Rick Andrews on AFC Sudbury being like 'rabbits in headlights' in Suffolk Premier Cup quarter-final defeat to Stowmarket Town
AFC Sudbury manager Rick Andrews admitted his side were like ‘rabbits in headlights’ as they crashed out of this season’s Endeavour Automotive Suffolk Premier Cup.
Andrews’ men led 1-0 at home to fellow Pitching In Isthmian League North Division side Stowmarket Town, before conceding three goals in a 16-minute spell to bow out of this season’s competition at the quarter-final stage.
Former Stowmarket Town player Reggie Lambe’s 55th-minute shot on the turn gave AFC Sudbury the lead in last night's tie, but the visitors drew level through Ed Upson’s calm finish six minutes later.
Josh Curry squeezed his shot into the bottom corner to put Stowmarket ahead in the 65th minute, before Sudbury academy graduate Kane Munday struck a sublime third from nearly 30 yards after 77 minutes, having come on as a substitute.
AFC Sudbury fielded a strong side and Andrews said it was disappointing to go out at this stage of the competition, especially as they had home advantage.
However, he admitted that Stowmarket were good value for their win and wished them all the best for their semi-final.
The former Stowmarket manager said: “In the first half we thought we did more than enough to come in leading, which we weren’t, so we said to the boys you’ve just got to be patient.
“We started well and got a goal, but to be fair to Stowmarket as soon as they pulled one back we seemed to be shell-shocked, like rabbits in headlights, and in the last 20-25 minutes they steamrollered us, so that’s the most disappointing bit from our point as I thought we lacked a bit of heart at the end.
“We said at the end of the game we can’t believe that we’ve gone from how high we were to how low we finished.
“We switched to 4-2-4, so obviously you are going to give them opportunities in the middle of the park. And I thought they broke with good pace and at the end of the day were good value for the win, so fair play to them and I wish them all the best for the semi-final.”
AFC Sudbury return to league action away to Gorleston on Saturday at Lowestoft Town FC (3pm, while Andrews’ former club, sitting fourth after four straight wins, host leaders Hashtag United.
It comes after the Yellows returned to winning ways, following a 1-0 defeat away defeat at Stowmarket and a 1-1 draw at New Salamis, with a 5-0 home win against Basildon United on Saturday.
A hat-trick from Nnamdi Nwachuku, the first a fourth-minute penalty to give them a 1-0 interval lead, saw the striker take his goals tally for the season to 41 in 37 games in all competitions, with Sak Hassan and Josh Mayhew also finding the target.
With Hashtag earning a 21st successive victory with a late winner at home to Felixstowe & Walton United it leaves the gap to the leaders at nine points ahead of the remaining six games.
Andrews said: “Maybe Stow can do us a favour as they have got them on Saturday, but we have said we have got to finish a minimum of second so that’s what we will be aiming for now and then if we end up in the play-offs in second we get home advantage (in both semi-final and final) and hopefully we can push on and finish what we all set out to do at the start of the season.”
