It took the home side 20 minutes to get going and they had loud penalty appeals on 25 minutes when Kyle Asante burst into the AFC Sudbury box and seemed to be pushed over by full back Tyler Kemp. The whistle blew and after what seemed an age, Referee Davies showed the home man a yellow card for simulation!
Thamesmead kept going and from a Derek Duncan free kick, Gordon-Young’s header flashed narrowly wide.
The visitors thought they’d doubled their lead on 38 minutes when Luke Callender headed home Ryan Henshaw’s head back, but the ball was already out of play and the Mead stayed in the game.
Gordon-Young had the best chance of the opening stages of the second half forcing keeper Garnham into a fine full length save away to his left.
Gordon-Young was again denied when he burst though only to appear to be pushed off the ball by Henshaw – again referee Davies well placed waved the protests away!
Almost awoken from coasting, Sudbury then were twice denied by home keeper Budd in the space of 90 seconds. First the Mead keeper made a great finger tipped stop to deny Parker a second and then from the corner, Budd made a top drawer save low to his right to deny James Baker’s header.
Still the home side probed, still they pressed, but still they couldn’t find a way through. Gordon-Young again stung keeper Garnham’s hands from 20 yards as the home side desperately tried to get back on level terms as time began to run out.
Not even a triple late substitution could save Terry Spillane’s side as the boss was to rue that slow start that saw his side behind inside the first sixty seconds.
Subs – Anidugbe, Porter, Cray, Mansanet
Subs – Rymer, Clements, Clarke, Sam Kemp, Cobold