AFC Sudbury 1-2 Bishop’s Stortford Match Report

December 29, 2024

301

26/12/24

Pitching In Southern League Premier Central Division

Hamish Arnold

Jake Thompson scored his first Bishop’s Stortford goal as AFC Sudbury lost at home for the first time in the Pitching In Southern League Premier Central Division this season on Boxing Day.

Presley Evans made a bright start, cutting in off the left and firing in a low shot, but James Bradbrook made a low save down to his right. Cole Dasilva’s corner kicks were a constant threat all afternoon, his first was an inswinger from the left, and threatened to creep in at the far post, but Bradbrook tipped it over the bar. From the resulting corner that was scrambled clear, Luke Warner-Eley played a lofted pass back into the box for Ryan Charles to run on to, but his header was saved by Bradbrook. From a deep free kick from the left wing, former Stortford captain Ryan Henshaw headed wide, before Nahum Melvin-Lambert saw his header from a corner blocked by Henshaw. Thompson found himself free at the near post where he nodded into the empty net at close range from Dasilva’s corner, before Melvin-Lambert went close to a second with a smart turn and volley but Bradbrook was equal to it. Charles doubled the lead in first half injury time with a powerful strike into the roof of the net, from a Dasilva corner that hadn’t been cleared.

HT 0-2

Dasilva cleared off the line from a corner from a header, and Oliver Peters saw his follow-up effort saved. Evans miscued wide after Charlie Castle had squared him the ball inside the box, and Erin Amu’s looping volley threatened to cause a problem for Bradbrook, but he scrambled back to his goal line and kept the ball out. The Blues kept the pressure on though with Jack Roberts forcing a save and Evans had a shot blocked by a defender. Peters raced through on goal but Elliot Krasniqi was out quickly to smother the chance, the midfielder was forced wide and Krasniqi made the save. Myles Cowling fired powerfully over the bar, before his flicked header found the bottom right corner from a left wing free kick to set up a nervous finish. Peters sliced a shot high and wide of the goal from 20 yards, before substitute Eyituoyo Akinbulumo had a chance to seal the win as he raced through on goal, he tried to go round Bradbrook but stumbled as he did so, before the whistle was blown for full time.

FT 1-2

The Blues finish 2024 hosting Redditch United on Saturday 28 December, and Bedford Town are the visitors to the RDA Stadium on New Year’s Day.

TEAMS

AFC Sudbury XI

1 James BRADBROOK

3 Benjamin ISAACSON (TERMINIELLO 75’)

5 Ryan HENSHAW (Yellow card 44’)

6 Thomas DICKENS

7 Matthew MILES

8 Oliver PETERS

9 Joe NEAL (c)

10 Myles COWLING (Goal 76’)

11 Callum PAGE (LEWIS 46’)

12 Liam PEARCE (TURNER 46’)

14 Ben BRADLEY

Subs

2 Charlie LEWIS

4 Jake TURNER

13 Jack MUNSON

18 Luca TERMINIELLO

Bishop’s Stortford XI

1 Elliot KRASNIQI (Yellow card 84’)

2 Cole DASILVA (Assist 30’)

3 Luke WARNER-ELEY

5 Jake THOMPSON (Goal 30’)

9 Nahum MELVIN-LAMBERT (Assist 45+1’) (AKINBULUMO 90+3’)

10 Brad RUSSELL (OLUWATIMILEHIN 64’)

12 Fabio VIRCIGLIO (CASTLE 64’)

15 Ryan CHARLES (Goal 45+1’) (ROBERTS 64’)

16 Jaden OGWUAZOR

17 Presley EVANS

18 Erin AMU (BENNETT 75’)

Subs

4 Olu OLUWATIMILEHIN

7 Charlie CASTLE

8 Andrew BENNETT

11 Jack ROBERTS

19 Eyituoyo AKINBULUMO

Attendance 508