AFC take on league strugglers
AFC Sudbury manager Nicky Smith will warn his players against complacency when they face basement side Aylesbury United on Saturday, 3pm.
Aylesbury have won just one game this season, in the Zamaretto League Division One Midlands, and AFC have already beaten them 4-0 away in December.
But Smith knows that nothing can be taken for granted at King's Marsh Stadium on Saturday, especially as AFC have only tasted victory twice on home soil in the league during this campaign.
"Anyone who thinks it is going to be a walkover should think again," said the AFC boss.
"I will be instilling into all my players, what a tough game it is going to be."
Aylesbury have only won seven points this season but have drawn two of their last four games, against Bedworth United and Beaconsfield SYCOB, and held a two-goal advantage in both matches.
Last Saturday, Sudbury missed out on an opportunity to snare their first double of the season at Arlesey Town, when they conceded an equaliser from a free-kick, deep into stoppage time, to draw 1-1.
Although the AFC manager was frustrated by how his team allowed two points to slip through their grasp, he had no complaints about the final result, which saw his keeper Richard Wilmot regularly called into action.
Smith said: "It was very disappointing to let in an equaliser after we'd worked so hard but this has been the story of our season, conceding sloppy goals. It was a sloppy free-kick to give away.
"It was a fair result in the end though."
AFC used a three-pronged attack, which included new signing Blair Hammond on the left, alongside Craig Hammond and Daniel Emmanuel.
Hammond, 21, was part of Ipswich Town's 2005 FA Youth Cup winning squad, which included Owen Garvan, Danny Haynes and Liam Trotter who went on to star for the Blues first team.
Since being released by Ipswich, he has been a coach in the US before recently returning to Suffolk.
Smith said he has been chasing Hammond, who is friends with AFC defenders Curtis Haynes-Brown and Nathan Speed, for some time
"Blair is very quick and likes to get in behind defences, which is something we've lacked," said the AFC boss.
"He wants to get back into football and has already shown his class in training. We know he is lacking match fitness but that will come."
Hammond fills the hole up front left by Danny Bloomfield, who joined Lowestoft Town last week.
Bloomfield was unable to replicate his impressive scoring record, from his days at King's Lynn, since moving to King's Marsh Stadium last season and Smith did not stand in the way when the Ryman League North leaders offered the striker a two-and-a-half-year contract.
AFC are currently in talks with two players, with the possibility of a left-sided player from a Ridgeons League club joining in time for Saturday's game.
The only AFC player that is unavailable for the match against Aylesbury is centre-back Matt Stace, who is still two weeks away from recovering from his ankle injury.
l AFC Sudbury will face the Great Britain Police team in a friendly at King's Marsh Stadium on Tuesday, 7.30pm.
AFC boss Nicky Smith and keeper Richard Wilmot will be representing the home team on the night, despite being part of the Police's management team and squad respectively.
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Weather for Sudbury
Friday 25 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 12 C to 21 C
Wind Speed: 22 mph
Wind direction: East
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Sunny
Temperature: 12 C to 21 C
Wind Speed: 20 mph
Wind direction: East
