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Final score: 1-0 Three consecutive games without a goal saw Laurent Hamici and Chukki Eribenne start up front. The U's started brightly but come half time were thanking Paul Nicholls and the woodwork for keeping things level. The introductions of Craig Dundas, Gavin McCallum and Steve Watts in the second half turned things around for the U's and at the other end Nicholls was on form again to pull off a fine double save. It was eventually Watts who gave the U's the lead from the spot after Dartford's no. 2 thought he was playing volley ball and pushed away a cross with both hands. This spurred the U's on, with both Eribenne and McCallum forcing good stops from the Darts's 'keeper late on. Team: P Nicholls, S Jackson, K El-Salahi, T Bond, A Bray, B Graham (C Dundas), D Palmer, D Hughes, D Phillips (G McCallum), L Hamici (S Watts), C Eribenne. Subs (not used): S West, B Dunn. Goals: Watts (83 pen) Dartford: A Young, T Osborne, A Gross, A Flanagan, J Coyle, D Dafter, C Carley, J White (J Guest), J May (R Haworth), B Woods-Garness, S Butterworth (R Hayes). Subs (not used): R Whitnell, D Ibrahim. Goals: -
[Back to Top] U’s v Hastings (11/04/09) Final score: 2-0 On a sunny April afternoon the game looked like it was going to slip away from Sutton very early on. In the third minute Paul Nicholls brought down a Hastings player in the box and after seeing a yellow card was fortunate to watch the penalty crash onto the cross bar and bounce away. After having got over that close shave the U's were dealt another blow as the ref inexplicably sent Steve West off after he was the recipient of a rather heavy challenge. Up to then the U's had had their backs to the walls, but the injustice of the sending off just fired up the whites. Sutton's first real break, lead to the opening goal. After Alan Bray had won the ball in the middle of Sutton's half he played the ball forward into the path of Gavin McCallum. McCallum took the ball out onto the left wing and his cross was met at the back post by the head of Laurent Hamici. Sutton added to their lead in the second half when Karim El-Salahi managed to put enough on his header, from David Hughes's corner, to beat the 'keeper and the man on the line. The U's should have had the chance to extend their lead from the spot but the inept man in black missed a blatant trip on Hamici and to add insult to injury proceeded to book the striker for 'diving'. Team: P Nicholls, S Jackson (M Hann), K El-Salahi, T Bond, A Bray, C Dundas (B Graham), D Palmer, D Hughes, G McCallum (B Dunn), L Hamici, S West. Subs (not used): S Watts, D Phillips. Goals: Hamici (23), El-Salahi (67) Hastings: G Nessling, S Elliott, D Spice (Z Attwood), R Whybourne, S Ramsay, L Carey, A Gonnella (N Russell), M Phillips, S Adams, C Side (F Sawyer), M Maclean. Subs (not used): M Whiteman, J Seitsonen. Goals: -
[Back to Top] U’s v Carshalton (13/04/09) Final score: 1-1 In a game where both teams would have loved all three points to help cement a play off position it was almost inevitable that the match would end in a draw. After a scoreless first half the U's took the lead when Gavin McCallum controlled a corner, took a touch and then fired low past the 'keeper and the man on the line. Sutton then settled and began to look more comfortable, maybe too comfortable. With ten minutes to go the visitors began to apply some pressure and forced a good save from Paul Nicholls. Nicholls was unfortunately beaten by former U Charlie Ide with just two minutes to go, as Ide headed in at the back post. Team: P Nicholls, K El-Salahi, T Bond, C Collins, A Bray, C Dundas, B Graham, D Palmer, D Phillips (D Hughes), G McCallum (B Dunn), L Hamici (S Watts). Subs (not used): S McKimm, B Chattaway. Goals: McCallum (49) Carshalton: R Stroud, D Graves, D Carpenter, L Harwood, L Gonsalves, B Alimi (J England), A Toppin (K Beckford), P Honey, C Ide, R Jolly, R Martin (J Kadi). Subs (not used): S Cooper, P Wilson. Goals: Ide (88)
