Ben Hunter strike earns AFC Sudbury away victory at Soham Town Rangers

Ben Hunter's deflected strike just past the hour mark proved decisive as AFC Sudbury put in the perfect away performance at high-flying Soham Town Rangers to claim all three points in a 1-0 win tonight.

There had been contrasting starts for the teams with Soham's three wins in their last four leaving them sitting pretty in third, three points off the leaders Tilbury. Sudbury, meanwhile, were languishing in 17th position with just one win from their five matches but going into the game off the back of successive 2-2 draws.

The hosts were unchanged from Saturday's 1-0 home win against Grays Athletic while Mark Morsley made two changes, bringing in Emmanuel Machaya for his full debut and starting teenager Freddie King up front. Marley Andrews and Sean Marks were the players who dropped to the bench.

Sudbury moved the ball well in the opening exchanges but it was Soham who had the first clear sight of goal with Declan Rogers aware he should have hit the target from Ally Conway's 10th minute cut back.

In the 14th minute Colchester United loannee Danny Collinge drew the first save of the night, forcing Josh Pope to push his header from Hunter's high swinging corner up over his crossbar.

The Yellows continued to threaten from corners with King and Collinge – twice more – heading wide while a shove on Joe Grimwood went unspotted.

Soham went on to move the ball well but as in the whole game, the final ball was lacking and Sudbury sat in and soaked up the pressure well.

In the second half it was more of the same with Pope continuing to be the busier of the keepers, doing well to narrow the angle before pulling off a diving save to deny the lively Machaya.

But he could do nothing to prevent the visitors taking the lead in the 62nd minute.

Sudbury raided down the right following a Soham corner and Machaya pulled the ball back to the edge of the area where Reece Harris dummied before Hunter sent a powerful well-struck shot that found the bottom left corner via a deflection.

Soham's changes from the bench saw a front three formed with substitutes Toby Andrews and Joe Carden giving their attack a new dimension.

Declan Rogers curled wide from the edge of the area in the 74th minute while Carden's cross-cum-shot struck the outside of the right-hand post as they stepped up their search for an equaliser.

But Collins, aside from having to recover a bad pass out of his box and punching a late ball into the box out, had little to be worried about as the final ball continued to be lacking amid some resolute defending.

Having only won one of their opening five matches it was a big three points for Sudbury to take back into Suffolk and saw them jump six places up the Pitching In Isthmian League North Division table to 11th position.

It also spelled the first home league defeat this term for The Greens, having previously drawn with title favourites Maldon & Tiptree and beaten Heybridge Swifts and Grays Athletic.

Robbie Mason's side dropped one place to fourth in the table, but with Tilbury losing to Maldon & Tiptree, will travel to the early leaders on Saturday (3pm) still within three points of them.

Soham: Pope, Walter, Conway, Kaye, Chaffey, Watson, Connor, Auger, Russell, Clayton, Rogers. Unsued subs: Andrews, Carden, James, Mason, Groves.

Sudbury: Collins, O'Malley, Whight, Holland, Grimwood, Collinge, Machaya, Hunter, King, Harris, Maycock. Unsued subs: Mayhew, Girling, Skubich, Andrews, Marks.

Attendance: 191

Suffolk News Man of the Match: Danny Collinge. His no-nonsesne defending and aerial ability set the tone for a great away display.

* See Thursday's print editions of the Suffolk Free Press and Newmarket Journal for reaction and weekend previews.