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Lingering tension between the sides that had met three times already this season was obvious for all to see, as a fourth encounter got under way at Gander Green Lane this Saturday. Scott Corbett returned from flu to captain United but played out of position in the centre of the defence. Also returning to the team was Tommy Dunn, having been recalled from his loan spell at Banstead and Tyrone London, a new signing, started as the left centre-back with Lewis Gonsalves pushing out to left wing-back. Sutton controlled the early possession but, as with recent weeks, found it hard to create a clear scoring opportunity. Heybridge almost capatilised on this inability to find the net but an unmarked swift’s player headed well over from a great position at the back post. In the 38th minute, United got the break through that their play had warranted when Mark Watson flicked on a long ball to release Matt Fowler, who was pulled down in the area. The referee had no hesitation in awarding a penalty. Danny Bolt, on stand by for the England semi-professional squad, duly despatched the penalty into the bottom right corner. The goal marked the start of a period of intense Sutton pressure before half-time, Watson testing the ‘keeper from distance and then, minutes later, half the crowd though Bolt had doubled the U’s advantage with an attempted lob over the ‘keeper from the left-wing but the ball dropped narrowly over. Half-time: U’s 1, Heybridge 0. London, holding his leg at stages of the first half, was replaced during the interval by Eddie Akuamoah, who slotted into the left-wing back role as if he had been playing there his whole career. Gonsalves moved over to centre-back to cover for London. The second half had a frustrating feel about it, many U’s fans would no doubt agree that it had the feel of a game that we had dominated for nearly ninety minutes and yet, could have two points torn from us within the final stages of the game. This worry was born from United’s continuing inability to close out the game, despite spending virtually the whole forty-five camped in the visitors half. Matt Gray was a constant thorn in Heybridge’s side but his numerous crosses went unconverted or were cleared without threat. Dunn pulled off a great save to deny a Heybridge forward and keep the game all square before the U’s finally cemented the three points in the 88th minute. Bolt, having run down the left-wing, saw his low cross deflected to Fowler eight yards out and he had time to turn and smash the ball past the helpless Heybridge goalie. Final Score: U’s 2, Heybridge 0. Team: Dunn, Gray, London (Akuamoah), Palmer, Corbett, Honey, Bolt, Bailey, Fowler, Watson, Gonsalves. Subs (n/u) Beale, Drew. Goals: Bolt 38mins (pen), Fowler 88mins Att: 514
Right, Eddie Akuamoah turns on a sixpence to lay the ball off. U’s Reserves v Walton & Hersham Reserves (01/03/03) Match Report provided by Claire An impressive performance saw the U’s reserves claim a deserved victory over Walton & Hersham today. Jamie Ribolla produced a number of quality saves and Danny Hodges continued his recovery from injury with an accomplished display. At the other end, Glenn Boosey grabbed a hat-trick as the team played together well. Boosey opened the scoring for the chocolate and amber army in the 11th minute and, fifteen minutes later, Scott Stevens added a second to establish a two-goal lead. With half-time approaching Walton & Hersham found a way back into the game with a goal by J. Bampo. At the break: U’s 2, W&H 1. Any ideas of a Walton comeback were halted when Boosey added his second only two minutes into the half. After seventy minutes, Sutton made a double substitution, introducing Darren Delandro and Sam Thornback for Jason Hannington and Martin Dunne. Minutes later, Stevens sustained an injury and was replaced by Chad Heuston. As the game approached its conclusion, Boosey scored the final goal to complete his well-deserved hat-trick. Final score: U’s 4, W&H 1. Team: Ribolla, Hamlin, Dray, Dunne (Thornback), Young, Hodges, Howard, Tydeman, Stevens (Heuston), Hannington (Delandro), Boosey. Subs (n/u) Hewitt, Elvin. Goals: Boosey (11, 47, 88 mins), Stevens (29mins). U’s v Carshalton (04/03/03) Sutton continued their progress in the Surrey Senior Cup with a comfortable win against fierce rivals Carshalton on Tuesday night. Like many derby matches, it was a game that included goals, penalties, sending-offs and controversy. The opening exchanges were fairly even, with play moving from end to end but neither side really challenging the opposition ‘keeper. Carshalton looked like they might be