Millers bow out

Aveley once again enjoyed lots of possession in Monday night's Westview League Cup clash but were once more found wanting in front of goal and they allowed this game to slip out of their grasp, with Sudbury scoring twice against the run of play.

First half chances were few and far between but with the first real opportunity of any note the Suffolk visitors took the lead on 29 minutes.

Bobby Port's inaccurate cross field ball was intercepted on the half way line and James Rowes ran through the defence with ease before finally being stopped by Ebow Mensah but the ball fell to Paul Betson who tucked it home from close range.

Millers came close to an immediate equaliser but failed to get anyone on the end of Shaun Reece's tantalising ball.

At the other end Marc Palmer was then left struggling from a wide cross delivered in by Paul Abrahams but, luckily for the keeper, it went wide of the target.

Aveley could and should have found an equaliser before the break when after some nice build up work Sam Adejokun laid the ball off to Port but the midfielder blazed his shot well wide of the target.

Aveley came out for the second half playing positive football and can count themselves unlucky not to have equalled the scores when Carlos Brown's ball into the box was bicycle kicked towards goal by Martin Tuohy but the effort was met by an equally good save by Nathan Munson.

57 minutes had gone when Ryan Sammons' long throw caused confusion in the Sudbury defence with the ball falling to Adejokun but he shot well wide when well placed.

Aveley continued to create chances and when Adejokun was free on the right wing he worked his way into the box and unleashed an effort but his shot was blocked by the on rushing keeper.

The visitors then thought they had given themselves a comfortable margin when a free header at the back post from a corner was headed goal wards with Tommy Noble flicking it into the net but he was adjudged to have been off side.

However, Sudbury did not have to wait much longer before they extended the lead when James Rowe got on the end of a teasing cross from Noble.

The visitors put the result beyond doubt when, from Betson's deep corner, John Polland was unmarked at the back post and he headed past Palmer.

Aveley realised they had nothing to lose and started foraging forward in numbers and got a deserved consolation goal when substitute Craig Braham put in a defence splitting pass and inadvertently Pip Boyland put the ball into his own net.

Gary Dixon could have made it a nervous last few moments for Sudbury when a deep ball in from Braham was flicked goal wards by Dixon but the good effort was cleared off the line and with no further action Sudbury progressed to the third round.

Aveley: Palmer, Sammons (Braham 82), Strange (Dobson 72), Brown, Stevens, Mensah, Reece (O'Sullivan 78), Port, Dixon, Tuohy, Adejokun