Chay Budd pleased at how rotated Walsham-le-Willows side stand up to tough task against AFC Sudbury in Suffolk Premier Cup
Walsham-le-Willows joint manager Chay Budd spoke of his pride after watching a rotated side push a barely changed Step 3 outfit in AFC Sudbury all the way in Tuesday’s Endeavour Automotive Suffolk Premier Cup tie at the Morrish Stadium.
The Willows, who play two levels lower in the non-league pyramid, ended up losing their entry second round tie 3-2 with the referee’s whistle, after seven minutes of additional time which had largely seen their hosts camped in their half, coming as a relief.
It was a game which unusually saw the lower-league outfit use it as the chance to rest some regular players and rotate in some who they felt would benefit from more minutes.
But the Thurlow Nunn League Premier Division outfit held their own for large spells of the match, and showed good character to come back from conceding two quickfire opening goals from the half-hour mark, to finishes from inside the area from Josh Allen and Callum Page.
An emphatic penalty from George Bugg, after livewire forward Reon Huckvale was hacked down, gave them a foothold back into the game heading into half-time ahead of a spot-kick from the visitors, conceded by captain Sam Nunn, quickly restoring the two-goal advantage via Joe Neal.
However, a serious ankle injury to one of Sudbury’s three substitutes, Sam Cox, left them playing with 10 men from the 80-minute mark and galvanised the Willows who got another one back from a penalty box finish from Bugg to set up an uncomfortable lengthy period of extra-time for Marc Abbott’s side.
“We set up with a bit of a gameplan,” said Budd of a game which came after a 2-1 defeat (Twinn) at home to Fakenham Town in the Thurlow Nunn League Premier Division on Saturday to knock them off top spot.
“We’ve brought a few boys in that haven’t played lately and obviously Cam (Cameron Nicholls) has come in so we gave him a little run-out.
“So I wouldn’t say we started what we would perceive as our strongest side tonight, but it was good to see that some of the lads had a chance to have a go, particularly Reon (Huckvale) and Harrison (Tompkins) and we’re really pleased with how they’ve done.”
He went on to add that ‘critical people being injured at the wrong times’ has seen their flying start to the campaign stutter but hopes to get things back on track in the league at Sheringham tomorrow (3pm) aheadof Tuesday’s visit of Thetford Town (7.45pm).
Attacker Charlie Norman has decided to have an operation on his knee injury which means Walsham will be without his services until around February, but it has been tempered by Nicholls’ return.
The fellow attacker spent more than four seasons at the Morrish Stadium before securing a move to Bury Town on a dual registration deal in October 2022. He soon moved on to Lakenheath, where he had begun the season with a couple of appearances under now departed manager Trevor Collins.
