AFC Sudbury make history in Women’s FA Cup by reaching second round proper while Ipswich Town see off MK Dons 12-0

It was a historic weekend for AFC Sudbury in the Adobe Women’s FA Cup and they are said to be ‘absolutely buzzing’ to continue their journey into the second round along with Ipswich Town as Suffolk’s remaining two teams still on the road to Wembley.

Following Sudbury’s 3-0 victory over lower-level Bowers & Pitsea yesterday – which our photographer Mark Westley was there to capture at The MEL Group Stadium (visit here to purchase pictures later in the week)– the Yellows have got past the first round proper stage for the first time in the club’s history.

And they will join Joe Sheehan’s Ipswich Town side with an away tie in round two after the Tractor Girls steam-rolled MK Dons once again at Felixstowe & Walton United’s Martello Ground, putting 12 unanswered goals past their divisional rivals – including five for Nathasha Thomas, the club’s first ever international after recently representing Jamaica. It followed their 13-0 victory over them in the league at the same venue the previous weekend.

While third-tier Ipswich will travel to fellow FA Women’s National League Premier Division side Hashtag United, Luke Mallett’s fourth-tier AFC Sudbury side will make the trip south to face east Sussex outfit Lewes, both on Sunday, November 24 (1pm).

Hastag are the current leaders with seven wins and two draws from their opening 10 matches, comapred to Ipswich’s six wins from eight and two draws in an unbeaten start to leave them third in the table. Town lost out 1-0 to them two weekends ago in Felixstowe to bow out of the FANWL League Cup at the second round stage.

Sudbury’s next FA Cup opponents, Lewes, are currently seventh in Ipswich’s league with 12 points from their opening 10 matches.

AFC are sitting in seventh spot themselves in FAWNL Division One South East with 12 points again but from seven opening fixtures.

The ties involving the two remaining Suffolk teams are among 29 ties scheduled for the next stage of the competition, with winning clubs in the second round proper set to pick up £8,000 from the competition’s prize fund with the losing teams guaranteed £2,000 each.

‘Aboslutely buzzing’ – AFC coaches delighted as Yellows make history

AFC Sudbury assistant manager Stefan Mallett revealed the management team and their players were ‘absolutely buzzing’ still today after making club history in the Adobe Women’s FA Cup yesterday.

The Yellows saw off the threat of an in-form lower-league Bowers & Pitsea side with two unanswered goals in the first half before adding a third from the penalty spot late on.

Their Bermuda international, Eva Frazzoni, headed them into the lead just before the half-hour mark from Sophie Jefferies’ cross before Jess Allen pounced on the latter’s throughball to double the hosts’ advantage in the first minute of first-half stoppage time.

The outcome of the tie never looked in real danger thereafter and the cherry on the cake duly arrived six minutes from time when Yasmin Drake was upended in the box and, after dusting herself down, duly fired home from 12 yards to properly kick-start the celebrations in front of a crowd of 103.

“Overall reaction was really positive,” Stefan Mallett told SuffolkNews ahead of the lunchtime draw.

“Ultimately it was a game in which we planned for, having had those two weeks off (since beating Watford Ladies Development 4-1 in the previous round).

“We had planned for people sitting in a low block, not really coming to press us and how we break teams down and we did that and we controlled the ball.

“There was a few iffy moments from our side where maybe we weren’t as good on the ball as we maybe should have been and that’s where they got their one or two chances, one in each half, that I can think of. But apart from that we never looked in any way than keeping the ball.

“We kept them off the ball and they didn’t really have much going forward and I think we restricted that.

“Overall I think we did really well against a team that have not lost in eight games and are going well in the league. They are a good side and I can see why they’re in and amongst it in the league above; they played well.

“From our stand point it’s a cut-and-dry getting into the next round and it was good.

“Being coaches we have to be critical in certain areas but there wasn’t really too much to concede. We liked the way we built play up. A few finer tweaks and I think we could have had more and we definitely should’ve I think. But overall, absolutely happy with the end result.

“We are now into the second round which, like we said, we’ve never got to before and we’re eagerly awaiting the next opposition. Hopefully it’ll be another home tie; we like playing at our place and let’s see who we get and go from there.

“But look, we don’t fear anyone, we’re looking forward to it; it’s a chance to express yourself in a cup and it’s the FA Cup as well so we’re really happy.”

Ahead of that historic tie at Lewes, having not got their wish for a third straight home tie, Sudbury return to Division One South East action for the first time in more than a month at Dulwich Hamlet this Sunday (2pm). Their upcoming opponents currnetly lie two places higher than themselves in the table, in fifth spot.

It comes as part of two matches within five days for the Mallett brothers’ side, with Leiston St Margarets visiting in the MH Goals Ltd Suffolk Women’s Cup as the Yellows begin their defence of the trophy won at Portman Road in May.