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2002/03 MATCH REPORTS

2002/03 Reports:
U’s v Aldershot (26/12/02)

Mark Watson captained the side rather than Scott Corbett in this Boxing Day clash, as United’s run of eight straight wins was ended by table topping Aldershot - the two sides produced five goals between them but it was the home team that claimed the victory by three goals to two.

Aldershot grabbed an early lead in the sixth minute, Roscoe D’Sane picking up the ball in the U’s half before embarking on a winding run infield from the right wing and hitting a low, curling shot from twenty-five yards. Andy Pape, presumably unsighted, was left flat-footed as the ball nestled into the back of the net.

The Shots were in complete command in these early stages, passing the ball quickly and pressurising the U’s into making mistakes. It was an unfortunate error that lead to the home side taking a two-goal lead after twenty minutes. A cross from the right wing was looking harmless but was turned into his own net at the back post by Danny Brooker.

After the second goal, Sutton tried to impose themselves on the game but chances were few and far between. Watson, playing against one of his former clubs, looked to have reduced the deficit but when he slid the ball under Nikki Bull, the Aldershot ‘keeper, it was ruled out for offside. The home goalkeeper looked uncertain, dropping the ball on a couple of occasions and, after giving away a corner, was given a reprieve by the referee and his officials, who failed to notice that the ball had crossed the line – it was the first of a number of frustrating decisions that went against the U’s.

With ten minutes of the half remaining, Aldershot had a number of efforts to further increase their lead but somehow the United defence managed to block, tackle and scramble the ball away. At the break: Aldershot 2, U’s 0.

As the second half commenced, rain swept across the already soaked pitch, further hampering playing conditions, especially inside the areas. Sutton looked far more positive after the resumption, and Aldershot were not surging forward as freely as they had in the first 45 minutes. With ten minutes gone, Danny Bolt found room to cross from the left and Matt Fowler’s firm header forced Bull into attempting a save but his parry dropped into left side of the goal.

The game swung from end to end, both teams having a couple of chances. Fowler could have doubled his match tally but he could only head a cross from the right wing into the ‘keepers hands. Matt Gray may also have equalised but when the ball was poorly cleared to him just inside the area, his shot was heading wide when it was cleared up-field.

The referee continued to baffle fans and players alike with some odd decisions, including giving a throw in after he prevented the ball from leaving the pitch and failing to send off an Aldershot defender who reacted angrily to a Corbett tackle by shoving the United midfielder in the chest. The same player could have received a second yellow card minutes later but the referee gave only a free kick.

With Sutton pushing for an equaliser, John Rains replaced Mike Hollands with Eddie Akuamoah, but Aldershot dented hopes of a point with a third goal minutes after the substitution. With seven minutes left on the clock, D’Sane scored his second of the match when he ran into the area and his shot went underneath the dive of Pape into the bottom left corner. But United pulled another goal back soon afterwards, Bolt, crossing the ball into the box at his second attempt, found Fowler amongst a group of defenders and his goal-ward flick could only be pushed into the back of the net via both posts by Bull.

The goal brought Sutton right back into the game and the U’s fans behind the goal created more noise than the many Aldershot supporters. In the closing minutes, Sutton won a number of corners but Bolt’s crosses were not converted. Sutton continued to flood the home area with crosses and, Watson looked to have broken free for a potential equaliser chance only for the ref’ to pull the game back for an earlier foul on the striker. Bolt could not produce a trademark free kick, though, and the man in black finally put Aldershot out of their misery by blowing for full-time: Aldershot 3, U’s 2.

Team: Pape, Gray, Hollands (Akuamoah), Palmer, Brooker, Bailey, Bolt, Corbett, Fowler, Watson, Gonsalves. Subs (n/u) Honey, Beale.

Goals: Fowler 55mins, 85mins

Att: 2531


Left, Mark Watson makes a run for a Mike Hollands pass.
Right, Danny Bolt's free-kick heading towards the Aldershot wall.


U’s v Bedford (28/12/02)

As the New Year draws ever closer the U’s were looking to end this one on a high and reverse the defeat we received back in August at the hands of the visitors.

