AFC Sudbury claim bragging rights over Needham Market after Adam Mills stunner

A first-half stunner from Adam Mills helped AFC Sudbury get the year off to the perfect start in the Pitching In Southern League Premier Central Division as they defeated second-placed Needham Market 1-0 in a local derby at the MEL Group Stadium.

Mills’ strike against his former club was worthy of winning any contest as he curled a beautiful outside-of-the-boot effort into the top corner after beating two men on his run towards goal.

This came in a first half that the hosts dominated which saw them have multiple shots cleared off the line, and they came closest to doubling their lead when Malachi Napa saw his first-time effort crash off the post.

Horlock’s Needham were unusually quiet in the first 45 and dominated proceedings in the second and should have equalised through Jacob Lay’s header from point-blank range – but it was AFC Sudbury who claimed the bragging rights on New Year’s Day.

The Yellows boss Marc Abbott named three changes from his side’s emphatic 4-0 dispatching of Berkhamstead on Boxing Day.

Oliver Caley-Brown, Philip Brown-Bampoe and Romario Dunne all dropped out for Joe Tarpey, Malachi Napa and Reuben Marshall. New signing Ben Bradley made his way onto the bench while Ben Hunter made his 200th appearance for the club.

As for the visitors, Horlock altered his starting 11 with just the one change from their 3-0 victory at Alvechurch just before Christmas as Tevan Allen came in for Jamie McGrath.

The game took a while to come to life, with Kyle Hammond the only man to get a shot on goal in the opening 10 minutes, but when the match did spark into action, it certainly did not disappoint.

Only one day into 2024 and AFC Sudbury might have found their Goal of the Year already. Step forward Mills, who picked the ball up mid-way inside the Needham Market half and beat two defenders with great pace and trickery, before curling in an outrageous effort into the top-right corner with the outside of his left foot.

The front-flip celebration from the former Needham man was equal to the finish.

The hosts looked to add a quick second and capitalise on the shift in momentum with a succession of corners but they came to nothing.

After a quiet 10 minute period AFC Sudbury then threatened again as Hunter burst towards the Needham penalty area to set up striker Joe Neal, but his right-footed half-volley was saved comfortably by Marcus Garnham.

The Sudbury faithful would have always expected Horlock’s side to create chances and they came close to an equaliser on 25 minutes as Allen, restored to the starting line-up, bent an effort that whistled just over the bar.

After he was denied minutes before, Neal broke into the Marketmen’s penalty area in acres of space on the right hand side. Marshall, who had supplied Neal with the pass, was screaming for a cut-back but Garnham did well to block the pass and clear the danger.

Tommy Smith had endured a busy first half defensively with lot of Sudbury’s attacks coming down his side but the Needham left-back looked to turn provider. He clipped a ball towards Luke Ingram who ghosted into the penalty area but could not latch onto the defenders ball through at full stretch.

The home fans who came down to support their side on New Year’s Day would have been delighted with their side’s first half display and should have seen Sudbury double their lead just after the half hour mark.

Napa’s first-time strike from the edge of the area crashed against the post and the rebound bobbled to Marshall who saw his volley cleared off the line.

This was the first of a plethora of chances that fell to the hosts as they were left wondering how they did not enter the break more than one goal ahead.

Marshall again proved a handful down the right and he saw his low effort cleared off the line by the recovering Jake Dye before Hunter had a speculative volley parried away by Garnham, who got down well to deny the Sudbury number eight.

The difference-maker Mills then scuffed his effort into the path of Napa who struck with venom towards the near post, but the ball flew wide, before Jake Turner had a go from the edge of the box but his strike went just wide of the far post.

Calling Sudbury’s lead at the break ‘deserved’ would have been an understatement. They tore the pre-match script up and blew Needham away creating a handful of chances that they just could not put away.

Seth Chambers, who netted a brace in the win against Alvechurch, had been feeding off scraps in the first 45 but did well to work an opening for himself 10 minutes after the restart.

The Needham frontman did well to turn away from his marker on the edge of the box and drill a low effort towards goal that had James Bradbrook beaten in the Sudbury goal, but not Charlie Lewis – who did brilliantly to clear off the line.

Having shots cleared off the line was becoming a very clear theme of the game and minutes after Chambers was denied, Allen’s deflected strike had to be clipped over his own crossbar by Thomas Dickens.

The chances kept coming for Horlock’s side as skipper Keiran Morphew will feel he should have done better with a header from Allen’s corner that he skewed over the bar.

As much as they banged against the Sudbury door, there was still no answer for the visitors as they again came close when Ingram travelled with the ball down the right and his cross looped over Bradbrook and off the crossbar.

The game remained on a knife edge with Sudbury not being able to impose themselves in the same way that they had in the first half.

It looked like Needham had levelled proceedings as the contest approached the final 10 minutes when substitute McGrath brought the ball down expertly and swung in pin-point delivery for Lay to attack but the Marketmen’s number 10 guided his header straight at Bradbrook.

The game was turning and Needham looked good value for an equaliser. Sudbury had to kill the contest off and very nearly did as Hunter broke down right and crossed for Neal who stretched every limb in his body to get to the ball but he could not apply the contact.

Substitute Dunne then retrieved possession and tried to catch Garnham off guard at his near post on the follow up but the Needham shot-stopper was equal to his effort.

After four minutes of stoppage time in the rain, the whistle blew as AFC Sudbury celebrated getting 2024 off to the perfect start with their third win on the bounce.

AFC Sudbury: Bradbrrok, Tarpey, Oluwatimilehin, Lewis, Dickens, Turner (cpt), Hunter (Bradley 90’), Neal, Napa (Dunne 49’), Mills, Marshall (Caley-Brown 70’).

Unused substitutes: Oteng, Brown-Bampoe.

Needham Market: Garnham, Dye, Smith, Hammond, K.Morphew (cpt), D.Morphew, Ingram, Williams (Harris 61’), Lay, Allen (McGrath 77’), Chambers (Valentine 71’).

Unused substitutes: Page, Fraser.

Attendance: 651

Suffolk News MOTM: Ben Hunter: A rock in midfield that broke down a lot of Needham’s attacks – particularly in the first half.