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Sutton booked their spot in the next round of the FA Cup in a seven-goal thriller at Eastbourne. Injuries to both Andy Iga and Phil Wilson forced John Rains to play 41 year-old Chris Vagg in goal. The only other change saw Tony Quinton return from injury to play in midfield, with Scott Corbett dropping into the back three. Joff Vansittart missed out through suspension. The U’s started the game positively and a fluid passing move involving Eddie Akuamoah, Peter Fear, Craig Watkins and Nigel Brake tore apart the Eastbourne defence but failed to create a clear-cut scoring opportunity. Within minutes, Andrew Martin won a corner on the left and Quinton nodded the resulting dead-ball just over the bar. United’s emergency ‘keeper was tested after ten minutes when an Eastbourne forward tried his luck from thirty-yards but Vagg was equal to the effort, stepping to his left and holding the shot comfortably. With nineteen minutes gone, Sutton ensured there would be more goals than August’s nil-nil bore draw at Gander Green Lane by claiming the lead. Following a foul on Matt Gray in the middle of the Eastbourne half, Fear took the free kick and hit it low to Gray on the edge of the area. He took one touch before returning the ball to Fear who chipped a ball into the box where Watkins guided a header over the ‘keeper from just inside the box, 1-0. Sutton continued to control the game and Watkins almost bagged a second shortly later but, after winning the ball on the right wing and spinning off his man, his shot from the edge of the area was saved by the ‘keeper, who dived low to his right to claim the ball. Nearing the half hour the U’s went close again. Brake kept the ball in on the left wing and, when all the defenders stopped to appeal for a throw in, Brake ran without challenge into the area and struck a low ball across the face of the goal that just eluded Watkins in the middle. Gray retrieved the ball on the right wing but his cross was volleyed over by Quinton. The hosts equalised against the run of play with thirty-two minutes on the clock. A free kick thirty yards out, given harshly against Akuamoah for handball, was laid to Stuart Tuck, who advanced five yards before hitting a hopeful shot that deflected wildly off Brake and flew into the top left corner of the goal, 1-1. Seven minutes later, Eastbourne took the lead. After a chipped ball into the box, Sutton’s defence appealed in vain for a handball and, in the ensuing scramble for the ball, Scott Ramsay was able to knock it past Vagg, 2-1. The U’s responded positively and could have been level before half time when Akuamoah broke with the ball from the half way line but he was brought down from behind as he raced towards the area. Fear took the free kick and Quinton won the header but could only put it straight at the ‘keeper. Half-time: U’s 1, Eastbourne 2. Sutton always looked like they had another goal in them as the second half began and had to wait only ten minutes to be level. Fear found Gray on the right and he beat his marker and drilled in a low cross that caused a scramble for the ball on the edge of the six yard box that ended when Akuamoah knocked the ball goalwards and a defender miscued his clearance into the roof of the net, 2-2. Gray’s skill was frequently too good for the left back and he was scythed down during Sutton’s next attack. Fear could not make the most of the free kick and his curled effort was easily held by the goalie. The U’s could not stay level for long, though, and found themselves behind for the second time only eight minutes after the equaliser. John Scarborough was adjudged to have fouled an Eastbourne forward just inside the area and Ramsay despatched the spot kick to the left of Vagg, 2-3. It was only two minutes before the game was all square again. Watkins reacted quickly to touch the ball away from a defender and into space on the right side of the area and then placed a pass perfectly into the path of Martin who side-footed the ball under the goalkeeper from eight yards out, 3-3. Sutton began to push for a fourth and almost found it within minutes when Akuamoah and Watkins combined to work the ball to Martin inside the area but his shot rebounded off the bar. United were now looking as if they would score on every attack and, with twenty minutes remaining, found the net for the fourth time in the game. Martin played the ball wide to the right where Watkins crossed into the box and Martin, who had continued his run into the area, jumped and headed the ball inside the right post, 4-3. Martin could have had his hat-trick three minutes later as Sutton threatened to overrun their hosts. Watkins, in a central position just outside the area, played the ball to the right to Fear. He controlled the pass and, as two defenders approached, flicked it between them back to Watkins who now had a clear run on goal. As the ‘keeper came out to save, Watkins unselfishly passed it to the left to Martin, who twisted past a man and shot low at goal with his right foot only for a defender to have got back and clear off the line. With Watkins tiring, Paul Honey came off the bench to make a welcome return from a foot injury that had kept him out of United’s last few games. Sutton continued to dominate and could easily have scored a couple more before the game ended. Brake went close on two occasions after finding space on the left wing and Quinton nearly scored a spectacular effort when he jinked past a defender twenty five yards out and hit a firm drive that went narrowly high of the right angle. As the game reached its conclusion, Eastbourne came close to a dramatic late leveller but a header from within the area, following a number of crosses, dropped on top of the bar and was finally cleared from danger. Final score: U’s 4, Eastbourne 3. F-t-L Facts:
Goals: Watkins (19), own goal (55), Martin (65, 70).
