The games and opportunities may be running out but boss Marc Abbott says his AFC Sudbury squad head into two big Easter weekend fixtures with ‘massive belief and positivity’ that they can still save themselves from relegation.
The Yellows remain four points adrift of Hitchin Town, the only side they can now realistically catch with six games to go in the Pitching In Southern League Premier Central, following a late sucker-punch at Stourbridge on Saturday which saw them draw 1-1.
Afolabi Soyemi-Ololade’s guided header from Romario Dunne’s cross in the 53rd minute had looked good to deliver a big three points that would have cut the gap to Hitchin to a point, with their rivals drawing 1-1 at home to AFC Telford United.
But playing out the game in the west Midlands with 10 men, following Dunne’s controversial 84th minute dismissal for a high challenge, Stourbridge eventually broke the dam in the first of five minutes of stoppage time with Luke Benbow’s turn and finish.
But Abbott is confident the deflating nature of the result will not have a negative impact on his side as they head into Saturday’s home game with mid-table St Ives Town (3pm) and Monday’s big Suffolk derby at leaders Needham Market (1pm).
He said: "There’s massive positivity within the group and massive belief in the group.
"You can see that by the amount of points we’ve taken recently.
"I think, again, we’ve probably had the best chance of the game Saturday.
"Jack Cawley (free kick) hit the bar, Josh Allen had a couple of good moments and we probably should have finished those opportunities.
"And it’s obviously took for a sending off to change the game again really.
"We’ve shown once again we can get points, of course, three points would have been magnificent, but also, to not lose a game, especially away from home, was vitally important.”
Abbott described Dunne’s second dismissal of the season, having reviewed the footage of the challenge on Benbow on half-way, as ‘massively harsh’.
It means they will be without the frontman, along with the continued absence of striker Joe Neal (thigh), who is by his own admission ‘unlikely’ to play again this term, for the visit of St Ives.
But former Premier League striker Simeon Jackson – whose arrival was announced yesterday – is in line to make his debut with the 37-year-old having trained with the squad this week.
Hitchin play 24 hours earlier when they host Needham Market tomorrow (3pm) meaning Sudbury will know whether they can capitalise.
Abbott said they will have people watching the game in preparation for Monday’s trip to Bloomfields but are set to attack both fixtures regardless.
“I think we’ve attacked games all season and we won’t change the way we play, it’s not in our nature to go defensive, that’s why we’ve stayed in games and given teams problems,” he said.
"We can cause St Ives problems and I think we can cause Needham problems.
"And we won’t be going to get draws, we’ll be going into both fixtures to win them which I think we’re more than capable of doing.”
Sudbury became one of only four sides to defeat Kevin Horlock’s side in the league this season with a 1-0 victory on January 1, sealed by a goal from Adam Mills, who will be lining up against them this time around.
“I think there will actually be a bit more pressure on them to win the game to be honest,” said Abbott, who subsequrntly brought Callum Page across from Needham.
“They will recognise recent results and obviously the previous fixture and look, I think they’ll be a cautiousness going into the game.”
