AFC Sudbury joint boss Angelo Harrop reflects on season of 'overachievement'

Joint manager Angelo Harrop felt Monday’s 1-0 win at local rivals Bury Town capped what has been a season of ‘overachievement’ for AFC Sudbury.

The Yellows will end the campaign no lower than their current position of 10th in the Pitching In Isthmian League North Division, and could finish as high as seventh depending upon results elsewhere during Saturday’s final batch of fixtures.

They also enjoyed a club-record run all the way to the first round proper of the Emirates FA Cup, where they locked horns with Colchester United live in front of the BBC cameras.

And having only taken on the job alongside Rick Andrews part-way into pre-season, Harrop is pleased with the progress that has been made.

“Maybe we all got a little bit carried away (earlier in the season) with talk of the play-offs. When you’re winning like we were at the start of the season, sometimes that happens,” he said.

“It’s a lesson learned from us, but what a season for Sudbury.

“We’ve got the most points over the last few seasons and a run in the FA Cup as well.

“Any team at our level that had a run like we did in the FA Cup is always going to suffer a blip.

“I think we’ve massively overachieved. To come in during pre-season and lose the likes of Billy Holland and Joe Whight – real experienced players – it’s been really tough, but the amount of work that has gone into this football club has been remarkable.

“I think we’ve overachieved. If you’d said to me we’re going to finish ninth or 10th at the start of the season I’d have taken it.”

The derby at Bury was by no means a classic, yet it was visiting Sudbury that carved out the clear cut chances and they were deserving of the three points.

Three of their better openings fell the way of young forward Josh Stokes, who dragged one wide, saw another cleared off the line and then was thwarted by a smart stop from Bury goalkeeper Sam Blair.

The decisive goal eventually came 11 minutes from time when Reece Harris’ inswinging corner from the right left the Bury defence static and captain Joe Grimwood took full advantage to power the ball in from close range.

Correy Davidson almost rubber stamped the victory in stoppage time with Blair way off his line after he had come up for a corner, but his effort from distance landed on the roof of the net.

It was a win that put 16 points between the two sides, with Bury sitting 12th, and it also saw Sudbury gain revenge for their defeat in the reverse fixture on New Year’s Day.

“After the first time we played them we felt that we owed them one,” added Harrop, who saw his side win 3-2 at the weekend against Witham Town via goals from Stokes, Davidson and Marley Andrews.

“I know there was not much riding on it but for our club it was a big game.

“The way we responded, I thought was outstanding. Defensively it was the Sudbury we put together and got us a good run in the FA Cup.

“Anyone watching today would have said we were deserving winners.”

The victory came in front of a crowd of 1,013 – Bury’s second highest attendance of the year after the 1,314 people that took in their festive clash with Stowmarket Town.

Matching that number will be a tall order, but Harrop hopes there is still a good turn-out for the season-ending home clash against Basildon United on Saturday (3pm).

“Credit where it’s due, the fans for Bury were outstanding today,” he said.

“What a fantastic turnout – they had more than a thousand here.

“They made it an amazing occasion for everyone and we need to do that in front of our fans and finish off on a real high.”

* AFC Sudbury’s youngsters will take on Park View in the final of the National Under-19 ECFA Cup at Doncaster Rovers on Tuesday (7.45pm).