Top Right, Eddie Akuamoah watches his effort before it is put in the net by a defender, 2-2. Bottom Left, Andrew Martin side-foots home the third goal. Bottom Right, United go 4-3 ahead as Andrew Martin heads in from ten yards. U’s v Hayes (09/10/04) After last weekend’s win in the FA Cup against Eastbourne, United desperately needed to carry some form into the league and pick up three points away to Hayes. A disappointing performance, though, was compounded when Hayes scored late on to deny the U’s any points and leave them in the relegation zone. Just when it looked as if Sutton were going to have done enough to earn a point, a Hayes break away lead to a free kick being harshly awarded against John Scarborough on the edge of the U’s box. It was touched sideways to Josh Scott and his low driven effort went through a crowd of players to beat Phil Wilson with only three minutes of the game remaining. Hayes had started the game better, dominating the early possession and preventing United from having a shot on goal in the first half. With five minutes gone, the hosts almost grabbed the lead when a cross from the right wing caught in the wind and looped over Wilson but came back off his bar. Three minutes later, United’s shot-stopper was back in action, palming away at head height a rasping shot from the edge of the area. After their early chances, Hayes were far from inspirational themselves but had the better of some bizarre refereeing decisions, including penalising Wilson for picking up a back pass that looked far from intentional. They were unable to capitalise on the opportunity, however, as Sutton’s wall charged out to block the free kick. United’s midfield passed the ball nicely at points, Tony Quinton and Peter Fear combining well on a number of occasions, but they were unable to break the Hayes defence down, even when Matt Gray and Nigel Brake got forward to support down the wings. The half ended with Wilson producing an excellent double save, blocking the first effort at the feet of the striker before saving the rebound. Half-time: U’s 0, Hayes 0. Sutton were much better in the second half and finally produced a noteworthy chance early on when Scarborough played a free kick long into the Hayes area and Gray headed it towards the penalty spot where Craig Watkins flashed a volley wide of the right post. Hayes continued to look capable of scoring but were hampered by their lacklustre finishing. After Wilson dived at the feet of a striker to save again from close range, another chance minutes later was spectacularly wasted when it was blazed high over the bar and out of the ground from inside the area. United’s aspirations for taking the lead were being similarly quashed by an inability to hit the target. A four minute spell just after the hour saw the U’s miss three chances – Watkins went close twice, first catching the defence out to beat the ‘keeper to the ball but flicking it wide and then seeing a shot blocked by a defender after Quinton drifted a ball into the area. Andrew Martin also narrowly missed, striking a shot from the right side of the area just high of the right angle after Watkins had won the ball on the left and played it across the pitch to him. Finally, with twenty minutes remaining, Sutton forced a save from ex-U Kevin Davies for the first time when Scott Corbett curled a free kick from wide on the left towards the top left corner but Davies was equal to it. Sutton looked more threatening in the final fifteen minutes, Corbett and Watkins both chancing shots from outside the area that failed to find the target. But United’s increased attacking impetus created space at the back that Hayes continuously looked to exploit, and did so with minutes to go, breaking on a counter-attack following an unpenalised foul on Corbett, to earn the dubious free kick from which Scott scored, 0-1. Gray nearly salvaged a point for the U’s in a last desperate attempt to score when he broke clear of his marker on the right wing and ran into the area but his drilled effort was tipped around the post. Final score: U’s 0, Hayes 1. F-t-L Facts:
Right, Joff Vansittart loses out in the air to former U, Kevin Davies. U’s v Bromley, FA Cup 3rd Qual. Round (16/10/04) Sutton threw away a two-goal lead at a rain-swept Gander Green Lane on Saturday and will now need to win a replay at Bromley on Wednesday night if they are to progress further in the FA Cup this season. It had all started positively for the U’s when they took the lead with only three minutes gone. Matt Gray was fouled on the right wing and John Scarborough headed Peter Fear’s free-kick just inside the right post from the edge of the area for his first goal for the club, 1-0. United controlled the early stages of the game and could have added another after twelve minutes. Joff Vansittart flicked a long ball beyond the defence and Craig Watkins outpaced the defence to leave him with only the ‘keeper to beat but shot into his legs from eighteen yards. An injury to Vansittart saw the introduction of Andrew Martin and he doubled United’s lead within two minutes of coming on. Matt Gray’s throw-in was cleared to Fear just outside the area and he played it back out wide to Gray, who swung a dangerous ball through the box that found Martin unmarked at the back post. He had time to bring it under control before shooting left-footed over the ‘keeper and into the goal, 2-0 (25 minutes). Three minutes later, the U’s should have put the result beyond doubt but Watkins was again unable to capitalise on his explosive pace when he raced on to a through ball but shot at the ‘keeper. Having been the better side, Sutton made the mistake of taking the foot off the pedal and Bromley began to work their way back into the match, sharing possession equally and forcing the U’s into a number of desperate clearances. Then, with a minute of the half remaining, United gifted Bromley a goal when a left-wing corner was headed into the top-right corner of his own goal by Tony Quinton. Half-time: U’s 2, Bromley 1. Five minutes after the interval Bromley were level when Colin Luckett curled a left-footed, twenty-five yard free-kick around the wall and into the right of the goal, just out of the reach of Phil Wilson, 2-2. Bromley remained the better side for virtually the whole of the second half and would have booked their spot in the next round but for some wasteful finishing. Just before the hour, Wilson raced out of his area but was pipped to the ball by the striker who knocked it past him and goalwards. Gray intervened to stop the ball crossing the line but slipped trying to make a clearance and gifted an opportunity to a Bromley forward who shot into Gray on the floor and then blazed the rebound over. The balance of the game was thrown further in Bromley’s favour when Sutton were reduced to ten men with twenty minutes of the half gone. Watkins appeared to be wrestled to the floor just inside the area but, following the ensuing melee for the ball, the referee consulted his assistant and produced a red card for Martin, apparently for treading on a Bromley player. As the U’s hung on for the draw, the visitors had a couple of chances to win the match but were first denied by a fantastic one-on-one save from Wilson and, four minutes into stoppage time, beat Wilson but were stopped from scoring by Scarborough who slid in six yards out to win the ball when the goal was open and prevent United’s exit from the cup. Final score: U’s 2, Bromley 2. F-t-L Facts:
Goals: Scarborough (3), Martin (25).
Right, Andrew Martin slots home Sutton's second. U’s v Bromley, FA Cup 3rd Qual. Round Replay (20/10/04) United crashed out of the FA Cup at Bromley but were again guilty of squandering a lead as Bromley battled back from a Peter Fear goal. John Rains made only one change from Saturday’s first game, bringing Glenn Boosey into midfield and moving Eddie Akuamoah to left wing back at the expense of Nigel Brake, who dropped to the bench. Andrew Martin nearly set Sutton going with a dream start when he received the ball from Tony Quinton and span past his man outside the area but he curled his left-footed shot across the goal and wide of the left post. The U’s were denied a penalty when Akuamoah appeared to be bundled over but took the lead moments later. After sixteen minutes, Boosey went on a winding run before laying it off to Martin, who was clattered around 25 yards out. Fear’s first free kick was blocked by the wall but the referee ordered the kick to be retaken, ruling that the defence were not ten yards. The second time round Fear’s shot was much sweeter, curling around the wall and into the top left corner, 1-0. Amazingly, having looked the better side in the early exchanges, Sutton then made exactly the same mistake as they did in Saturday’s match, letting their guard down and taking the foot off the pedal. Within ten minutes Bromley had gone close twice, first shooting over the bar and then drawing a save out of Phil Wilson, who tipped over. Sutton almost benefited from a defensive error to extend their lead with half an hour gone when Boosey crossed from the left and a Bromley defender misguided his headed clearance straight towards his own goal but the ‘keeper reacted quickly to dive to his left and hold the ball. Bromley’s ‘keeper again prevented a second Sutton goal as the half entered its final five minutes. Matt Gray launched a counter attack down the right wing and outpaced two defenders before crossing deep to the back post where Boosey headed towards goal only for the ‘keeper to fling himself through the air and block the shot behind for a corner. Having seen a couple