able to hold their own until a foul on the left wing gave Sutton a free kick in the twenty-eighth minute. Nick Bailey’s vicious inswinging cross was met at the near post by Matt Fowler, whose header was placed perfectly passed Robins’ ‘keeper Stuart Searle to open the scoring. It was Fowler’s twentieth goal of the season, and sweeter still since it was against his old club. Ten minutes later, Sutton doubled the lead to take complete control of the game. Mark Watson collected the ball on the right and did well to keep the ball in play as he came along the touchline, beating a couple of defenders before being felled in the box by Keith Dublin. The linesman’s flag alerted the ref’ to the penalty and Danny Bolt stepped up to confidently hammer the ball home. Half-time: U’s 2, Carshalton 0. The second half saw Sutton maintain their control on the match, and Bolt and Fowler both had early chances to extend the lead but were denied by Searle. The ‘keeper also produced a fine save to deny Bailey, palming away a twenty-yard rocket shot for a corner. Watson almost produced a spectacular third, but his overhead kick from six yards went despairingly wide. He could also have added his name to the score sheet when one on one with Searle but his clever chip over the goalkeeper also went the wrong side of the post. With United easing to victory, John Rains introduced Danny Hodges for his first appearance since injury sidelined him in September. His aerial presence was clear to see, and will be a welcome readdition to the U’s defensive line-up when his recovery is complete. Despite the scoreline, the game came to a dramatic conclusion when Romauld Bouadji was given his marching orders for reacting to a mistimed Fowler challenge that saw John Hamsher stretchered off. Fowler received a yellow card for his tackle and Bouadji collected his second for his part in an eighteen man brawl. Sutton’s win sees them through to the semi-final where they will be away to Dulwich Hamlet. The result was fitting revenge for the loss suffered during this year’s pre-season campaign – nice to see the boys winning the games that matter! Final score: U’s 2, Carshalton 0. Team: Dunn, Gray, Akuamoah, Palmer, Brooker (Hodges), Bailey, Bolt, Honey, Fowler, Watson, Gonsalves. Subs (n/u) Hanlan, Brown, Beale, London. Goals: Fowler (28mins), Bolt (penalty, 39mins) Att: 438.
Right, Carshalton's Bouadji (no. 5) refusing to leave the field after being dismissed for hitting Matt Fowler. U’s v Grays Athletic (11/03/03) For the third game on the trot, United defeated their opponents by two goals to nil and moved up to fourth place in the league, albeit on goal difference. Ryan Palmer almost succeeded in given Sutton an early lead but his thunderous shot from twenty yards out was tipped over the bar by the Grays ‘keeper, Mel Capleton. After the positive start, Grays kept Sutton under wraps and neither team managed to force a save from the opposition goalkeeper. But, in the thirtieth minute, United finally took the lead. A Bolt corner from the left, sailed over the box where Palmer collected the ball and hammered a low cross come shot back into the goal mouth. The Grays defence could only force the ball towards the edge of the area and Danny Hodges produced a spectacular sideways volley that beat the cluster of defenders and the goalkeeper to open the scoring. The lead could have been stretched the lead to two during a good spell that followed the goal. Danny Bolt had a shot cleared off the line and Mark Watson shot straight at Capleton after finding the space for a shot. Half-time: U’s 1, Grays 0. Sutton started the second half positively, giving the Grays right back a torrid time, which would later force the visitors into a positional change in an attempt to shore up the defence. Hodges had a chance cleared off the line and Watson just failed to get enough behind a Bolt cross before, ten minutes into the half, Watson scored a superb goal. Receiving the ball on the left wing with his back to goal, he turned inside the struggling right back and cut into the area before slamming a right footed drive into the bottom corner, beating the goalkeeper on his near post. With the game almost in the bag, Sutton eased down a couple of gears and Grays could have found a way back into the match if it was not for Tommy Dunn who produced a string of fine saves to deny the strikers, including former Charlton and Wimbledon frontman Carl Leaburn. Sutton could not find a third goal but came closest when Matt Fowler ran from just inside the Grays half but smashed his shot onto the post when Bolt was well placed to tap home if the pass had been taken. Final score: