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United notched a second consecutive home win when Matt Gray scored from the penalty spot deep into injury time to inflict a 3-2 defeat on local rivals Carshalton Athletic. Joff Vansittart began upfront and Matt Gray returned from suspension, with Warren Haughton and Peter Fear making way, both reportedly rested by John Rains. Three minutes in, Glenn Boosey got the U’s off to a spectacular start by hitting the opening goal. Boosey and Gray looked like they were setting up a free kick 30 yards out and ten yards in from the right touchline for Akuamoah to strike but, at the last moment, Gray slid the ball back to Boosey who took a couple of touches before rifling the ball into the top left corner, 1-0. Boosey could have added a second five minutes later and managed to knock it past Stuart Searle only for it to be cleared by a defender before reaching the goal. United made life hard for themselves with some suicidal passing in the midfield and at the back. A misplaced pass by Tony Quinton should have been exploited by the Robins but a poor through ball was comfortably collected by Phil Wilson. But Sutton’s woeful distribution was soon punished to devastating effect by Sam Saunders, who collected the ball on the left wing and cut in across the edge of the box before curling the ball way out of Wilson’s reach but inside the far post, 1-1 (21 mins). More lacklustre passing could have seen United go behind within a couple of minutes but after losing the ball just outside of the area, and seeing a fortunate ricochet run nicely for a Carshalton forward, he dragged his shot wide of the right post from eighteen yards. On the half hour, Sutton were back in front after some sublime passing set up the easiest of chances for Vansittart to finish. Akuamoah found Paul Honey on the right and he chipped the ball down the line to Gray, who knocked the ball inside his man before crossing low to the back post where Vansittart pushed it home, 2-1. Chances were few and far behind in the remainder of the half, the best opportunity falling to the U’s but Akuamoah was inches away from heading home Vansittart’s left-footed cross from the right. Half-time: U’s 2, Carshalton 1. In a quiet start to the second half, United had the only real chance of the first twenty five minutes, Vansittart showing good strength to win the ball on the left wing and lay it inside to Boosey, who side-footed a pass through to Akuamoah. He beat his man to it in the area and struck a low shot towards the near post that was turned around the post by Searle’s boot. With sixteen minutes remaining, the game was back to all square as the visitors notched a similar goal to Sutton’s second, a low cross from the left finding Colin Hartburn at the back post and he managed to bundle it across the line, 2-2. The U’s introduced Craig Watkins for Stuart Booth in an effort to revitalise United’s attack but the Robins remained on the attack, sending a 35 yard drive skimming wide of the right post and then just failing to connect with a right wing cross on the penalty spot. But as the game entered the final ten minutes, Sutton began to dominate the match and create a number of chances. Akuamoah’s right wing cross found Quinton in the middle and his glancing header narrowly missed the left post. A minute later, Gray outpaced his marker down the right and sent over a cross that forced a corner. Boosey took the corner from the left and hit it low to the edge of the area where Quinton met it with a side-footed effort only for it to be cleared away from the line. With three minutes to go, Watkins brought down a long ball, span round onto his left foot and flashed a shot towards the left post that was palmed around the upright by a full-length diving save from Searle. As extra time beckoned, Honey played a waist-high ball through to Boosey, and he brought it down with the outside of his right boot before charging into the area and shooting at goal but his effort was blocked by the ‘keeper. As Akuamoah reached the rebound first, he turned back towards goal only to be bundled over by Hartburn and the referee hesitated briefly before pointing to the spot. Gray stepped up for penalty duty and confidently slammed it into the top left corner to give the ‘keeper no chance and send United through to round two. Full-time: U’s 3, Carshalton 2. F-t-L Facts:
Goals: Boosey (3), Vansittart (30), Gray (90 pen).
