Marathon man Jake Turner heads AFC Sudbury to promotion with extra-time winner in play-off final against Heybirdge Swifts
AFC Sudbury’s marathon man Jake Turner proved to be the Yellows’ extra-time hero as his header delivered promotion back to Step 3 of the non-league pyramid in a 1-0 Pitching In Isthmian League North Division Play-Off Final victory over Heybridge Swifts this afternoon.
The 32-year-old Sudbury-based midfielder had missed playing his part in Tuesday’s 3-2 comeback semi-final win at home to Grays Athletic after his exertions of running the London Marathon for charity on Sunday.
But in a final which went the distance he came up with the perfect way to celebrate his 100th appearance for the club with a 98th minute header, following a Sak Hassan cross kncoked back across goal by Joe Grimwood, sending them back to where he had previously taken the club – having been part of Jamie Godbold’s 2015/16 title-winning team.
The Yellows’ first ever foray into Step 3 football had been short lived with relegation from the Isthmian League Premier Division swiftly following. But once the celebrations die down from another historic day for the club, Rick Andrews and his management team will be looking to ensure this time it is no fleeting stay as they join fellow Suffolk sides Leiston and Needham Market in the country’s seventh tier.
On the same that Ipswich Town celebrated promotion back to the Sky Bet Championship with a 6-0 victory in front of more than 29,000 fans at Portman Road, this final was watched by more than a bumper gate of 1,200-plus.
But unlike in east Suffolk, this game was far from a classic spectacle from the sidelines and certainly anything but a procession to the finish line as clear chances proved to be few and far between at King’s Marsh.
Andrews’ second-placed side had finished 19 points ahead of their final opponents who had sneaked into the season extension on the final day, going ahead of fifth-placed Grays on goal difference.
But former Southend United boss Steve Tilson’s team had gone into the tie as the only side in the division to have avoided tasting defeat to Sudbury in the regular season.
Andrews made one enforced change to his line-up from Tuesday’s semi-final victory against visiting Grays Athletic with goalscorer Reggie Lambe having a pre-planned trip to see his family in Bermuda.
Turner, who had been touch and go for the fixture due to the impact of the London Marathon on his body, came into the midfield.
Tilson included former Sudbury winger Rob Harvey in his side along with Sudbury summer target Matt Price, who had trained with the club before going elsewhere.
It was a first half with little in the way of chances and plenty of stoppages, the first of which saw Sudbury lose central midfielder Harrison Chatting to a leg injury in the 11th minute, George Cocklin getting an early introduction to the action.
Four minutes previous to that the Yellows’ 49-goal striker Nnamdi Nwachuku had seen a scissor kick blocked by a defender following a Josh Stokes cross fromt he right.
The next notable action did not occur until the 27th minute with Price colliding with Callum Taylor at the far post and colliding heavily into the perimeter boarding as he tried in vain to steer a header back across goal from a deep cross.
Shortly after the half-hour mark Sudbury forced the first save of the tie, and it was through the tenacity of Turner who won the ball on half-way before trying a chip from 30 yards that Thomas Wray caught under his crossbar.
Up the other end a defensive header from a left-wing cross came out as far as Ben Sartin who fired it after the bounce well over from 20 yards.
It came just ahead of left-back Ryan Boswell limping out of the action in the 40th minute for the visitors with Tilson introducing Louie Arrowsmith.
Within a minute came the clearest chance yet falling to Sudbury with Cocklin’s deep ball finding full-back Ollie Brown whose cut-back broke for Stokes eight yards out with the teenager lifting his shot over the crossbar.
In stoppage time Swifts skipper Quba Gordon got on a cross at the far post but his header went wide.
Ben Hunter dragged a shot from just outside the area wide five minutes into the second half after some dancing feet from Hassan had seen him cut inside before finding his team-mate in space.
On the hour mark a free kick from Yellows skipper Harris found the jump of Joe Grimwood but centre-back’s header looped over the bar.
Sudbury soaked up some pressure well thereafter before, with 16 minutes to go, they came close to breaking the deadlock when Nwachuku headed a second successive corner over the far post.
A scuffed effort from Turner from inside the area was headed clear while Hassan produced some more trickery on the edge of the box before seeing his shot prove too weak to trouble Wray as the home pressure continued.
A long pot-shot from Turner had plenty of power in the 83rd minute but was straight at the Swifts’ goalkeeper.
Hassan went close with a curling effort from the edge of the box, which dipped just over the bar, while Nwachuku broke through down the right soon after but produced a poor cross with the former having been in a good position.
The regular 90 came to a close with Wray making a comfortable save from a late free kick which saw Grimwood win another header that lacked power.
In the fourth minute of extra-time Park fired in an angled shot from just outside the area that Hughes got himself behind.
But it was a further four minutes on, in the 98th minute, that the breakthrough finally arrived up the other end.
Heybridge failed to properly clear their lines at a Harris corner and Hassan, from the left, put a cross back into the box which Grimwood nodded back across the area for Turner to head home with Wray stranded.
But Sudbury had to come up with two big defensive moments to preserve their advantage heading into half-time in extra-time, with Hughes touching over a right-wing shot before Brown headed a goalbound effort from Gordon, from the resultant corner, clear of the goal-line.
Sudbury went close to wrapping up promotion early in the second period with Nwachuku denied his 50th goal of the season by a spread-eagled save by Wray at a corner that broke loose after what looked a strong appeal for a penalty after Stokes went to ground between two defenders was waved away.
Referee Callum Fisk began to issue yellow cards as tempers flared with Sudbury looking to keep the ball in the corner, with Stokes emerging with a big tear down the centre of his shirt.
But there was to be a late barrage of pressure for the Yellows to stand up to with Jayden Gipson making a good clearance in the area before Hughes confidently claimed a Price header following Harvey’s cross being turned back into the box.
Nwachuku had the bal in the net in the final minute following a great scooped pass on the break from Hassan but the offside flag cut the celebrations short.
Wray then had to make a parried save at his near post to deny the former Reading and Colchester United trainee one for real.
But that came shortly before the final whistle was blown marking the start of a Sudbury promotion party as part of a Suffolk double.
AFC Sudbury: Hughes, Brown, Harris, Turner, Grimwood, Gipson, Stokes, Hunter, Nwachuku, Chatting (Cocklin 11’), Hassan.
Unused substitutes: Mayhew, Andrews, Carroll, Stronge (gk).
Booked: Gipson (89’), Hassan (115’)
Grays Athletic: Wray, Brampton, Boswell (Arrowsmith 40’), Noble, Anderson, Gordon, Taylor, Sartain, Park, Price, Harvey.
Unsued substitutes: Henry, Chafer, Carter, Jones.
Booked: Anderson (81’), Noble (89’)
Referee: Callum Fisk
Attendance: 1,257
SuffolkNews Man of the Match: Jake Tuner. Cometh the hour, cometh the marathon man. Tenacious in the tackle and showing little effects from his 26.2 miles in London last weekend, he went the distance before being in the right place at the right time to guide his header into the net and spark jubilant scenes for his hometown club.
