AFC Sudbury’s Rick Andrews and Reece Harris felt red card against Grays Athletic’s Macauley Joynes in Isthmian League play-off semi-final was harsh
It was the moment which proved the catalyst for AFC Sudbury to complete their comeback in Tuesday’s 3-2 promotion play-off semi-final victory – but both the Yellows’ manager and captain Reece freely admit a red card was harsh on opponents Grays Athletic.
The Pitching In Isthmian League North Division season-extending match at The MEL Group Stadium saw Sudbury, who finished 19 points clear of fifth-placed Grays in the table, trailing 2-1 at half-time.
After Reggie Lambe’s stunning 25-yard effort had levelled Sam Bantick's 14th minute opener ahead of the visitors soon regained the lead again through captain Lewis Clark’s close-range finish, it was a decision from referee Jack Willmore that sparked huge controversy and result in Sudbury’s second equaliser.
With the tie into the 53rd minute, a left-wing cross from Sudbury skipper Reece Harris bounced off the leg of Josh Stokes in his bid to tattempt to urn it goalwards at the back post, only for goalkeeper Danny Sambridge to gratefully dive on top of it, but only after it struck the right hand of dedender Macauley Joynes.
The referee showed little hesitation in making his decision that the left-back’s hand had been in an ‘unnatural position’ and his interpretation that it had stopped an ‘obvious goalscoring opportunity’. Therefore he pulled out his red card to the amazement of the Grays players and dugout team and the surprise of many, including the Sudbury manager and his skipper Harris.
It took almost three minutes for the angry and frustated scenes to calm down enough for Nnamdi Nwachuku to fire his spot-kick above the reach of his former team-mate Sambridge’s dive.
And from there it was one-way traffic ahead of Harris’ 71st minute free kick which flew past the left-hand side of the ‘keeper’s wall and bounced over the line inside the post for 3-2.
Sudbury manager Rick Andrews praised his side’s character to recover from a poor first-half display which also saw a controversial opener awarded against them, but has sympathy for his opposite number ahead of their home play-off final with Heybridge Swifts on Saturday (3pm).
“We knew it was going to be a difficult game,” he said.
“I thought they started very brightly and were winning too many seconds.
Callum Watts (no8) in midfield for them I thought was a threat with his third man runs and we didn’t quite get to grip with that.
“Thankfully Hughesy (goalkeeper David Hughes) pulled off a great stop to tip one off the bar.
“Their first goal, in my opnion, was a good yard offside but things go against you sometimes.
“We then score a great goal through Reggie and think ‘right, hopefully that’ll settle us down’ and give a poor second away.
“But we said before we went out look, keep us in the game at half-time and we can address things.
“We just had a chat with them and reminded them how far they’ve come as a group and what they’ve done to get where we are.
“And we said we’ve been here before; we’ve been behind, we’ve been down to 10 men. We seen pretty much everything a season can throw at you, and 99 per cent of the time we’ve come through it with flying colours.
“We said it was going to be a long 45 minutes so let’s don’t go doing things enforcing the game.
“I thought we started brightly and then the big changing point is the penalty and read card which I don’t think it was either. If I was the opposing manager I’d be pretty upset.
“But big things happen in games like this and I’ve been on the wrong end of it.
“I was the manager of Stomwarket at Wroxham (FA Cup tie) where we had a man sent off.
“I didn’t think their first goal was onside so went against us and then it’s been levelled up with the penalty. But you can’t argue that was definitely a game-changer.
“Once we got the second and they had a man sent off we went on and finally got the third which was Reece’s first goal of the season but we should have put the game to bed. And then when there was only one goal in it you’re going to get them chuck everything at it.
“But I thought we did quite well, though you can’t argue it wasn’t nervy.”
Harris also admitted they seemed to benefit from a slice of fortune at the hands of the referee.
Asked for his take on the 53rd minute incident, he said: “To be honest it looked harsh and I’d be annoyed if it was given against me, then let alone as a red card.
“As I’ve crossed the ball you’ve got Sambo, their goalie, Stokesy and Macca, their player who got sent off, all in the way so I couldn’t really see from my perspective, but I’d bit a little bit annoyed if that was against us, to be honest.
“Look, sometimes it goes for you and luckily it did for us today.”
On former Sudbury player Bantick’s opening goal though, left-back Harris was well positioned to give his view on whether it should have stood with the number 9 racing onto a long ball before going on to fire in low across goal from the right corner of the area.
“I did say to the lino (assistant referee) afterwards I thought it was offside, just by half a yard or so.
“He's obviously said no, but it was a great finish by Banno.
“Obviously, again, these games are (decided) on fine margins so I can’t take nothing away from the ref and them as well. They have given us a good game and all the way to the end as well with 10 men, so fair play to them.”
The victory, jubilantly celebrated by the large home following among the 670 attendance will now see Sudbury go up against a Heybridge Swifts side who came away from former AFC promotion-winning boss Jamie Godbold’s Lowestoft Town with a 2-0 win in Tuesday’s other semi-final.
It means Andrew’s side will play host to the only side who they failed to beat in a league fixture this season in Saturday’s promotion shootout. Heybridge, who are managed by former Southend United boss Steve Tilson, became the first side to defeat them in the North Division this term, with a 3-2 home victory on November 15 followed by recording a 2-2 draw in Suffolk in February 18 which was sealed by Rob Harvey’s 92nd minute equaliser.
Andrews said: “We drew here so they’re the only team this season to get the better of us, although I would say the game we drew here 2-2 we should have been out of sight and they literally scored in the last 30 seconds.
“But we know what to work for because they’re not a side that gives us. And any side that travels to Lowestoft on a Tuesday night, and I’m sure they would have been a very vocal crowd, and comes away with a win, they’re no mugs. And I’m sure Steve will have them ready for Saturday.”
Should Sudbury win Saturday’s game, which would see extra-time played out if the scores are level after 90 minutes ahead of a potential deciding penalty shootout, the league they would go into is far from certain.
Both Leiston and Needham Market have been playing at Step 3 in the Southern League Premier Division Central but Sudbury’s location could well see them put forward for the Isthmian League Premier Division, as they were on their only season at that level previously in their history, in the 2016/17 relegation campaign in the campaign after Godbold led them to promotion as North Division champions.
