Shane Temple scores four as AFC Subdury pull back deficit to see off Harborough Town 4-2 in the FA Cup
It was an afternoon for a new star to announce himself on the scene at AFC Sudbury as academy striker Shane Temple found the net twice in each half to reply to two-goal deficit against lower-league Harborough Town in the Emirates FA Cup preliminary round.
Sudbury had made it through without kicking a ball having seen their extra preliminary round tie at Burton Park Wanderers, which was due to be broadcast live by the BBC, awarded to them after a hosting player tested positive for Covid-19.
Mark Morsley opted to leave both of last season's strikeforce; experienced Sean Marks and youngster Freddie King, on the bench with second-year academy scholar Shane Temple rewarded for his pre-season performances alongside Tom Maycock.
With Joe Grimwood still on the comeback from a foot injury, Lewis O'Malley started at centre-half alongside captain Joe Whight, the latter making his competitive return from a long-term injury.
But while Kane Munday and Isaac Skubich made their second competitive debuts for the club, former Colchester United professional Marley Andrews was named on the bench.
The Yellows, in a 4-4-2 diamond formation, made a positive start with slick inter-play through returning signings Kane Munday and Isaac Skubich, saw Ben Hunter slipped into the penalty area before he put a low effort the wrong side of the far post.
The pressure continued to build with Tyrone Burton having to cut out a dangerous Reece Harris cut-back at the expense of a corner, from which Temple eventually headed high and wide.
But it was the Leicestershire-based lower-league visitors, who ply their trade in the United Counties League Premier Division, who took the lead in the 15th minute.
From a throw-in deep on the left-hand side Sudbury's defence seemed to go to sleep as number 10 Harry Wakefield ran across and into the area without a decent challenge put in before hitting a powerful low shot past Paul Walker.
Other than catching a cross-cum-shot comfortably, picking the ball out of his net was the first action he had been involved in.
There was not the urgent response to that goal that Morsley would have wanted with The Bees still enjoying some good spells of attacking pressure, though Billy Holland did fire a shot from long-range over the crossbar.
More poor defending saw the visitors double their advantage in the 28th minute when, from Daniel Forbes' left-sided corner, Sam Preston knocked it back across goal and number Mooney was able to flick it past Walker from close-range.
It 2-0 down it did seem to finally wake Sudbury up with Skubich having a header cleared off the line before two quick-fire Temple goals, in similar fashion, came inside a crazy four-minute spell.
The first arrived in the 33rd minute when a great ball from Skubich released full-back Girling down the right and his cross left and a failure to clear it proved costly for Harborough when it came back loose for Temple to smash it into the net.
It got the Yellows' tails fully up and within four minutes Harris' speed saw him recover from a heavy touch to cut back his own throughball with the ball bobbly loose in the area before Temple again fired it home.
Up the other end it took a good firm hand from Walker, diving low to his right, to keep out Forbes' 28-yard free kick.
The half ended with Sudbury going in relieved to have pulled back the two-goal deficit as defences had not really showed up for either side.
There were no changes for either side as play resumed with the first notable chance seeing Maycock send a long-range curling effort well over the crossbar before Joel Knoeth's corner up the other end came back off the near post.
A quick breakaway from that corner saw AFC complete their comeback in the 50th minute. Harris down the left before cutting a low ball back from which Temple was credited with his hat-trick, as the ball was bundled home at the near post under the close attention of a defender.
Within five minutes it was 4-2 in almost identical fashion with Maycock releasing Harris
who made good ground before laying across the area for Temple whose first shot was blocked by the keeper before he made no mistake with the follow-up for his fourth.
It was almost five soon after as Munday cut inside before seeing a fierce angled drive parried away by Elliott Taylor.
Just before the hour mark the game's first change saw Morsley bring on Sean Marks for Harris who had been instrumental in the comeback.
A Skubich rasping drive drew gasps as it went not far over the crossbar while another Munday shot was blocked by the golakeeper as the Yellows' pressure continued.
In what had become a rare sight of goal at the other end, The Bee's Koneth blazed over from a loose ball outside the area.
Temple was withdrawn in the 67th minute to a standing ovation for King and AFC went close to another goal soon after with fellow substitute Marks volleying Munday's deep cross past the far post from a tight angle.
Walker made his first save of the half with 20 minutes to go, getting down low to substitute Joshua Walsh's well hit effort from just outside the area.
The Sudbury number one also had to be alert to touch a Walsh effort over his crossbar while he emerged from a goalmouth scramble with the ball in his hands soon after.
Holland was found free on the edge of the area with seven minutes of normal time remaining but got too far under his first-time shot.
There was a worse miss to come from Marks though, who blazed over from inside the box while a promising breakaway saw King fail to trouble Taylor with a weak shot.
A Milne free kick for Haborough was deflected wide in stoppage-time before the final whistle sounded after the hosts had cleared the resultant corner.
AFC Sudbury: Walker, Girling, Munday, Holland, O'Malley, Whight (c), Hunter, Harris (Marks 59'), Temple (King 68'), Maycock, Skubich (Mayhew 73'). Unused subs: Andrews, Grimwood, Wright (GK).
Attendance: 179
Free Press Man of the Match: Shane Temple. The under-18s player showed why he was given a start ahead of more senior players with four goals.