The first half was fairly even, with the U’s probably just shading it. Nevertheless neither side really challenged each others ‘keepers. The best chances falling to the U’s when Matt Gray managed to whip in several dangerous crosses from the right-hand side, with both Matt Fowler and Mark Watson ending up in the back of the net on one occasion. Half time: Sutton 0 Bedford 0

The second half again saw the two sides making no real headway. With the best chance for Bedford being a long range free kick which was beaten easily away by Andy Pape. Suttons best chance occured when we managed to beat the Bedford offside trap, Mike Hollands chipped a great ball into the Bedford area, but Gray and Watson couldn’t get to the ball in time.

The last five minutes saw the U’s burst into life, the first opportunity saw a long diagonal ball from midfield being headed past the Bedford ‘keeper by a stooping Watson. However, this forced him wide and he couldn’t find the required power to put it away with his left foot and the attempt was duly cleared. Minutes later Bolt managed to spray a cross field ball into the path of a charging Gray, but after taking it around the keeper he could only take it to the by-line and chip it back towards a heavily marked Watson, and the cross was cleared for a corner.

This was the first game since Saturday 26th October that the U’s had failed to score in and only our fifth goalless game of the season so far. Full time: Sutton 0 Bedford 0

Team: Pape, Gray, Beale, Palmer, Gonsalves, Hollands, Bailey, Bolt, Corbett, Fowler, Watson. Subs: Honey, Akuamoah, Brooker

Attendance: 719


Left, Matt Fowler challenges the Bedford keeper for a Danny Bolt corner.
Right, Ryan Palmer tries to head a Bolt corner towards the goal.


U’s v Havant & Waterlooville F.A. Trophy 3rd Round (11/01/03)

It was a series of pitch inspections that eventually confirmed that the game would go ahead, although after the game we wished it had been postponed.

The game started with the yellows showing the most promise and generally having the majority of the possession. It seemed like it wouldn’t be our day though when several chances all went begging around the twenty-minute mark. The first fell to Mark Watson who found himself one on one with the Havant & Waterlooville ‘keeper, however Steve May spread himself well to stop Watson from flicking it over him. Less than a minute later Matt Fowler found himself one on one with May as well, this time Fowler managed to get round May, but couldn’t find the power to push the ball into the empty net and it was cleared with yards to spare.

The U’s fans had barely got over that when Danny Bolt looked up from his wide position on the left and chipped a perfect ball into Watson’s stride on the other side of the box, again May advanced and forced Watson wide. Watson then managed to pull the ball back through a gathering crowd of Hawks’ defenders to find Nick Bailey. Bailey was eyeing up a side foot into the predominantly vacant net, but the pitch conditions let him down and a violent bobble meant a very poor connection for Nick and the ball was subsequently cleared.

From this opening period the U’s looked comfortable and hadn’t really been troubled. In the 25th minute this all changed, Havant & Waterlooville’s first meaningful move forwards led to the opening goal. A through ball from the midfield caught the U’s defence flat footed and a rasping shot from Bobby Howe found the bottom right hand corner of the net via Andy Pape’s hand, who was powerless to stop it.

Before we could quite believe what had occurred against the run of play James Taylor had rounded Pape, who was floundering around on the floor, and to everyone’s surprise fired high and wide of the unguarded Sutton net.

The remainder of the first half passed without incident although Havant & Waterlooville were definitely starting to impose themselves on the game.

The second half started much as the first had ended with Havant & Waterlooville on top. They eventually concreted their position with two goals in the space of 4 minutes, nine minutes into the second half. The first was a long throw that was flicked on at the near post and then put into the net by Warren Haughton. Before the U’s even had thought about responding Tim Hambley met a cross and steered it towards the bottom right hand corner of Pape’s goal. Andy Pape did well to get to it but couldn’t stop it from sliding just over the goal line.

This prompted a most unusual response from John Rains, a double substitution. So on came Paul Honey and Eddie Akuamoah for Darren Beale and Danny Bolt. It was also quite easy to see that Bolt wasn’t pleased with his or his teammates’ performance, as he went straight to the dressing room.

The change kicked in and the U’s started to look a lot livelier. But still we could not turn possession into a good chance on goal. In fact it wasn’t until the 83rd minute that the pressure provided the U’s with a consolation goal. After some good work by Nick Bailey and Matt Gray the ball bobbled through the crowded penalty area and found itself with Mark Watson on the edge of the 6-yard box who turned and powered the ball into the net. Unfortunately it came too late for the U’s to turn around the remaining two-goal deficit.

