Danny Laws keen for AFC Sudbury's Academy to move on after recording 50th straight win in the Thurlow Nunn Youth League

After racking up an incredible 50 straight wins in the Thurlow Nunn Youth League, Danny Laws is hoping to convince Football League bosses to let his AFC Sudbury Under-18s side-step up into the elite.

The club’s director of football and youth development believes his full-time academy side have shown they need a better challenge than the area’s local league can give them.

The amazing run of consecutive league victories began with a 10-1 home hammering of Bury St Edmunds side Sporting 87 on October 4, 2016 and spans across three seasons.

It includes a 40-0 thrashing of FC Clacton last season, with the young Yellows having romping to the title on each occasion, sweeping everything before them with a quadruple in 2016/17 followed by the treble last season. This campaign, under the management of Gavin Peters, has seen them win 12 from 12 ahead of the Christmas break, scoring 96 goals in the process, averaging eight a match.

But following the half century of victories, Laws thinks it is time to try and find a more level playing field for his scholars.

He said: “I am not being disrespectful to any of the teams, but when you get 50 straight wins across three seasons the time has to come when you have to ask the question of the football powers: could we move our team out of this division and play against some stronger teams every week?

“At the moment, at our under-18 level, it sounds awful, but it is just too easy.

“We do try and get a competitive level by putting our lads against adults on a Saturday but the boys should have the opportunity to pit their wits against their age group as well.”

He believes their performances and narrow defeats in the FA Youth Cup in recent seasons, against Cambridge United (2-1) and Swindon Town (3-2aet), have given reason to believe they are more suited to playing against professional academies.

“The games in the (FA) Youth Cup are great,” he said. “You get to play Swindon and Cambridge but it leaves you wondering if we could do that every week?”

Laws said a College Academy League is ‘not strong enough either’ after hitting double-figure goals in games they have played.

He pointed to the fact the Football League currently allow non-members such as Leyton Orient and Barnet to play in their EFL Youth Alliance as providing perhaps a glimmer of hope for themselves.

In the meantime, with AFC Sudbury’s first team not having a game this weekend he is encouraging people to see the club’s talented under-18s in action for themselves.

AFC Sudbury Reserves, made up of academy players, despite the first team having a rich sprinkling, are currently enjoying their best ever season in the Thurlow Nunn League First Division North, sitting 10th ahead of hosting Wisbech St Mary on Saturday (3pm).

They go into the game looking for a third straight victory, having beaten Leiston Reserves 5-3 last time out, on December 8. They then travel to Cornard United on Boxing Day (11am).