In the battle between first and second at a wet Hayes Lane on Tuesday night it was the visitors from Suffolk who picked up the three points to gain ground on top of the table Cray.
The game started with Sudbury pressing The Wands, forcing them on the back foot and into defensive errors. After Craig Parker had forced a save from Nicky Blue and Joe Maybanks had fired just over the visitors took the lead on 5 minutes when a deep corner was headed home by Ryan Henshaw with the home defence totally flat footed.
Luke Callendar had a powerful effort saved by Blue soon after and the striker also had a couple of wayward efforts as Sudbury continued to press and pen Cray back in their own half.
The Wands didn’t help themselves by continually over playing and giving the ball away in dangerous areas. When the home side made one rare beak out of defence they were unlucky not to be awarded a penalty when Aryan Tajbakhsh appeared to be brought down in the box as he surged past two defenders.
The pattern of the game continued though with Jordan Blackwell having a shot saved by Blue, before Cray rallied briefly with Grant Basey having a free kick tipped away by Marcus Granham and Andre McCollin having a shot saved.
Late in the half Parker was just off target and Maybansk was denied by a superb tackle from Ade Osifuwa.
The second half began in the same vein, Callander had a shot saved by Blue, but slowly The Wands battled back into the game.
Tajbakhsh sent in a great cross for McCollin whose header was saved by Granham, before the equaliser came on 58 minutes. A deep James Duckworth free kick fell to McCollin on the edge of the box and he lashed home the ball via defender Ollie Berquez.
The game evened out for a spell with both sides creating half chances and the play flowing from end to end, but the decisive break through came six minutes from time.
Sudbury put together a slick passing move which opened up the home defence allowing sub George Clarke to break into the box and coolly slide the ball home under the advancing Blue to make it 1-2.
The Wands tried to rally once more, but a spell of late pressure failed to create a real chances and Sudbury saw the game out securing a deserved three points narrowing the gap at the top to three points.
Tony Russell’s side will try and bounce back on Saturday when they entertain Barkingside at Hayes Lane ahead of the busy holiday schedule.
Cray: Blue, Osifuwa, Basey, Fox, Payne, Bremner, Roberts, Tajbakhsh, Freiter, McCollin, Duckworth (Ibemere 88).
Subs Not Used: Vines, Hunt, Faulkner, Powell.
AFC Sudbury: Garnham, Robinson, Wilkinson, Berquez, Henshaw, Baker, Maybanks (G Clarke 71), S Clarke, Callander (Bailey 84), Parker, Blackwell.
Subs Not Used: Millardo, Clements, Newman.
Goals: Cray – McCollin 58mins. Sudbury – Henshaw 5, G Clarke 84mins.
HT 1-0, FT 3-1
Att: 113
Referee: Mr C Francis