All in all we paid for the chances that we failed to capitalise on in the early stages of the first half and then never really challenged a ‘keeper who looked very dodgy in the air but excellent at one on ones. Havant & Waterlooville to their credit defended solidly to maintain and extend their lead. Final score: U’s 1 Havant & Waterlooville 3

Goal: Watson, 83 mins.

Team: Pape, Hollands (Akuamoah), Gonsalves, Palmer, Brooker, Gray, Bailey, Corbett, Bolt (Honey), Fowler, Watson. Subs(n/u) Beale, Smith.

Attendance: 645


U’s v Billericay (18/01/03)

After the disappointment of last weekend’s F.A. Trophy defeat to Havant and Waterlooville, United looked to get back to winning ways and take all three points against Billericay to maintain a high league position.

Matt Fowler had a chance to open the scoring after only seven minutes. He broke through the Billericay offside trap to latch onto a high ball from the United midfield, controlled the ball well, and steadied himself before going for an intelligent lob. His attempt to catch Jerome John off his line was foiled by the outstretched arm of the desperate goalie and the ball was cleared from danger.

This proved to be Sutton’s best chance for a long time, as the majority of the match took place in the middle third of the pitch, neither side’s midfield capable of breaking down the opposing defence regularly.

After eleven minutes, Danny Brooker, United captain for the day, suffered a setback on his recovery from a series of injury problems when he had to leave the field. Darren Beale replaced him in the centre of Sutton’s defence.

With half an hour of the game gone, Billericay began to dominate the possession. With increased play around the Sutton area, Lewis Gonsalves picked up a yellow card for a debatable foul on an advancing visiting forward and, minutes later, the deadlock was broken when a ball into the area was flicked on at the near post and then headed over Jamie Ribolla by Gary Ansell.

The goal did not spark the U’s into life, though, and we could have been further behind moments after the first goal but a thunderbolt effort from the edge of the area cannoned off Ribolla’s bar and out of play. Half-time: U’s 0, Billericay 1.

The second half was much the same as the first, and like the opening 45, the first real chance fell to Sutton. On the hour mark, Nick Bailey found himself one on one with John and, although he was forced wide, his cross dropped to Mark Watson at the back post. Unfortunately the powerful forward could not get enough on the ball to force it over the line.

Five minutes later, Danny Bolt had a chance to produce one of his trademark free kicks from thirty-five yards but, after Bailey laid the ball off to him, his effort went six yards wide.

Despite finding it hard to create chances, Sutton were keeping Billericay contained at the other end and it came as a real blow when the visitors scored a second after seventy-two minutes. Andy Douglas caught out Ribolla with an impressive lob from well outside the area to open up a two goal advantage. But Ribolla kept United just in touch soon after when he produced a spectacular save to tip a powerful shot over the bar.

John Rains appropriately threw caution to the wind, introducing Eddie Akuamoah for Mike Hollands and, with less than five minutes remaining, United found a potential way back into the match. Bolt chipped a free kick into the area from forty yards and after the ball rebounded off the ‘keeper, Bailey was on hand to blast the ball into the net from a couple of yards out. In the remaining minutes, United enjoyed increased play in the Billericay area but there was to be no equaliser – the ball never fell nicely for a Sutton player. Full-time: U’s 1, Billericay 2.

Team: Ribolla, Gray, Hollands (Akuamoah), Palmer, Brooker (Beale), Bailey, Bolt, Honey, Fowler, Watson, Gonsalves. Sub (n/u) Drew.

Goal: Bailey.

Att: 537.


Left, Darren Beale contains a Billericay attack watched by Paul Honey.
Right, Danny Bolt looks for a way past the Billericay defence.


U’s v Kingstonian (25/01/03)

At a sunny Kingsmeadow, Sutton and Kingstonian played out a typical local derby – goals, brawls and sending-offs – but United left their financially crippled neighbours with no points to show for a game in which at least a share of the spoils was well-deserved.

Kingstonian controlled possession in the early exchanges as United struggled to impose themselves on the match. It was no surprise, then, when the K’s took the lead after only nine minutes, but for the Sutton players and fans it was a disappointing goal to concede, as a dangerous cross allowed Tim Sills to jump unmarked and head past Jamie Ribolla.

