 |
|||
|
|
|||
|
|||
|
|||
|
|
|||
|
|
|||
|
United kept alive their hopes of landing some silverware this season and gained some revenge for last week’s League Cup defeat with a 2-1 victory over Woking. With Phil Wilson suspended, Andy Iga pulled on the number one shirt and injuries to Matt Gray, Lewis Gonsalves and Scott Corbett handed starts to Craig Howard, Richard Blackwell and Chris Nurse as the U’s lined up in a 4-4-2 formation. Sutton probably shaded an even opening to the game but neither side threatened their opponents’ goal more than the odd easily cleared corner or free kick until the U’s found the net with twenty three minutes gone to open the scoring. With the ball dropping on the edge of the area, Joff Vansittart pipped his marker to it and toed a pass to Eddie Akuamoah on the far right of the box. As Vansittart made a run towards the near post, Akuamoah returned the ball to him and Vansittart controlled it with his right foot before spinning away from goal and hitting a left-footed strike into the bottom left corner from eight yards, 1-0. The goal injected a bit of life into the match and Woking responded with a hopeful long shot along the floor that Iga held comfortably. The U’s maintained control of the game, though, and could have added further to their lead when a cross was scrambled away from Vansittart and minutes later when Vansittart headed into the six yard box and the ball was grabbed off of the boot of Nigel Brake by the ‘keeper as Brake slid in. As the half reached its conclusion, Nurse was unlucky not to convert a free kick from the left of the area before Iga kept the Sutton lead intact, diving full length to his left to palm a sweetly struck shot from 20 yards around the right post. Half-time: U’s 1, Woking 0. Woking briefly threatened to level the game at the start of the second period, as they twice went close. Sutton looked susceptible to balls into the area but were fortunate enough that a dangerous centre flashed straight through the box. The visitors also looked dangerous when the U’s allowed them to turn and run at the defence, a tactic that was largely contained by Sutton’s hardworking midfield and defence, notably the impressive Blackwell, making an assured debut before leaving the pitch with a head injury late on. But one such chance saw a Woking forward run to the edge of the area before drilling a low shot wide of the right post. Having seen off the Cards’ attacks, United began to re-find their feet, Dray winning possession on the halfway line and holding off a Woking midfielder before curling a precise ball to the edge of the area where Akuamoah was just pipped to it by a defender. Vansittart continued to win his share of long balls and Sutton exploited his strengths to reasonable affect only to fail to find the target when Vansittart was successful in picking out a U’s player with his headers – a knock down to Brake looked promising only for the United left winger to volley too close to the ‘keeper. Sutton had a giant slice of luck with fifteen minutes remaining when John Scarborough scythed down a forward from behind only twenty yards out when he was through on goal. The referee decided that a yellow card was sufficient punishment for Scarborough, though, and United were able to clear the free kick. With five minutes left on the clock, Sutton looked to have the game wrapped up when they notched a second goal. Paul Honey started the move, winning the ball on the left of the U’s defence before sliding a precise pass to Akuamoah in the middle of the pitch. As Akuamoah went forward, Brake steamed past him and Akuamoah rolled a pass right alongside him and Brake hit a first-time left-footed drive from twenty yards into the bottom left corner, leaving the goalkeeper no chance, 2-0. But any thoughts of an easy finish to the game were dispelled when Woking pulled a goal back in the final minute, Jefferson Louis capitalising on some weak defending to run through the middle and strike into the bottom right corner, via Iga’s outstretched boot, 2-1. To the Sutton’s fans dismay, the referee saw fit to add on six minutes of injury time but the U’s survived with only a few scares, largely holding possession in the Woking half to set up a quarter final against Egham Town. Full-time: U’s 2, Woking 1. F-t-L Facts:
Goals: Vansittart (23), Brake (85).
