SUDBURY'S disappointing start to the season continued with this English Cup second round defeat at Cornard on Sunday, their improved second-half display not proving enough to really worry the well-organised Hawks.
The home side were understandably more than a little unhappy about some of the umpiring decisions, although the Hawks were also on the receiving end.
But the visitors always looked the more likely while Sudbury had long spells where they struggle
d to put their game together.
In the first half, especially, too many passes went astray, possession was lost too often, and the ball was given away far too easily.
But Sudbury, with some excellent last-ditch defending and good saves by Sandra Mackay, who had an excellent match, stayed alive until midway through the second half.
The Hawks took a fourth-minute lead, forcing a short corner after Sudbury had given the ball away in midfield, Huggins driving home after the ball was played across the D.
For the opening 15 minutes the Hawks penned Sudbury back, forcing a series of short corners, and it was 19 minutes before the home side mounted a threatening attack, Charlotte Barras racing down the left. Mandy Coleman forced a short corner from the cross, but that was squandered.
Oxford netted from outside the D in the 28th minute, but the ball went in off a defender, so their joy was short-lived.
And in the 32nd minute Hayley Spooner made a brilliant double stop, keeping out a shot from Clarke and then blocking Wingfield-Digby's effort from the rebound.
Clarke then contrived to miss an open goal as the half went into injury time, and Sudbury regrouped, coming out strongly at the start of the second half. Barras was denied by good defending, and both Alison Smith and Mandy Coleman saw shots blocked.
Sudbury were forced to regroup 15 minutes in when Katie Clark was sidelined for ten minutes following a debatable yellow card, and three minutes later a shot from a short corner was adjudged to have hit a defender's foot on the line.
Clarke slotted the penalty away against a background of Sudbury protest.
Sudbury battled back, forcing a couple of scrambles in the D, but they were undone at another short corner seven minutes from time, Hulley scoring the third.
Chitty drew a superb full-length save from Mackay in the last minute, but another goal would have been harsh.
Sudbury: Mackay; Spooner, Clark, Coleman, C Humphreys, Warnes, Caddock, Smith, Sloan, Jones, A Humphreys, Barras, Haylock, Stephens.
The full article contains 426 words and appears in Suffolk Free Press newspaper.
