Maidstone United 3 AFC Sudbury 0

U’s AFC Sudbury suffered heartache in the final of the Robert Dyas League Cup, losing to hosts Maidstone United at the Gallagher Stadium in Kent tonight.

Maidstone were always going to be the favourites to lift the trophy, having won promotion from the Ryman League South last season and also pushing for another promotion via the Premier play-offs this year.

Sudbury, operating a division below their hosts, provided stiff opposition, but were eventually undone by a first-half by Michael Phillips and a late brace from Frannie Collin.

The visitors were trailing at the break, when Phillips swept home the rebound after Alex Archer had blocked Alex Brown’s initial shot on 36 minutes.

David Batch’s side thought they had equalised in the 75th minute, only for Ryan Henshaw’s close-range header, from a corner, to be ruled out for a foul on keeper Lee Worgan, inside a congested six-yard box.

And Henshaw’s misery was complete when he was sent off for chopping down Zac Attwood in the box in the 83rd minute, enabling Collin to convert the ensuing penalty.

Collin then ran through uncontested, in stoppage time, to seal Sudbury’s fate with a third.

It was the second time Sudbury had lost in the final of this competition, having been beaten on penalties by another Kent club, Ramsgate, in 2008.