“After the Lord Mayors show” is a phrase that is often used in football when a disappointing performance follows an outstanding one.

And that was sadly the case for the Mead on this particular Tuesday night as they crashed to defeat in the wilds of the Suffolk/Essex border just four days after their FA Trophy heroics at Enfield Town.

Two goals from Craig Parker won the game for the home side – his 14th and 15th of the season – but in truth, the Mead never got to grips as an attacking force with the gale force winds blowing straight down the middle of the field in the way the home side did.

Yet despite all that it was the Mead who had the first chance when Theo Fairweather-Johnson burst through only to be denied by a fantastic low save by home keeper Garnham.  At the other end meanwhile, Mead keeper Andy Walker was having all sorts of trouble kicking into the wind, and on one occasion the ball held up so much that Callender wasted a great chance to open the scoring as defenders recovered to block the AFC’s strikers path to goal – just!

Leslie Thompson was the unfortunate to lose his footing when well placed to have a shot whilst Callender was again denied by a great block – this time by Michael Aziaya.  Walks then had to be at his brilliant best to deny Blackwell as the home side broke swiftly from a Mead corner, but it only unfortunately delayed the inevitable as the home side too the lead on 32 minutes as Parker scored with a free header from Blackwell’s cross.

Half time couldn’t come quickly enough for the Mead and their beleaguered defenders who in the conditions had done well to keep the home side to just one in the ever worsening conditions.

Sadly after the break the Mead couldn’t create as much possession as the home side had done as the wind incredibly seemed to grow in strength.  That said the visitors did create three great chances to equalise in the opening period of the half.

First Fairweather-Johnson found himself clean through only to find Garnham acting as a sweeper out of his box to clear the danger, before the same player unleashed a vicious swirling drive which the keeper produced an incredible one handed save to push the ball away as it appeared to have swerved past him heading towards the top corner – a truly top drawer save!

The home keeper then excelled again as he made a stunning reflex save to keep out Paul Vines’ header as sub Aaron Jeffrey had battled through down the right.  Incredibly the keeper managed to get down and claw the Mead’s centre forward’s header aside as it skidded just in front of him.

Buoyed by their keeper’s heroics, the home side began to exploit the space that the ever increasingly desperate Mead was leaving without really testing Walker in the Mead goal.  And yet it was Sudbury who sealed their win ten minutes from time with a goal straight off the training field, and one that left the Mead defence looking at each other.  A free kick from wide on the left was headed back across goal by Henshaw for Parker to apply the easiest finish from inside the six yard box.

The Mead’s long resistance and hope of getting something out of their long trip was finally quashed and the final whistle couldn’t come quick enough on what turned out to be a very forgettable night for Terry Spillane’s boys.  Next up yet another road trip – this time to Norfolk and Dereham on Saturday!

THE MEAD – Walker, Aziaya, Porter, Dark, Barry, Hallam (Spillane), Butler (Jeffrey), Duncan, Vines, Fairweather-Johnson, Thompson (Everitt)

Subs – Anidugbe, Omand