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AFC Sudbury Women’s manager Luke Mallett felt last-gasp win against relegation rivals Cambridge City was deserved




A stoppage-time winner against relegation rivals Cambridge City in their final home game saw AFC Sudbury Women give their survival hopes a must-needed boost last night.

Following Sunday’s 4-1 defeat at home to Old Actonians, Luke Mallett’s side had sat just one point above a City side who occupied the final of two relegation spots in the FA Women’s National League Division One South East but holding two games in hand.

Things were not looking good heading into the final 20 minutes with the visitors leading 1-0 from Chelise Fleming’s eye-catching 19th minute opener.

Chloe Brame (right) celebrates her last-gasp winner with Sophie Jeffery Picture: Nicholas Flexman
Chloe Brame (right) celebrates her last-gasp winner with Sophie Jeffery Picture: Nicholas Flexman

But Aliyat Lambe headed home a Sophie Jeffery corner in the 71st minute to get the home fans believing.

And a dramatic turnaround was sealed in the 91st minute when Brame guided a header from Eva Frazzoni in to spark joyous scenes.

It was only a second victory of the season since earning promotion, ending a 12-game winless run and leaving AFC with four away games left to play, starting with a trip to bottom side Haywards Heath Town on a week on Sunday. Their next opponents are six points behind them but with four games in hand.

“It was a long time coming really,” manager Mallett said of their victory on the club’s X account interview.

“I thought we dominated throughout the whole game, we missed a golden opportunity and 30 seconds later they score.

“It seems to be how we like to do it but I think for the first time for the whole 90 minutes we believed and hung in there and we got what we deserved.

“We deserved that this whole season but we haven’t had the rub of the green with decisions and things but today everything seemed to fall into place.”

This Sunday sees the side look to book their spot in the MH Goals Ltd Suffolk Women’s Cup Final when they take on the holders Needham Market at Bury Town FC (2pm).

AFC Sudbury Girls’ U15s (yellow shirts) are through to a national final Picture: Steve Screech
AFC Sudbury Girls’ U15s (yellow shirts) are through to a national final Picture: Steve Screech

Meanwhile, AFC Sudbury Under-15 Girls are looking forward to playing in a national final next month.

Carl Holder’s side will be in the JPL Trophy Final at Worcestershire Warriors Women’s Sixways Stadium on April 27 against as yet unknown opponents.

They had come through a qualifying group that also included MK Dons and Watford.

They then won 3-0 at AFC Wimbledon in the last 16, 2-1 at Aldershot in the quarter-finals and 3-1 away to Peterborough-based Girls United in the semi-finals.