Football AFC Sudbury 0 Soham Town Rangers 2

SOHAM’S faint hopes of making the play-offs were kept alive on Saturday thanks to victory at Sudbury.

The Greens looked to have squandered any chance of making the top five last week following defeat by Ware but a 1-0 win over Tilbury last Thursday, followed by a win in Suffolk at the weekend, moved them to within two points of the top five.

Defeat on Saturday for Aveley and Heybridge allowed Soham to close the gap but both sides, and fourth-placed Witham, will have to drop more points if the Greens are to stand any chance.

Though Sudbury started brightly, it was Soham who seized the advantage, Robbie Mason heading home Buster Harrdine’s free-kick after just 12 minutes to hand Steve Fallon’s men the lead.

Little more than a minute later, Soham doubled their advantage as Mason fed captain Michael Simpson, who surged towards the box. Simpson looked to have been forced wide but managed to fire a shot low across the goalkeeper and into the net.

At the other end, Dan Bircham was grateful to see a corner nodded straight into his arms and he was called upon to deny Leon Antoine’s low shot as Soham clung onto their two-goal advantage going in at the break.

The hosts redoubled their efforts after the break but presentable chances for Antoine and Tom Cutts were spurned as Soham held firm.

Simpson saw a rifling shot slip narrowly wide of the post and Jordan Gent was denied by the hosts goalkeeper as Soham hit the hosts on the break in the closing stages.