Ten minutes later it was two-nil to Kingstonian and Sills was again the scorer. On this occasion he found space from a low corner to meet the ball ten yards out and his weak shot fortunately found a way through a crowd of players and past an unsighted Ribolla, who could not react in time to save.

This second goal brought United to life and we finally began to push on towards the Kingstonian goal. After twenty-five minutes, Sutton won a free-kick around twenty-five yards out. Nick Bailey tapped the ball to Danny Bolt and his low, drilled shot was spilled into the net by butterfingers Kingstonian ‘keeper, Lance Key.

United were back in the match, and forged a couple of chances for an equaliser in the next five minutes. Firstly, Mark Watson turned a defender and played a one-two on the edge of the area with Bolt but could not get the ball past Key from eight yards. Then, minutes later, Bailey was given time twenty-five yards out to line up a shot at goal but narrowly missed a spectacular leveller.

Watson was holding the ball up well, frustrating the K’s defenders, and he was soon brought down near the edge of the area. The Kingstonian defender then trampled onto Watson and punches were thrown as a large brawl erupted in the centre of the Kingstonian half. Incredibly, no-one was given their marching orders and only Watson and the offending defender were booked. With the wall standing about six yards from the wall, Bolt, looking to repeat his earlier goal from a similar position, complained to the referee and was booked for his efforts. Amazingly, the official then decided that Bolt was right and made the wall retreat a further few yards. After the long stoppage, Bolt’s shot was not as accurate as his first effort and the ball was cleared away.

United were not in complete control, though, and Kingstonian had a couple of chances to stretch the lead back to two. Ribolla denied Sills his hat-trick when he stuck out a foot to prevent the striker rounding him for a certain third and ex-United man Phil Wingfield crossed dangerously into the area on a couple of occasions but to no avail. Half-time: K’s 2, U’s 1.

After the break, my brother and co-editor Paul scored a rules victory over the linesman in the Sutton half when he told him that goalkeepers could not mark their area in the way that Key was currently doing. The referee’s assistant decided to enforce the rule, telling the experienced ‘keeper to desist from his blatant rule breaking. Clearly, from his performance in the second half, the lino passed on our other recommendation of being heavily biased in our favour.

When play resumed, Kingstonian’s tactics were clear to see as they played for time at every available opportunity. Bolt continued to trouble his former employers, twice placing brilliant crosses over Key towards the back post but neither Watson nor Bailey could bundle the ball home and Kingstonian survived, once with apparent use of a hand that was not spotted by the linesman or the referee.

Twenty-five minutes into the half, Sills increased the bad blood flowing through the match when he committed an obvious foul on Darren Beale. As the referee raced towards the players to prevent a further outbreak of fisticuffs, Sills knocked heads with Beale and rightfully earned his second yellow. After trudging slowly from the field, Sills raised both middle-fingers to the Sutton supporters that mocked his departure – an action that would land a professional player an F.A. disciplinary charge.

With a numerical advantage, the U’s looked to play the ball around more and make the extra man count but still struggled to create a clear cut chance. The most likely source for a goal continued to be from crosses and corners into the box but the ball never fell kindly to a Sutton player and Kingstonian’s break-away tactics did not allow the team to flood extra men forward. With time fast running out John Rains introduced Scott Corbett for Darren Beale to help the United dominance in the midfield area.

As the game approached its conclusion, the hosts stuck by their delaying tactics, their corner-taker picking up a yellow card for his time wasting. From the same corner, the K’s found themselves two men down after a mad, late challenge on Ribolla as he claimed the ball in the air by Peter Barnsby was rewarded with his second yellow card of the game and an early bath.

Sutton pushed forward, in a desperate search for an equaliser as the game went deep into stoppage time. Bolt and Watson both had the ball in the area at times but were crowded out of possession and so could never test the ‘keeper and, immediately prior to the final whistle, the U’s had a further succession of corners but could not make one count. Final Score: K’s 2, U’s 1.

Team: Ribolla, Beale (Corbett), Hollands, Palmer, Akuamoah, Bailey, Bolt, Honey, Fowler, Watson, Gonsalves. Subs (n/u) Hanlan, Brooker.

Goal: Bolt 25mins.

Att: 902


Left, Danny Bolt strikes to score Sutton’s goal.
Right, Paul Honey keeps the ball from a Kingstonian midfielder.



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