U’s 2, Grays 0. Team: Dunn, Gray, Akuamoah, Palmer, Hodges, Bailey, Bolt, Honey, Fowler, Watson, Gonsalves. Subs (n/u) Brown, Corbett, Brooker. Goals: Hodges (30 mins), Watson (55 mins) Att: 423. U’s v Enfield (15/03/03) United continued their winning streak by beating Enfield 2-1 today. In the first half, Sutton faced the difficult prospect of playing into the wind – if we could reach half time on level terms it would mark a good first half performance. As expected, the wind made the game difficult for Sutton and Enfield had most of the best chances, hitting the bar on one occasion. Most of the U’s efforts came by way of corners and free kicks - Danny Hodges, always a threat in the air, headed against the bar from one Danny Bolt corner. But Hodges did not make it to the end of the half, a knock in the face required him to leave the field of play to have it looked at and when he returned it was only for a further ten minutes. Danny Brooker came of the bench to replace him. Half time: U’s 0, Enfield 0. Sutton immediately looked a better team in the second half when the conditions were in their favour and took the lead after only three minutes. Bolt’s inswinging free-kick from the right wing was flicked on by a defender and Mark Watson reacted first to adjust his run and head past the Enfield ‘keeper. The goal did not produce a string of chances as the United fans had hoped it would. In fact, like on Tuesday night when two-nil up against Grays, Sutton seemed to ease off slightly – the difference this time being that we only had the benefit of a one goal lead. Eventually, Enfield punished Sutton for taking it easy. Having won a free-kick, Enfield made what looked like a tactical substitution, by introducing a player who took the free-kick, keeping it low through the wall and into the bottom corner of Tommy Dunn’s goal. The equaliser sparked Sutton back into life, and it was not long before they reclaimed the lead. With around ten minutes left, Bolt hit a brilliant thirty-five yard free-kick that screamed into the bottom corner. Sutton’s best chance to stretch the lead to two came when Craig Brown, on as a substitute for the injured Watson, broke from the half-way line and out-paced the Enfield defence but could not find Bolt with his cross. Final score: U’s 2, Enfield 1. Team: Dunn, Gray, Akuamoah, Palmer, Hodges (Brooker), Bailey, Bolt, Honey, Fowler, Watson (Brown), Gonsalves. Sub (n/u) Corbett. Goals: Watson (48 mins), Bolt (80 mins).
Right, Mark Watson contests a header with an Enfield player's arm in the back of his head. U's Reserves v Dulwich Hamlet (23/03/03) A late turn-around saw the reserves overcome a first half deficit to record a comfortable victory against Dulwich. The first half was one of few chances, Dulwich capitalising on their best opportunity to score the opening goal after twenty-seven minutes. Jamie Ribolla was forced into competing for a long ball on the corner of his area but was rounded by the Dulwich forward. He had the presence of mind to pass the ball accross the box to E. Dushku, who slotted the ball home past a couple of defenders on the line. Sutton pushed harder after going behind and looked most dangerous from corners, hitting the bar on one occasion and the ball almost swinging directly into the net on another. Half-time: U's 0, Dulwich 1. With the game heading towards the last fifteen, Sutton pulled level when Graham Tydeman was tripped right in the corner of the box. Tydeman dusted himself down to take the penalty and tucked it into the bottom left hand corner for the equaliser. Sutton looked the most likely winners but it began to look increasingly like they wouldn't score before the referee's final whistle. But, in the 87th minute, a ball chipped through the centre of the Dulwich defence was reached first by Tydeman, and he toed it past the advancing 'keeper to give the Yellow's the lead. In injury time, United made the game completely safe, three substitues combining for the third goal. Glenn Boosey's cross field ball was tapped sideways by Chad Heuston into the path of Ivan Daniels and he struck it sweetly into the bottom right corner. Full time: U's 3, Dulwich 1. Team: Ribolla, Hamlin, Dray, Dunne, Young, Hewitt, Beale, Tydeman, Hanninton (Daniels), Delandro (Heuston), Stevens (Boosey). Sub (n/u) Howard. Goals: Tydeman (73, 87), Daniels (90) U’s v Hayes (08/04/03) On a cold April evening, United edged a game of few chances by two goals to one. There were a number of changes to Sutton’s favoured team this season, Matt Fowler’s injury may rule him out for the rest of the season and Mark Watson’s back problem meant that he joined Fowler and Lewis