Liam Pearce looking to get AFC Sudbury back into Suffolk county cup final to complete his own set since winning at under-13 level
Liam Pearce knows more than most will ever know about what it takes to and means to lift a Suffolk county cup in a showpiece final – and now he is on a mission to help the first team end a 21-year drought to get back there.
The 19-year-old graduated from AFC Sudbury’s revered academy programme, after opting to stay on for a third year, heading into the summer.
He did so with a collection of six county cup medals in his personal trophy cabinet, having played in a run of finals through the age groups since he played up a year at the club to be part of the under-13s’ success story.
And the player who operates as a number 10 or, more recently in Marc Abbott’s side, from either wide forward positions, is looking to complete his set of final appearances, ideally this season, with the top tier one: the Endeavour Automotive Suffolk Premier Cup. Sudbury’s last final in that competition was way back in 2003/04 when they beat Bury Town 4-0 to complete a hat-trick of straight trophy lifts in it.
After playing his part in a 6-1 trouncing of lower-level Hadleigh United at The MEL Group Stadium on Tuesday to reach the semi-finals with the current team, he said: “It's definitely something we'd like to target, especially after disappointing FA Trophy and FA Cup (campaigns).
“ I think a big thing for us and for the fans is we want to give these guys a final. We want a good cup run, something to remember, so I think this being the last cup we're involved in, it's definitely something we're looking to target.”
The Suffolk Premier Cup showpiece could be held at a Premier League stadium in May, at Ipswich Town’s Portman Road, with the local FA looking to get it back to the county’s only professional club for the first time in several years, having staged it at Bury Town FC for the past two and Colchester United FC before that.
And it is an extra incentive that Pearce would jump at, having had to go to Colchester United FC instead for his recent finals, the last which saw him captain the reserves in the Suffolk Senior Cup Final defeat against Framlingham Town in May 2023.
“Yes, that would be brilliant, especially for me being part of the team that reached the Senior Cup final two years ago now with the reserves (lost 2-0 to Framlingham Town) and just falling short at the final hurdle,” he said.
“I think as a Suffolk boy myself (Ipswich), getting to a final and winning a Suffolk cup is something that I really hold close and really hope we can do.”
AFC Sudbury are joined in the semi-final draw of the Suffolk Premier Cup by Felixstowe & Walton United, where they will be joined by the winners of the quarter-final between holders Needham Market and Ipswich Wanderers and one of Leiston, Lowestoft Town or Ipswich Town (U18s).
But Sudbury’s attention turns back to the Pitching In Southern League Premier Central now where they are 10th – following a 1-0 home win against Alvechurch last weekend – with a trip to second-placed Halesowen Town tomorrow (3pm).
Their opponents jumped up the table on Tuesday after coming after from Lowestoft Town with a resounding 5-0 victory.
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