Right, Sutton's players clap their fans after the game. U’s v Hayes, (12/02/05) United slipped closer towards the relegation zone as Hayes left Gander Green Lane with all three points on Saturday. Romauld Bouadji returned to the back after being ineligible for the Woking match and Tony Quinton also started, having made a substitute appearance in the Surrey Senior Cup. Joff Vansittart’s suspension saw Craig Watkins and Eddie Akuamoah begin up front. Sutton began positively and Nigel Brake could well have volleyed the U’s into an early lead but side-footed over at the back post after good work by Paul Honey had released Matt Gray to cross from the right wing. The visitors had the benefit of playing with the ferocious wind in the first half and nearly exploited it to maximum effect on two occasions with curling balls into the box that were caught by the wind. Phil Wilson showed good command of his area, though, to deal with the danger. Despite Hayes perhaps having more of the possession, it was the U’s who went closer to scoring. Watkins utilised his explosive pace to leave his marker trailing on the halfway line before firing wide of the left post from twenty yards. Then, on the half hour, John Scarborough brought down a Peter Fear long throw and volleyed acrobatically at goal, only for former U’s ‘keeper Kevin Davies to somehow keep it out with a combination of glove and boot. Hayes grabbed the lead with thirty-eight minutes gone, dashing Sutton’s hopes of reaching the break level after playing against the elements. Wilson saved well from ten yards but the rebound was sent back towards the goal line where Jon Dyer turned the ball past two United defenders, 0-1. The U’s responded well to the goal, passing the ball around nicely as they patiently looked for a breakthrough. With the half practically over, Watkins hooked a ball towards Akuamoah and he raced clear of Hayes’s centre back but blew the chance to equalise, firing wide of the left post with only the ‘keeper to beat. Half-time: U’s 0, Hayes 2. Only six minutes after the interval, Hayes doubled their lead and it was Dyer who found the net for the second time in the match, shooting into the bottom left corner after Wilson had saved his first effort, 0-2. John Rains introduced Scott Corbett for Danny Dray and switched from 4-4-2 to 3-5-2 in an effort to get back into the game and it nearly paid immediate dividends as Fear flicked a neat ball through to Akuamoah but he shot across the goal and wide of the right upright from eighteen yards. Some sloppy defending seemed to put the result beyond doubt after 66 minutes when Hayes found the net for the third time. A corner from the right reached Dyer unmarked six yards out and he volleyed into the goal to complete his hat-trick, 0-3. But Sutton refused to go down without a fight, and pulled a goal back only three minutes later. Fear’s free kick was deflected behind for a corner from the left and Gray’s swirling corner curled beyond the goal line, 1-3. United’s fans were soon hoping for an amazing comeback when Corbett reduced the lead further with fifteen minutes still to play. Fear’s long throw from the right went through the area and Corbett lashed a fierce shot into the top left corner from twelve yards, 2-3. The U’s pushed forward in search of a leveller and, after Watkins’s hopeful strike from the edge of the box was comfortably saved, Fear should have hit the back of the net with four minutes to go but knocked the ball over the bar when Watkins’s deep cross from the right dropped to him at the back post. And, with two minutes left, United’s attacking impetus left the space at the back that Hayes needed to score a fourth and secure the points. Peter Dean came into possession on the left side of the area and, with no defenders around him, had time to control the ball before striking a shot through Wilson. Final score: U’s 2, Hayes 4. F-t-L Facts:
Goals: Gray (69), Corbett (75).
Right, Nigel Brake attacks the Hayes right back. U’s v Margate, (19/02/05) United picked up a point in a game that looked every bit like two teams struggling to stay safe from relegation, but could have won if some late pressure had brought a second goal. In a tame first half, the U’s were by far the more active in front of goal as Margate seemed content to lump the ball long down the pitch – a tactic that proved fruitless due to the bitter wind that saw each high pass blow straight through to Phil Wilson in the United goal. Eddie Akuamoah and Craig Watkins were paired upfront for the U’s as Joff Vansittart completed his two-game suspension. Both were unlucky not to break the deadlock after only ten minutes as Margate’s defence hesitated in clearing from their area but neither of the U’s strikers could force the ball across the line before it was knocked away for a corner. Watkins was the more threatening of the Sutton front two and perhaps should have tested the ‘keeper fifteen minutes later when Scott Corbett tapped a pass onto him but his fierce left-footed strike from the edge of the area went high and wide of the left angle. The U’s dominance was finally rewarded with ten minutes of the half remaining. Nigel Brake struck a high corner from the right towards the penalty spot where John Scarborough sent an overhead kick towards goal. Scarborough’s effort didn’t appear to have the power to cause any trouble to the score line but Watkins was in the right place at the right time to help the ball into the back of the net from three yards out. Half-time: U’s 1, Margate 0. Margate dominated the opening exchanges of the second half and were denied a leveller twice in quick succession soon after the restart as, first, Tony Quinton cleared from the Sutton goal line and, then, Wilson saved a one on one chance. United struggled to find any rhythm to their play but produced some good chances nonetheless, notably Lewis Gonsalves firing across goal after Scarborough and Brake had combined to create a scoring opportunity from the left of the area. The hosts defence was tormented by Watkins all game and he very nearly doubled the U’s lead with fifteen minutes left but his Rooney-esque lob from forty yards came down the wrong side of the post and hit the side netting. With ten minutes to go, Margate grabbed the equaliser that they would have felt their play merited. A period of intense pressure was capitalised on by Darren Watson, who jumped highest to head home from a right wing free kick, 1-1. Sutton pressed forward in the final five minutes but were denied a winning goal by some inept refereeing as much as the dogged Margate rearguard. Akuamoah’s cross from the right of the area was clearly prevented from reaching the middle by an opponent’s hand but neither the referee nor his assistant had the nerve to award Sutton a potential match-winning spot kick. Then, a minute into injury time, Akuamoah surged towards the Margate area and was impeded a step into the box by a clumsy waist-high challenge that sent him crashing to the floor. Once again, the referee failed to punish the Margate defence, bizarrely awarding the U’s an indirect free kick outside the area. The opportunity of a dead ball on the edge of the box nearly proved enough for United but when the ball broke for Chris Nurse his shot rattled the left post and Corbett was flagged offside as he closed in on the rebound. Final score: U’s 1, Margate 1. F-t-L Facts:
Goal: Watkins (35).
Right, Craig Watkins turns it into the goal. |
||||||||||
