Bermuda international and former Ipswich Town midfielder Reggie Lambe helping to make a difference at AFC Sudbury Women ahead of Women’s FA Cup tie at Lewes

AFC Sudbury Women head to the south coast this weekend looking to continue a very encouraging start to the season by making further history in the Adobe Women’s FA Cup – and a secret weapon arguably driving them forward.

A flurry of arrivals that came in to boost Luke and Stefan Mallett’s squad over the summer has been helping them weather the storm of what could have been a punishing injury list.

But ahead of taking on higher-league Lewes in the second round proper on Sunday (2pm), assistant manager Stefan Mallett admits their biggest signing is perhaps someone who has gone under the radar and who will never make an appearance for them.

With more than 200 Football League and 50 MLS outings under his belt, as well as the honour of being his country’s most capped ever player, Reggie Lambe could be argued to have become their secret weapon.

The 33-year-old, who followed up promotion with AFC Sudbury’s men’s first team with back-to-back ones to the top of the non-league tree with Braintree Town under former Yellows boss Angelo Harrop, agreed to be first-team coach in the summer.

And his impact on the women’s team, which also includes fellow Bermudian international Eva Frazzoni – his good friend and team-mate Willie Clemons’ partner – is not to be under-estimated.

“Mine and Luke’s ideas are naturally quite similar and whilst we don’t want someone to be completely the opposite, we want someone that can see things slightly differently,” said Stefan.

“Reggie’s playing international football, he’s played more than 200 Football League matches, so he brings a wealth of experience that helps us a lot.

“The girls have taken to him really well; his attention to detail is really key in certain areas where maybe we’ve been a bit generalised at times.

“He’s helping me and Luke out a massive amount.”

One example he gave has been over the current international break in the men’s game where he has been getting messages from Lambe, who recently signed for Kevin Horlock’s Step 2 Needham Market side, about video analysis he had been doing on Lewes between his Bermuda matches.

Looking ahead to the momentous cup tie at The Dripping Pan against the mid-table FA Women’s National League (FANWL) South side, Stefan said they will not be going there to park the bus in the hope of frustrating a higher-level outfit who were relegated from the second tier Championship last season.

“I think it would go against what we’re trying to do if we’re changing how we’ve played this year,” he said.

“We’ve reviewed what we can at the moment in terms of footage from them and there might be slight amendments but no concrete changes because it’s what’s been working for us this season.”

And you cannot argue on assessing their last two matches, with a rotated side beginning the defence of their MH Goals Ltd Suffolk Women’s Cup with a 13-0 – including hat-tricks for Lina Nagib and Amber Cantwell – home demolition of minnows Leiston St Margarets last Thursday ahead of Sunday’s impressive 4-1 (Nagib 2, Drake, Jeffrey) victory against visiting London Seward.

The latter result left an injury-hit squad – with captain Ronni Harrison having still not played this season – sitting pretty in fourth in the FANWL Division One South East after nine matches.

Stefan Mallett could not praise his players enough and wished to also highlight first-year academy winger Emily Newcomb with the 16-year-old following up her senior debut on Thursday with her first league outing from the bench on Sunday.

Ahead of this weekend’s cup tie, as well as Harrison (knee), AFC are without cup-tied keeper Nina Meollo as well as the injured Megan Edwards, Georgie Morton, Amy-Leigh Abrehart and Amy Jarvis.

Earlier this month Sudbury secured a 3-0 victory at home to lower-level Bowers & Pitsea to progress past the first round proper for the first time in the club’s history.

Elsewhere, Suffolk are also represented by Ipswich Town Women who travel to divisional rivals Hashtag United tomorrow afternoon (3pm).