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In the first of back-to-back games against Maidenhead, honours ended even thanks to a late United goal. With the visitors, having the best of the opening exchanges, Tommy Dunn had to be on his toes to keep the ball out on a couple of occasions, including a dangerous deflection off of Danny Hodges. A couple of glimpses of goal come and go, notably for Danny Bolt and Nick Bailey, who fail to hit the target and Mark Watson, who heads softly from six yards out and Sutton, like against Canvey, were finding chances hard to come by. Indeed, we were fairly concerned even at this stage that one goal was going to be enough for Maidenhead to take all three points. And with that in our minds, it was Maidenhead who took the lead shortly before the break, a well-placed free-kick from thirty yards loops over Dunn into the top corner of his goal despite his despairing dive. Eddie Akuamoah left the field through injury before the break, Darren Beale coming on to replace him. Half-time: U’s 0, Maidenhead 1. Sutton looked better after the half-time breather and quickly got back into the game courtesy of an own goal. Bolt’s inswinging free-kick from the right wing was met at the back post by the unfortunate defender, who headed solidly past his own ‘keeper into the bottom corner from 10 yards out. If the goal had been the signal for United to take control of the game, somebody forgot to tell the Maidenhead forwards. After playing the ball between themselves, one of them decided to stretch his legs and streaked away from the Sutton defence to slot the ball past Dunn and reclaim the lead for the visitors five minutes after the U’s equaliser. With Sutton still struggling to break down the opposition back line, John Rains threw caution to the wind by bringing on Matt Hanlan and Craig Brown. The introduction of Brown again gave the youngster another opportunity to show JR why he deserves a starting place and, if he keeps up his current level of performance, that day cannot be too far away. Looking confident on the ball, he injected some energy into the United midfield late in the game. And, with the game approaching the ninetieth minute, it was Brown who outpaced a couple of defenders and crossed from the right towards Nick Bailey, whose dipping header from the edge of the box came down off the bar, onto the ‘keeper and into the back of the net. Had the ‘keeper not made such a good job of it himself, Matt Hanlan would have been ready to force the ball across the line. Final score: U’s 2, Maidenhead 2. Team: Dunn, Brooker, Honey, Palmer, Hodges, Bailey, Bolt, Corbett, Gray, Watson, Akuamoah. Subs Beale, Hanlan, Brown. Goals: o.g. (49), Bailey (90). U’s v Aldershot (21/04/03) 2,002 watched Sutton try to put the proverbial spanner in the works of Aldershot’s title hopes but the majority of the crowd went home happy, as Aldershot secured the point they needed to lift the Ryman Premier League title. United were far from outclassed by the champions-to-be, though. Tommy Dunn missed the match through injury and was replaced by Jamie Ribolla and Craig Brown was given a start alongside Mark Watson. Sutton had an early chance to take the lead and dent The Shots title hopes but Scott Corbett could not connect with Danny Bolt’s second minute free-kick. The midfield duo almost combined for the opening goal later in the half as well, but Nikki Bull in the visitors’ goal dived to push the ball away from Corbett as he looked to finish Bolt’s cross. Before ten minutes was up, Sutton suffered the set-back of losing Danny Hodges to injury. He limped off with a thigh injury, and was replaced by Nick Drew who settled into a back four that was comfortably dealing with any Aldershot threat, so with Sutton failing to fashion any more chances apart from a Brown volley, the game was still goalless at the break. Shortly after the interval, Bull was replaced by former Sutton favourite Gareth Howells and he was almost tested immediately by Mark Watson, but his effort from just outside the area went into the side netting. On the hour mark, Aldershot broke the deadlock when striker Roscoe D’Sane slotted the ball past Ribolla after a scramble for possession in the area. But the travelling supporter’s celebrations were put on hold when Nick Bailey immediately levelled the scoring with an outstanding strike - collecting the ball just inside the Aldershot half, he advanced towards the area before releasing a powerful, dipping shot from twenty-five yards. The ball sailed past Howells, who had no chance of saving it. Either side could have grabbed the full three points in the last half-hour, Watson missing a couple of chances to add to his goal tally for the season before an Aldershot forward rounded Ribolla, only for Ryan Palmer to clear the ball off the line. Full-time: U’s 1, Aldershot 1. Team: Ribolla, Brooker, Hamlin (Beale), Palmer, Hodges (Drew), Bailey, Bolt, Corbett, Brown, Watson, Akuamoah. Goal: Bailey (61 mins). Att: 2002.