of chances go begging, United were stunned when the hosts equalised with two minutes of the half remaining. A foul on Scott Corbett by the Bromley ‘keeper went unpunished and with the U’s momentarily reduced to ten men as Corbett sought treatment on his foot, Bromley went on the attack and won a corner. The dead ball was only half cleared to the edge of the area where Solomon Taiwo hit a shot that deflected wildly off a United defender and past Wilson, 1-1. It went from bad to worse for Sutton, though, when deep in first half stoppage time, former U Danny Arkwright met a corner from the left and headed past Wilson to give Bromley the lead. Half-time: U’s 1, Bromley 2. After the break, Bromley’s game plan was clearly to slow the game down and hold on for the 2-1 victory and their quick closing down frustrated United and restricted goal scoring chances to a minimum despite the amount of possession Sutton had. United’s best chance fell to Craig Watkins when Boosey jinked past a man and played him in for a one on one with the ‘keeper but Watkins struck straight at him and the shot was palmed away to safety. Quinton and Martin both went close before Sutton began to get increasingly desperate as the game approached the final fifteen minutes. Boosey tried an audacious lob from 35 yards but with the ball dropping right on top of the bar, the Bromley ‘keeper just reached back to tip if behind. A minute later Paul Honey crossed to the penalty spot and Quinton slammed a volley at goal but it went straight at the ‘keeper and he held without trouble. Brake was introduced for the injured Watkins and nearly created a Sutton equaliser on two occasions, first seeing his cross roll right across the goal line and then pulling a cross back to Honey in the area only for a defender to pip Honey to the ball and knock it to safety. With the game as good as over, Sutton threw everyone forward for a Fear free kick and he played it long into the Bromley box where Scarborough met it near the right post and headed downwards at goal but it was scrambled off the line and the referee soon blew his whistle to signal United’s exit from the cup. Final score: U’s 1, Bromley 2. F-t-L Facts:
Goal: Fear (16).
Right, United's players await a corner from the right. U’s v Bishop's Stortford (23/10/04) United are still looking for their first home win of the season and remain in the relegation zone after this goal-less draw. With Paul Honey, Scott Corbett and Craig Watkins all picking up injuries against Bromley, Nigel Brake returned to the starting eleven at left wing back and striker Warren Haughton went straight into the side, having signed on loan from Lewes on Friday. The strong wind and driving rain conspired to produce a dire opening half hour, in which chances were few and far between. United were restricted to hopeful long shots, Eddie Akuamoah hitting a 25 yarder straight at the ‘keeper and Peter Fear hammering a free kick narrowly over from 40 yards. After 34 minutes, Sutton should have taken the lead when Haughton missed a glorious opportunity to cap his debut with a goal. Matt Gray and Glenn Boosey took a corner from the right and it fell nicely to Haughton in the six yard box but he flicked it wide of the right post with the goal at his mercy. The let off seemed to awaken Stortford who nearly capitalised on a defensive error by Tony Quinton but Phil Wilson produced a sublime diving stop and shortly afterwards he easily held a long shot that skimmed through off the rain-soaked Gander Green Lane pitch. Half-time: U’s 0, Bishop’s Stortford 0. United started the second half well and forced a corner when a run from Lewis Gonsalves and an intelligent through ball set up crossing chances for Brake, and then Gray, who collected the first effort on the far side before seeing his curled ball cleared behind. Sutton worked the corner to Boosey around ten yards out in the area and when his shot span off a defender and towards goal, Andrew Martin reacted first to slide it home only for the linesman to raise his flag for a dubious offside. Sutton’s defence continued to look suspect and the visitors could have scored twice in two minutes before the hour mark but first an angled ball through the area just missed the slide of their striker and, a minute later, Wilson fumbled a headed effort but United scrambled it clear from the six yard box. With fifteen minutes to go Stortford had the best chance of the game when Wilson brought down an attacker in the area to concede a penalty but he then made amends for his error by diving to his right to palm Dave Rainford’s spot kick away. The final ten minutes of the match saw the game swing from end to end with Quinton involved twice as he first tackled on the edge of the U’s area to prevent a scoring chance and then headed just over from a Matt Gray corner. Minutes later, Wilson was in action again, blocking with his legs after a break down the middle of the pitch had opened up the Sutton back line. From the save, Akuamoah launched a counter attack, eventually laying in Martin whose effort rebounded off the ‘keeper to Akuamoah outside the box and his chip to the back post just eluded Haughton. In injury time Stortford looked the most likely to score but were denied by an excellent double tackle inside his own area from Gonsalves as the game finished with the points fairly split. Final score: U’s 0, Bishop’s Stortford 0. F-t-L Facts:
Right, United celebrate Andrew Martin's goal, only for it to disallowed for offside. U’s v Margate (26/10/04) United finally tossed the monkey from their back by winning at home for the first time this season at the ninth time of asking. Paul Honey returned from injury to a place in the starting line up and Eddie Akuamoah moved to striker alongside Warren Haughton, as Andrew Martin missed out with a cold ahead of his three game ban. Sutton enjoyed the better start of the two sides and Akuamoah could have struck twice in the opening seven minutes but headed narrowly wide of the right post following John Scarborough’s swirling cross and then, having been played in by Matt Gray, selflessly laid the ball off to Haughton, whose miss-hit shot was blocked by a defender. After ten minutes, United may have felt lucky to still have ten men on the pitch when a Margate forward cut in from the right and, when clear on goal, was taken out from behind by Tony Quinton as he approached the edge of the area. Quinton was yellow-carded for the foul but a stricter referee might have sent the U’s defender for a very early bath. The U’s dominated the rest of the half and looked particularly effective when using the wings. Nigel Brake was given so much room on the left that he began to tear the Margate right back apart, using his turn of pace to leave the defender for dead and swing in a couple of crosses that were scrambled away. Having had the benefit of the officials’ doubt earlier in the game, United were denied a clear-cut scoring chance by the assistant referee who flagged Glenn Boosey offside as he chased a through ball, when the only players offside were the U’s strikers returning to an onside position. Boosey went close five minutes later after Honey and Akuamoah exchanged passes to set him free but his left footed curler from outside the box narrowly missed the left post. Sutton continued to be the better of the two sides and had two more chances before half time but were denied by the goalkeeper on both occasions as first he fumbled clumsily around the post from Boosey’s sliding effort and then blocked a Gray shot with his legs. Half-time: U’s 0, Margate 0. The second half began as an end to end affair with Margate having the best chance two minutes in when their forward was first to a long ball over the top of Scarborough but shot wide of the left post when slightly stretching. Minutes later Gray wasted a golden opportunity when he side-footed over from ten yards. United looked worryingly susceptible to passes and runs through the middle of the defence. Twice in two minutes the U’s defence almost succumbed to a Margate counter attack but were spared by a saving tackle from Brake and a clearance from Wilson, who had charged out of his area to boot the ball clear. With seventy minutes gone, the U’s finally made their possession count by taking the lead. A foul on Haughton lead to a Peter Fear free kick and although that was cleared to the edge of the area, Haughton spread the play from there out to Brake on the left and his cross to the middle of the area was headed into the left of the goal by Quinton, 1-0. Having failed to hold a lead in two games against Bromley, United’s fans could be forgiven for not getting carried away with a one goal lead and for a couple of minutes it looked as if the U’s would make the costly mistake of easing up. Especially when a free kick from the halfway line drifted into the box and a Margate forward was allowed to volley at goal unchallenged but flashed his shot high and wide of the left post. But having weathered the five minute blip after scoring, Sutton re-emerged as the better side and could have doubled the lead when Brake and Haughton switched the ball from the left to the right and Gray’s drilled cross was jumped on by the ‘keeper just before Boosey could toe it in. With three minutes left United made sure of their first win of the season at Gander Green Lane when Haughton received a pass from Brake and made to run across the area but instead cut a pass back towards Akuamoah in space on the left of the area and he took two touches before striking it across the ‘keeper and in off the bottom of the right post. Full-time: U’s 2, Margate 0. F-t-L Facts:
