PREVIEW: Needham Market v AFC Sudbury (Ryman North) - New Year's Day

Happy New Year to all of our visitors, from FANbase!

Manager-less AFC Sudbury are in Ryman North action on New Year's Day, as they start 2015 with a visit to Suffolk rivals Needham Market at Bloomfields (3pm).

Danny Laws will take charge of the Yellows, following David Batch's exit on Tuesday, in Sudbury's first match since Boxing Day, which will see Laws take on his former side.

The Yellows go into the match currently sitting eighth, on fourty-two points, after their narrow 1-0 defeat at home to Brightlingsea on Boxing Day.

The Marketmen sit top of the Ryman North league on goal-difference, ahead of 2nd place Harlow Town, on sixty-two points. They go into the match on the back of three successive wins (all 2-0) at Cheshunt, and at home to Thurrock and Wroxham.

Former AFC Sudbury manager Mark Morsley is the current Needham Market manager.

There is no match for AFC Sudbury Reserves today, but they are next in action this Saturday (3rd) at Stowmarket Town in the Thurlow Nunn First Division league.

Sam Clarke sits out his final match, of his three match ban. Correy Davidson is unlikely to feature for AFC.

HEAD-TO-HEAD:
  • Sudbury have lost their last four outings against Needham, having last won at Bloomfields in April 2013
  • Last season's two encounters at Bloomfields were both wins for Needham, 2-0 in the league and 2-1 in the FA Cup 3QR
  • The previous encounter between Sudbury and Needham was an aggressive affair at the Wardale-Williams Stadium back in August. Needham won 3-1, in a match which saw Sudbury have three players sent off, with the Marketmen having one player sent off
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Thursday's Ryman North fixtures
Barkingside vs Heybridge Swifts
Brentwood vs Redbridge
Brightlingsea Regent vs Wroxham
Great Wakering Rovers vs Romford
Maldon & Tiptree vs Burnham Ramblers
Needham Market vs AFC Sudbury
Soham Town Rangers vs Dereham
Thurrock vs Chatham
Waltham Abbey vs Harlow
Ware vs Cheshunt