AFC Sudbury romp to terrific Trophy win at Worthing

AFC Sudbury's Joe Whight (blue) in action during the FA Trophy second round tie at Worthing, in West Sussex. Picture: CARL MARSTON (Image: Archant)

AFC Sudbury produced their best performance of the season to make nonsense of their underdogs tag at higher-level Worthing in the FA Trophy this afternoon.

The Suffolk side were in devastating form, on Worthing's 3G surface at Woodside Road, and fully deserved to progress into the third round of the competition.

Goals from Reece Harris (19) and Baris Altintop (23) put Mark Morsley's men 2-0 up at half-time, and Callum Harrison added a killer third just three minutes into the second period.

Skipper Joel Colbran netted a late consolation for Worthing, who play at Step Three (Isthmian League Premier) as opposed to AFC Sudbury's Step Four.

AFC Sudbury's managament team of Danny Laws (assistant) and Mark Morsley (manager) watch from the sidelines during this afternoon's FA Trophy tie at a very wet Worthing. Picture: CARL MARSTON (Image: Archant)

But that failed to take the gloss off what was a superb afternoon for the visitors, in a match that was played in atrocious conditions with heavy rain throughout.

And Liam Bennett put the icing on the cake with an injury-time fourth, racing half the length of the pitch before slotting the ball home from a tight angle.

AFC Sudbury started on the front foot, showing their intentions from the start, and they were good value for their two-goal lead at half-time.

Sean Marks headed over the bar, from Tom Maycock's accurate cross, with keeper Carl Rushworth hopelessly off his line on eight minutes.

Reece Harris, who scored the opening goal, talks to the assistant referee in front of the AFC Sudbury dug-out during a break in play. Picture: CARL MARSTON (Image: Archant)

Worthing had been unbeaten in their previous seven games, but they rarely threatened before the break, with the exception of Ollie Pearce's stinging shot which was beaten away by Paul Walker on the quarter-hour mark.

A defensive error enabled Sudbury to break the deadlock in the 19th minute. Harris pounced on a stay pass and ran through before slotting a low shot beyond the onrushing Rushworth. It was a super-cool finish from the Sudbury attacker.

Maycock and Marks combined to good effect, in the 22nd minute. They exchanged a one-two before Maycock whipped over a low cross into the danger zone, where only a hasty defensive clearance prevented Marks from burying the chance from point blank range.

However, the visitors did scorey] from the ensuing corner as Callum Harrison's excellent delivery was headed firmely home by Altintop from close-in.

The 2-0 scoreline certainly did not flatter Sudbury, and they could have scored more goals before haf-time.

Centre-half Altintop was within a whisker of nodding home another Harrison corner, from inside the six-yard box, in the 25th minute, and just 60 seconds later Harris sliced a shot wide of the near post after being teed up by Maybanks.

Only a fine save by Rushworth denied Billy Holland a goal on the half-hour mark. The midfielder connected sweetly with a 25-yarder which was superbly tipped away by Rushworth, who was at full stretch.

On 44 minutes, the Rebels were relieved to see Joe Whight's header, from another corner routine, drop just the wrong side of the far post.

It was 3-0, just three minutes into the second half. Marks did well to release Harrison, and the midfielder tried his luck with a low drive which Rushworth should really have saved. However, the ball slipped from the keeper's grasp and rolled into an unguarded net.

The home side tried to rally. Pearce failed to convert a cross at the far post from just a few feet out, while Harris did well to block a thunderbolt from Ricky Aguiar, which resulted in the Sudbury attacker hobbling off the pitch injured, and unable to continue.

Worthing pulled a goal back in the 79th minute, skipper Colbran volleying home a corner, but Bennett responded with a fine solo run and goal, in the second minute of injury-time.

Squads

WORTHING: Rushworth, Colbran, Tutt, Stevens (sub Ayoola, 68), Young, Paisley, Dawes (sub Parsons, 55), Aguiar, Doughty (sub Armstrong, 55), Meekums, Pearce. Unused subs: Edwards, Kealy, Pattenden.

AFC SUSBURY: Walker, Bennett, Whight, Hammett, Grimwood, Altintop, Harris (sub O'Malley, 65), Holland, Marks (sub Dettmar, 71), Harrison (sub King, 82), Maybanks. Unused subs: Hunter, Bailey-Dennis, Craisie.

Attendance: 521