Goals: Quinton (70), Akuamoah (87). U’s v Weymouth (30/10/04) A warm, sunny, autumn afternoon greeted the travelling U's fans to the Wessex stadium. After the mid-week first home win confidence was high amongst the extremely vocal U's support. The starting line up saw one change made from Tuesday night's team, with Stuart Booth coming in for the suspended Matt Gray. The first five minutes saw play swing from end to end with neither side forging a clear chance at goal. Phil Wilson was the first 'keeper to be tested as he was forced to make a save with his feet at the near post. Wilson then set up what might have been Sutton's first chance at goal. A long kick up field was flicked into Warren Haughton's path by Eddie Akuamoah, only to have Haughton impeded by Weymouth's Steve Tully, who seemed to really want the shirt off of Haughton’s back. The infringement went unnoticed by the officials in what was the first of a catalogue of ridiculous refereeing decisions, even though Tully was the last man back. Minutes later Sutton had another great chance. Glenn Boosey found Nigel Brake out on the left hand side who then whipped in a low cross which managed to reach Stuart Booth, who had made a great run from well outside of the box, but Booth's first time effort was just tipped the right side of the post by Jason Matthews. With twelve minutes gone Tully was again trying to remove Haughton's shirt (he really must like our away shirt) when Warren was bearing down on goal. Eventually Haughton was hauled down about 8 yards outside the box. After a mere booking was handed out for the second such incident in the space of five minutes Pete Fear set up the free kick. Fear struck his shot well and it was sent screaming towards the top right corner, only to hit the top of the wall and loop into the opposite corner leaving the Terra's 'keeper completely flat footed, 1-0. On 15 minutes it all started to get a bit silly, as one of the linesmen managed to injure himself. It took 40 minutes for the game to eventually get back underway and not suprisingly the replacement actually turned out to be the best official on the day. After the game re-commenced Wilson was again called into action as he made a good save at the far post to deny Weymouth an equaliser. Shortly after that Tony Quinton was booked for what seemed to be a 50-50 shoulder to shoulder challenge - throughout the rest of the game far more serious Weymouth tackles were to go unpunished even though the ref had set a precedent here. Just after the half hour Quinton got his marching orders, a poorly timed challenge bringing down a Terra's player out wide on the right. Again the ref showed his complete lack of awareness by booking Quinton and then allowing him to get into position for the impending free kick. If it hadn't been for the shouts from the incensed Weymouth fans he probably wouldn't have realised at all that he had previously booked the United defender. Sutton saw out the rest of the half dealing with the increasing pressure from being a man short. At the break: U’s 1, Weymouth 0. The second half saw Joff Vansittart come on for Boosey in an effort to bolster Sutton's defence. The first twenty minutes almost passed without incident, with only another amazing save from Wilson recorded during that period. Somehow, the U's 'keeper managed to cover the entire width of the goal to put himself into position to palm over an effort that was crossed to the back post from the left wing. On 65 minutes Weymouth thought they had an equaliser, only to have it disallowed for being off side. Shortly afterwards though the Terra's finally levelled the score. Lee Phillips finding himself free to diving-head home at the back post from a right hand side corner, 1-1. With not much more than a quarter of an hour to go, Craig Watkins was introduced into the game for Haughton, but even he couldn't create anything. The rest of the game was played out with the ten men battling to keep Weymouth at bay and doing so to good effect. However the man advantage stopped the U's from causing the Terra's keeper to even break a sweat in the second half. United will feel hard done by that Quinton picked up such a ridiculous first yellow card, while greater offences went unpunished, and they may well have come away with all three points if the sides had been at equal strength. Weymouth struggled to turn the pressure they created into goal scoring opportunities and even when they did Phil Wilson was almost always equal to it. Final Score: Weymouth 1 Sutton 1 F-t-L Facts:
Goal: Fear (12).
Top Right, Stuart Booth's effort is saved by Weymouth's 'keeper. Bottom left, Peter Fear strikes the free kick to get the game's opening goal. Bottom right, The injured linesman leaves the field. |
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