AFC Sudbury Women gain confidence from high-scoring comeback win against East Bergholt United

After coming from behind to see off second-placed East Bergholt United 4-2, Luke Mallett believes AFC Sudbury Women have gained the confidence to ensure the second half of their season goes much better.

The Yellows looked in danger of going down to a sixth defeat in their opening seven Eastern Region Division One North matches when the title challengers raced into the lead at The MEL Group Stadium on Sunday.

But a penalty towards the end of the first half gave the hosts a lifeline which they duly took, Rebecca Stephenson putting their recent bad run from the spot firmly behind them.

Charlie Roach-Smith soon fired them in front before Amy Thompson and a header from Evie Creaton gave them an unassailable lead, from which the visitors were only able to pull one back.

“I think the scoreline reflected the game well,” said manager Mallett, who is now looking for the side to use the victory as a platform for their first back-to-back wins of the season when they travel to Gorleston this weekend (2pm).

“We kept the ball well and moved it about nicely.

“Unfortunately we went 1-0 down.

We had been working on things in training and one of those was defending long balls and that was what we got caught out with.

“The timing of the penalty helped us massively, coming just before half-time.”

He admitted after missing their last two from the spot it had been difficult to find someone willing to step forward, but he was delighted for Stephenson when her kick hit the back of the net.

“It was massive for her to have the confidence to take it, so I was really happy for her personally,” he said.

The home team made a few substitutions at the interval and reaped the rewards of the fresh legs in the second half, scoring the game’s next three goals.

A well-worked team move set up Roach-Smith to apply the finish to put Sudbury into the lead, before Thompson’s fine run after a long ball ended with a shot to match for 3-1. It was the first time the side had scored more than twice in a game this season.

But, the afternoon got even better when Creaton rose highest to head in a corner for a fourth.

It mattered little when East Bergholt pulled one back around 10 minutes from time with their own header from a flag kick.

“I think it has given the youngsters confidence, with East Bergholt second,” said Mallett.

“I am hoping we are now through a tricky start and hopefully we can kick on.

“I am confident we will pick up more points in the second half of the season than the first.”

With Gorleston still pointless at the bottom, Mallett said he was not worried about back-to-back relegations.