[Back to Top] U’s v Margate (18/04/09) Final score: 0-2 Once again the game was important for both sides. Margate needed the points to help them in their relegation battle and the U's desperately wanted the points to aid their play off push. And when the final whistle blew it was the seaside club that were the happier of the two. Sutton threw everything at Margate, but for all the chances they created they couldn't hit the target or even force the 'keeper into a save. Sutton went one-nil down in the first half after a free-kick took a deflection in the box and fell favourably for a home player, who didn't need to be asked twice. Then after a handful of second half opportunities the U's had the chance of a come back snatched away. Dean Palmer was clumsily challenged from behind and whilst the U's midfielder laid on the edge of the Margate box, clasping his ankle, the ref turned away and allowed play to continue and the 'Gate capitalised fully. Team: P Nicholls, K El-Salahi, T Bond, C Collins (D Phillips), A Bray, C Dundas (S Watts), M Hann, D Palmer, D Hughes, G McCallum, L Hamici (B Dunn). Subs (not used): B Graham, C Eribenne. Goals: Margate: P Mullin, D Stubbs, C Robinson, J Haverson, D Young, L Wheatley, A Lacey (R Corbishley), W Wilson, J Healy, R Peters (A Quain), K Pratt. Subs (not used): G Wright, J Taylor, J Gregory. Goals: Healy (38), Pratt (79)
[Back to Top] U’s v Hornchurch (25/04/09) Final score: 2-1 With a carnival atmosphere and balloons in the air, the U's took on the Urchins in a must win game. From the off it seemed obvious that the visitors had turned up with the plan to ride out the game and get the point they needed to make the playoffs. The U's forced a couple of routine saves from former U Darren Behcet who was eventually beaten by a sublime piece of skill from Danny Phillips. Phillips rode two tackles on the edge of the box before composing himself and placing the ball into the bottom left corner beyond Behcet's reach. After the break Hornchurch brought themselves back into the game when they capitalised on an error by Paul Nicholls. With the game heading towards a stalemate and the Urchins, not Sutton, heading into the playoffs a moment of madness handed the U's a reprieve. As a corner came in a Hornchurch player reached up and knocked the ball on with his hand, with the ref just yards away he couldn't fail to miss the infringement and duly awarded a spot kick. Up stepped Steve Watts who dispatched the penalty and sent the U's into the playoffs. Team: P Nicholls, T Bond, A Bray, D Hughes (S Watts), D Phillips (S McKimm), K El-Salahi, M Hann, L Hamici (C Eribenne), C Dundas, D Palmer, G McCallum. Subs (not used): B Chattaway, B Graham. Goals: Phillips (39), Watts (79, pen) Hornchurch: D Behcet, M Goodfellow, B Coyne, J Purdie (D Barnard), J McFarlane, A Tomlinson, F Curley, M Janney (R Wall), D Green, S Parker (M Spencer), E Styles. Subs (not used): M Abraham, J Willis. Goals: Curley (48)
[Back to Top] U’s v Staines (28/04/09) Final score: 0-3 Sutton returned to Wheatsheaf Park in the hope of securing a win to add another game to the season and give them a chance of promotion. A strong Staines team had different ideas though. With the Swans' strong, well marshaled, defence containing Sutton's attempts it was not surprising that it was the home side who got on the score sheet first. With the game at one-nil going into the break the U's knew that a good second half performance could turn the game around, but just after the game restarted Staines doubled their advantage. The U's then actually began to push forward and the introductions of Steve Watts, Laurent Hamici and Danny Phillips gave the whites a needed boost. Watts forced the 'keeper to tip over a header and Simon Downer and Karim El-Salahi also made sure that the Staines custodian was kept on his toes. But with the game inside the final ten minutes former U, Ali Chabaan, put the result beyond doubt and sent Staines into the play-off final. Team: P Nicholls, S Downer, A Bray, T Bond, D Hughes (L Hamici), K El-Salahi, M Hann, C Eribenne (S Watts), C Dundas, D Palmer, G McCallum (D Phillips). Subs (not used): B Dunn, S McKimm. Goals: - Staines: L Wells, A Scarlett, J Newton, D Gordon, M Ifura, D Brown, H Newton (S Taylor), D Thomas, R Butler (A Chaaban), L Griffiths, C Watters. Subs (not used): D Sargent, M Cumberbatch, E Onochie. Goals: H Newton (21), Griffiths (46), Chaaban (82)
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