Left, Aldershot's travelling supporters help to fill the main stand. Right, Mark Watson and Scott Corbett challenge for the ball during a United attack. U’s v Braintree (03/05/03) On the final day of the league season, Nick Bailey scored two late goals to insure that Sutton finished on a high and secured sixth place. United made an explosive start to the match, immediately having Braintree on the back foot. After an early cross failed to produce a chance on goal, Sutton surged forward again and Danny Bolt crossed from the left wing to the back post and Mark Watson was on hand to head powerfully past the ‘keeper to open the scoring after only three minutes. The early goal failed to inspire Sutton, though, and it was Braintree who began to have the best of the possession. But the visitors’ possession was not turned into an equaliser as Sutton scrambled the ball clear on all occasions, Supporters Club Player of the Year, Ryan Palmer, clearing the ball off the line and Jamie Ribolla making a couple of key saves. Nick Bailey almost increased the lead before half time when a corner was played straight to the edge of the area but his explosive shot went high and wide of the target. Half-time: U’s 1, Braintree 0. Braintree were back in the match soon after the break - after a cross from the right wing, Dean Hamlin was adjudged to have pushed a Braintree player in the box and Paul Cobb stepped up to take the penalty and slot it past Ribolla, 1-1. The equaliser improved United’s play and we had a number of chances to reclaim the lead Watson having a shot saved before directing Bailey’s rebound effort wide of the post from six yards and Matt Gray, on for the injured Watson, firing at the ‘keeper when well placed. With the game moving into the last five minutes, and heading for a frustrating draw, Gray released Bailey, who beat the last defender for pace and slotted the ball underneath the ‘keeper and into the bottom corner, 2-1. Minutes later, the pair combined again, Gray passing the ball into space beyond the Braintree back line and Bailey ran onto it, collecting the ball forty yards out and taking it into the area before rounding the visitors’ ‘keeper and calmly rolling the ball into the back of the net for his second and United’s third. After a string of disappointing results, this should serve as a morale boosting victory ahead of the Surrey Senior Cup Final on Wednesday. Final score: U’s 3, Braintree 1. Team: Ribolla, Hamlin, Akuamoah, Palmer, Brooker (Beale), Corbett (Honey), Bolt, Hanlan, Watson (Gray), Brown. Goals: Watson (3 mins), Bailey (85, 88) Att: 535
Left, Nick Bailey puts Sutton 2-1 ahead. Right, Nick Bailey rounds the 'keeper for his second. U’s v Kingstonian (07/05/03) After a promising season for United, yesterday’s Surrey Senior Cup Final gave the team the opportunity to finish the season in the perfect fashion. Sutton were boosted by Tommy Dunn’s return from injury to take his place between the sticks and Matt Gray and Paul Honey replaced Matt Hanlan and Craig Brown in the starting line-up, the latter two dropping to the bench. The opening twenty minutes saw the play flow from end to end. Kingstonian had a few great chances, Phil Wingfield shooting high and wide on a couple of occasions and two dangerous crosses were headed wide when the forwards were well placed. United’s attacking threat also seemed to be from crosses, Nick Bailey heading to the ‘keeper under an aerial challenge from the defence and Gray hitting the side netting sliding in at the back post. A goal was on the cards at either end but it was United that took the lead after twenty-eight minutes. A Danny Bolt right side corner drifted to the back of the area and Ryan Palmer lofted a header back towards the goal. Nick Bailey jumped in to challenge the goalkeeper for the ball and managed to trouble him enough that Palmer's header went through the 'keeper's hands and into the back of the net. Five minutes later Sutton could have doubled the lead. Gray judged the flight of an inswinging free-kick beautifully but his firm downward header from seven yards went just the wrong side of the post. Half-time: U’s 1, Kingstonian 0. Sutton started the second half positively, Eddie Akuamoah making much more of an impression down the left flank against his former club and three minutes after the break, he was involved as the U’s took a two-goal lead. Bolt looked up from the middle of the pitch to see Akuamoah in space on the left and placed a pass perfectly into space ahead of him. Akuamoah collected the ball and beat two K’s defenders, taking the ball to the touchline before cutting it back to Mark Watson eight yards out, and he powerfully side-footed into the roof of the net for his 100th goal for the club. The goal was not the start of a United landslide, though, and Kingstonian fought back, dominating possession and chances. Sutton managed to scramble the ball clear a number of times and frustrated the K’s by trying to hit them on the break. Dean Hamlin, attempting to lead a Sutton counter attack, was involved in a clash on the half-way line and was stretchered off with what looked like a serious injury – Darren Beale came on to replace him. Into the last fifteen minutes Sutton almost put the game beyond doubt but could not find the back of the net. Watson battled past two defenders to take the ball into the area but his off-balance strike went wide and Bolt had the ‘keeper scrambling across goal when he placed a low curling free-kick just wide of the post. With the fourth official indicating five minutes of added time, Kingstonian strangely did not throw everybody forward, leaving two or three men back on a couple of corners. Sutton’s strategy remained to frustrate the Kingstonian players, now by holding the ball by the corner flag to good effect. With the whistle nearly as the referee’s lips, Kingstonian scored a consolation with a curled free-kick from twenty-five yards but no sooner had Sutton kicked-off than the ref’ blew for full-time and the United fans raced onto the pitch to congratulate the Super U’s. After cheering the U’s to victory, the loudest chants and cheers were reserved for the post-match scenes with captain Scott Corbett lifting the new Surrey Senior Cup to cap a great season with some silverware for the trophy cabinet. Full-time: U’s 2, Kingstonian 1. Team: Dunn, Hamlin (Beale), Akuamoah, Palmer, Brooker (Brown), Corbett, Bolt, Bailey, Gray, Watson, Honey (Hanlan). Sub (n/u) Ribolla. Goals: Palmer (28), Watson (48).
Left, Matt Gray charges at the Kingstonian 'keeper. Right, United pose for a team photo with the trophy. |
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