Waltham Forest 2-2 AFC Sudbury

Waltham Forest bounced back from their midweek defeat, drawing 2-2 with a strong AFC Sudbury side on Non League Day.

After a quiet first half hour, lightening quick winger Corey Whitely opened the scoring for Forest neatly slotting home from the edge of the area after being played in by Joel Palmer who himself was fouled in the build-up.

Sudbury forward Leon Antoine equalised with a strong header just before half time. Sudbury defender Bradley Thomas was then booked for an aggressive challenge on Forest’s Dmitri Larin.

In a controversial start to the second half, Forest’s Tom Vickers and Sudbury’s Adam Dalby were both booked for late challenges, and the referee even found time to give Forest manager Olawale Ojelabi a stern talking to for his vocal appeal against Vickers’s booking.

Sudbury opened the second half scoring with a deflected shot from David Cowley beating the otherwise efficiant Forest goalkeeper Aaron Omand.

Arian Retkoceri then came close for Forest with an instinctive volley that bounced off the bar, onto the line and eventually into the arms of the grateful Howe.

With ten minutes to go Forest levelled. A clearance was flicked on neatly by Corey Whitely to substitute Tunde Adewunmi. Adewunmi used his strength to hold off two defenders and allow er Jack Leachman to clinically finishe from twenty yards past a helpless Fred Howe in the Sudbury goal.

As Sudbury tired, and a late onslaught on goal from Forest commenced, Howe made a series of brilliant diving stops to save the blushes of his team mates after some poor defending.

Forest had the ball in the net in the closing minutes but the linesman.s flag ensured a well deserved share of the spoils.