Improving Cornard progressed to the next round of the Suffolk Senior Cup against Thurlow Nunn First Division Stowmarket in an entertaining game.
Having former Sudbury defender Chris Tracey in charge at Blackhouse Lane seems to have galvanized the home side as they try and put years of struggle on the field behind them.
The visitors had the first opportunity of the game as Nathan Birch headed over from Wayne Proctor’s deep corner.
A long kick from ‘keeper Aaron Reid then caused confusion in the visitors’ defence but neither Emeka Nwaubani nor Ezra Drann were able to force the ball home.
Stowmarket striker Matt Dixon went close for the visitors on the half hour but his goalbound effort struck a defender.
Almost immediately a sublime flick from Drann played in Luke Payne who shot wide with only Kelly Sharber to beat.
Sharber then escaped with a yellow card for bringing down Drann as covering defenders prevented an obvious goalscoring opportunity.
In an exciting game, back came Stowmarket and Aaron Piggott had a header cleared off the line.
If the game followed a similar pattern in the second half a goal had to come and so it proved when the warnings of the first half were not heeded by the home side as Birch rose high again to head home another Proctor corner from eight yards out on 53 minutes.
Cornard drew level ten minutes later when Payne robbed Robbie Evans in midfield and advanced to curl an effort which was only partially saved by Shelber and Nwaubani followed up to score.
Within a minute Nwaubani should have netted again only to blaze over from eight yards
Stowmarket seemed to have weathered the storm as home skipper Dave Dowding glanced a header against his own bar.
Four successive Procter corners were defended before ‘Ards put together a fine move to take the lead.
Substitute James Claydon surged through the middle to play in Drann who in squared the ball to Payne who couldn’t miss.
Controversy then followed as Paris Tuwizana thought he had grabbed the equaliser only for Dixon to be given offside in the build-up.
Cornard made the game safe five minutes from time when more powerful play from Claydon ended with Drann beating Sharber to the ball before sliding his effort into the corner of the net.
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