16 Jaden OGWUAZOR (Assist 21’)
18 Cole DASILVA (Goal pen 87’)
19 Saleem AKANBI (Goal 21’ 36’) (Assist 88’)
20 Luka CHALWELL (Goal 49’) (Assist 90+4’)
Subs
5 Jake THOMPSON
8 Harry TITCHMARSH
9 Nahum MELVIN-LAMBERT (Goal 88’ 90+4’)
14 Harry FORDE
17 Presley EVANS
AFC Sudbury XI
1 Kyran CLEMENTS
2 Charlie LEWIS (Yellow card 40’) (Red card 85’)
3 Jacob GOREDEMA (Yellow card 65’) (Mulqueen 71’)
4 Jake TURNER (c)
6 Joe HERON (Dettmar 71’)
7 Callum PAGE
10 Liam PEARCE
11 Kane GILBERT (Tower-King 64’)
14 Jack PALMER (Goal 44’) (Munday 64’)
16 Ollie PARSONS
17 Marcel LEWIS
Subs
5 Kane MUNDAY
8 Jenson MULQUEEN
12 Tommy DETTMAR
13 Rob WELLER
20 Kaidon TOWER-KING
Attendance 473
