Ben Hunter and Reggie Lambe strikes see AFC Sudbury get revenge against Stowmarket Town but Hashtag United score stoppage time winner

It was almost the perfect afternoon for AFC Sudbury and their supporters as they enjoyed a comfortable 2-0 home victory over promotion rivals Stowmarket Town and looked like they were going to also profit from more dropped points from Hashtag United.

However, two goals inside the final 10 minutes, including a stoppage-time winner, saw The Tags to a 2-1 win at home to Coggeshall Town to keep a six-point gap at the top of the Pitching In Isthmian League North Division. Four games now remain.

For Sudbury it was two first-half strikes inside a six-minute spell just after the half-hour mark, from former Stow players Ben Hunter followed by Reggie Lambe, which sewed up a third straight victory that puts them on the cusp of confirming second place and home advantage in the play-offs.

The gap to Lowestoft Town, whose home game was postponed today due to a waterlogged pitch, is now 16 points with their game in hand ahead of Sudbury's final four matches, beginning at Maldon & Tiptree on Good Friday (1pm).

It also ended fourth-placed Stowmarket's six match winning run in all competitions, including league and cup wins against Sudbury, in surprisingly comfortable fashion.

In what was a fifth meeting this season between the two sides, Sudbury avoided a third straight defeat which could prove a key psychological victory if they end up facing their manager's former side in the end-of-season play-offs.

Both sides showed just one change to their starting line-ups from their victories last weekend. Chris Casement promoted former Cornard United hot-shot striker Scott Sloots up from the bench for the visitors in place of Josh Curry with Jack Ainsley moving back into central midfield.

Lambe, who transferred from Stowmarket earlier this calendar year, started in place of Harrison Chatting for Rick Andrew's side from their 2-1 last-gasp win away to Gorleston.

Meanwhile, there was no Joshua Pollard in the squad for a second straight game, with the centre-back having been suffering with a groin injury and given dispensation to attend Arsenal's home game.

In a stop-start low key start there was little goalmouth action for a crowd of more than 500 to get excited about until midway through the half.

43-goal Nnamdi Nwachuku came close to playing a perfect one-two with Josh Stokes but just could not make the connection with his chipped cross.

Turner fired a fierce long-range effort wide in the 28th minute as the hosts began to assert themselves more.

Up the other end a nice move almost paid off as Kane Munday's deep pass was headed across for Sloots in the box but Joe Grimwood managed to get there ahead of him to snuff out the danger.

Sudbury took the lead in the 32nd minute after Nwachuku had seen a left-footed effort from the fringe of the area pushed out by James Bradbrook. After the ball was recycled out wide to Stokes his low cut-back was met with a first-time finish from former Stow loanee Hunter just inside the area with the ball spinning into the far corner.

Stowmarket found themselves 2-0 down six minute later after being caught out by a long ball that Nwachuku nodded on for Lambe who got too easily beyond skipper Tom Bullard, who was carrying a knee injury, and fired low into the same left-hand corner from inside the area.

Bullard gave in to the problem in the 42nd minute, handing off the captain's armband to Ainsley with former Sudbury player Ellis Girling coming on.

In stoppage time a third almost arrived for the dominant hosts but after Nwachuku dropped deep to nick the ball off Ainsley in the centre circle he eventually overcooked his throughball to Stokes.

News filtered through that Hashtag were 1-0 down at home to lowly Coggeshall meaning there was only a three points gap in the live table.

The second half at the MEL Group Stadium was a bit of a non event with Stowmarket unable to seriously threaten until after the hour-mark when Jack Wilkinson's goal-bound effort was thwarted by a key diving header from Grimwood.

Before that it had been all Sudbury with Stokes putting an early ball across the six-yard box with no-one on hand to covert while Nwachuku went close to hitting the target with a curling effort from 25 yards out.

Stokes fired past the far post in the 50th minute when found free in the box following Sak Hassan's great run that bamboozled the visitors' defence.

Six minutes later Nwachuku saw a near post effort beaten away by Bradbrook while Stokes' left-footed shot from inside the area looped comfortably into the 'keeper's arms off a defender's foot.

Following Wilkinson's effort not reaching its target, Stow finally drew David Hughes into a save in the 79th minute when he denied Casement at close-quarters from Harvey Sayer's deep free kick before coming out to smartly block Upson's follow-up attempt.

Sudbury substitute Mayhew managed to crane his neck to send a header into Bradbrook's arms a couple of minutes from time in a game which had petered out.

The last chance presented itself to sponsors' man-of-the-match Hunter in stoppage time but after doing well to reach the edge of the box he ballooned his shot off target and up into the sky.

It mattered little though as Sudbury celebrated a comfortable victory making it 2-2 (with one drawn FA Cup match) in this 2022/23 series they seem to be playing out. And with Stow remaining fourth, you would not bet against there being a sixth-game decider.

Sudbury return to action on Good Friday at Peter Taylor's Maldon & Tiptree with another positive result set to confirm their position in second and guaranteeing home advantage in both play-off ties, should they end up there.

AFC Sudbury: Hughes, Brown, Harris, Turner, Grimwood, Gipson, Stokes, Hunter, Nwachuku (Mayhew 83'), Lambe (Chatting 70'), Hassan. Unused subs: Cocklin, Ainsworth.

Booked: None.

Stowmarket Town: Bradbrook, Casement, Smith, Wilkinson (Hipkin 76'), Jefford, Bullard (c) (Girling 42'), Sayer, Ainsley, Sloots, Upson, Munday (Morley 67'). Unused subs: Gayer, Curry.

Booked: None.

Attendance: 553

SuffolkNews Man of the Match: Jake Tuner (AFC Sudbury). Managed to keep in-form ex-professional Ed Upson quiet in a combative display that helped nullify their opponents.