FA TROPHY: Sudbury to host National League side

AFC Sudbury will host Vanarama National League South side Gosport Borough in the Buildbase FA Trophy first round proper on December 10 (3pm).

The draw for the first round of non-League’s prize competition was made at Wembley today.

Hampshire-based Gosport Borough were runners-up in the competition in the 2013-14 season and finished ninth in National League South last season.

Managed by Alex Pike, the youngest manager to ever win the FA Vase as a 32-year-old with Wimborne Town in 1991-92, Gosport are currently 14th in their division with only one win from their last seven in the league.

Their season has been notable for re-writing their history books though with their bigger previous win as a club — 14-0 against Cunliffe Owen in 1945 — being surpassed with a 19-1 victory over Portsmouth Saturday League Widbrook United in the Portsmouth Senior Cup last month.

AFC Sudbury booked their place in the FA Tropy first round at the weekend with a 3-1 win at King’s Langley, thanks to goals from Luke Callander (45, 74), and Sam Clarke (63).

Jamie Godbold’s side head into Tuesday evening’s match at Billericay Town (7.45pm) looking to end a run of five straight away defeats in the Ryman League Premier Division.

AFC, who have lost their last two games in the league, are currently in 18th place in the table, four points above the bottom three, while their mid-week opponents are 10th with one win from their last six matches.