Gonsalves, who was injured warming-up for Saturday’s game, on the sidelines. John Rains opted to start with Matt Hanlan and Matt Gray up front and promoted Dean Hamlin from the reserves to fill the space at the back. Scott Corbett also started ahead of Paul Honey in midfield. The majority of the first half was played in the middle of the pitch. Hayes dominated possession for large periods but failed to test Tommy Dunn and Sutton’s best chance of a goal looked to be from a break-away, with Nick Bailey, Danny Bolt and Matt Gray springing forward whenever the opportunity arose. But the killer ball was always missing, wayward passing costing United the chance of using the wings to good effect on a couple of chances. With half-time approaching, Sutton began to make more chances and force Hayes onto the back foot, Corbett and Bailey combining well in midfield but without creating a goal-scoring chance. Minutes later, though, Corbett and Bolt exchanged passes and found Bailey, who beat a couple of players down the right-hand edge of the box before cutting the ball back to Gray, running in at the back post. His shot was blocked by the ‘keeper but the ball fell into the path of Hanlan, who side-footed the ball into the roof of the net from eight yards. Half-time: U’s 1, Hayes 0. The second half started much the same as the first, neither side cutting open the opposition’s defence. It was very frustrating for the U’s that they should gift Hayes an equaliser. A well-placed cross from the left wing should have been cleared but Danny Brooker could only strike it goalwards. Dunn got a solid hand behind the ball but it was not enough to prevent an unfortunate own-goal. The equaliser served to lift United, though, and the game vastly improved – whereas possession in the middle of the park had been shared equally earlier in the game, Bolt, Corbett and Bailey now began to control the flow of the game. Bolt’s free-kicks constantly troubled the Hayes defence, and he almost found the back of the net from a curling cross when the lack of a touch from an attacker wrong-footed the ‘keeper but the ball went despairingly wide of the back post. On the hour mark, Danny Hodges looked to have broken clear of the Hayes back four but was prevented from having the chance of reclaiming Sutton’s lead by the raised flag of the referee’s assistant – without a doubt Hodges was never offside but he timed his run brilliantly and the two or three yards that he gained on the defender convinced the linesman that he was goal-side of the defender when the ball was played. After sixty-seven minutes, Sutton reclaimed the lead. Bolt’s free-kick to the edge of the area was headed thunderously past the ‘keeper and onto the bar and Hanlan was on hand to head the ball home into the now unguarded net for his second of the game. Hayes had the chance to level the game again, and should have done so but for the heroics of Dunn. Through one-on-one, the Hayes forward only had to slot the ball past the U’s ‘keeper but Dunn stood up well and blocked the firm shot. Hopes of a Hanlan hat-trick were dashed when he was replaced by Craig Brown but it was the young substitute who almost created a third when he burst clear of the defence down the left hand side but the Hayes defence recovered to prevent any danger. The referee, jeered throughout for some bizarre decisions, finally blew for full-time and Sutton collected a well-deserved three points against seventh placed Hayes. Final score: U’s 2, Hayes 1. Team: Dunn, Brooker, Hamlin, Palmer, Hodges, Bailey, Bolt, Corbett, Gray, Hanlan (Brown), Akuamoah. Subs (n/u) Dunne, Honey. Goals: Hanlan (43, 67) U’s v Canvey Island (12/04/03) In a dull game between fourth and second, both sides were hampered by the pitch, which made attractive football difficult. Here are the highlights: First half: Matt Gray beats ‘keeper 40 yards out. Bad bounce forces shot wide. Scott Corbett shoots at ‘keeper from 20 yards. Ambitious lob drifts over Tommy Dunn’s goal. Canvey forward curls shot over. Danny Hodges is blatantly pushed in the box but nothing is given. Half-time: U’s 0, Canvey Island 0. Second half: Canvey defender finds space to head home right wing cross, 0-1. Mark Watson fails to put Gray in for an easy chance. Dunn holds long range attempt. Danny Hodges heads free-kick goalwards but ‘keeper saves. Right-footed drive at far post beats Dunn, 0-2. Full-time: U’s 0, Canvey Island 2. Team: Dunn, Brooker, Hamlin, Palmer, Hodges, Bailey, Bolt (Honey), Corbett, Gray, Watson (Brown), Akuamoah. Sub (n/u) Hanlan.
Right, Tommy Dunn stretches to reach a Canvey corner. |
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