U’s v Hampton & Richmond, FA Trophy 1st Round (06/11/04) United travelled to Hampton for the first round of this season’s FA Trophy but it will take a replay at Gander Green Lane on Tuesday night to decide the tie after a one-all draw on Saturday. The only change from the midweek victory over Carshalton saw Peter Fear return in midfield. The U’s started the game the better of the two sides with Glenn Boosey looking in fine form. After three minutes he flashed a shot wide of the right angle from the edge of the box and, on nine minutes, Joff Vansittart won the ball on the right and laid it inside, perfectly into the run of Boosey, who ran on into the area before chipping it over the ‘keeper, only to see it bounce down off the bar and out of the area. Vansittart was first to the rebound but could only hook his shot over the bar from twenty yards. Hampton showed why they are unbeaten at home in the league this season, though, by grabbing the lead a minute later, Brain Ashe looping a header over Phil Wilson and into the U’s net, 0-1. Hit by this early blow, Sutton began to search for an equaliser, and could have gone level almost immediately when Fear’s long throw from the left went past John Scarborough, Vansittart and Lewis Gonsalves to reach Matt Gray at the back post but his low drive was blocked by the ‘keeper’s legs. Gray and Boosey both tried their luck from long range and Fear released a twenty-yard blaster that went narrowly wide of the right post after good work from Eddie Akuamoah and Gray as Hampton proved to be more difficult to break down than Sutton would have hoped. The hosts occasionally looked dangerous on the break and could have capitalised on a mistake by Gonsalves were it not for a last-ditch saving tackle from Paul Honey. Later, a right wing attack finished with a shot straight at Wilson. Prior to that Boosey tested their ‘keeper again, Vansittart winning the ball on the right and finding Akuamoah who passed it to the edge of the area to Boosey but his curler towards the left post shot was held by the Hampton goalie. Half-time: U’s 0, Hampton 1. A foul on Akuamoah shortly after the interval, gave the U’s a chance to try the same set piece free kick that worked so effectively against the Robins on Tuesday but this time Boosey’s shot was wayward of the left post. Honey and Fear were both substituted around the hour mark and looked to be carrying injuries - Craig Watkins and Stuart Booth coming off the bench as their replacements. On 69 minutes Sutton were finally level when a foul on Akuamoah lead to Gray dropping a free kick right into the path of Watkins’s run and he glanced a header from near the penalty spot to the right of the ‘keeper, 1-1. Having worked so hard for the leveller, the U’s immediately went to sleep and should have gone back behind three minutes later but Matt Elverson blasted the ball over from close range after Sutton had failed to clear the ball. Moments later, Gonsalves played Wilson into trouble and his clearance went straight to a Hampton midfielder forty-five yards out but his long shot dropped wide of the left post. The game got heated in the last fifteen minutes when the Hampton ‘keeper made a meal of a fifty-fifty challenge from Tony Quinton, causing a melee that resulted in the incomprehensible booking of Boosey, and a yellow card for the ‘keeper. With tempers flaring, Vansittart and another Hampton player found their way into the ref’s book minutes later. In the final minutes, either side could have booked their place in the next round. United were first to have a chance but Watkins chose to pass to Boosey rather than shoot himself and, although the U’s midfielder slotted home, the whistle for offside had already gone. From that free kick Hampton launched their own attack, and caused mayhem in the Sutton box as Wilson twice missed the ball before it was eventually knocked high and wide. In injury time, Vansittart curled a ball from the back to release Gray and give him the chance to win a game for the U’s for the second time this week but his well-hit low shot from a tight angle was turned behind by the ‘keeper. Final Score: U’s 1, Hampton 1. F-t-L Facts:
Goal: Watkins (69).
Right, Craig Watkins heads United level from Matt Gray's free kick. U’s v Hampton & Richmond, FA Trophy 1st Round Replay (09/11/04) United moved into the second round of the FA Trophy and extended their unbeaten run to six games with a comfortable 4-1 win over Ryman Premier side Hampton at the Lane on Tuesday night. With Peter Fear still injured from Saturday, Tony Quinton moved from defence to midfield, Joff Vansittart dropped into the back three and Craig Watkins returned to the starting eleven up front. In the opening minute Watkins displayed how his explosive pace could tear apart a defence, out-running a defender down the right wing and crossing low to Glenn Boosey, who turned in possession at the near post but could only fire across goal. Hampton’s defence clearly hadn’t learnt their lesson, though, when in the sixth minute Watkins zoomed past his marker, beat the ‘keeper to a long ball over the top and, from a tight angle on the right side of the area, guided a beautifully weighted lob over the ‘keeper’s head and into the goal to open the scoring, 1-0. As possession evened out United needed some desperate defending to keep the Hampton forwards at bay. In a flurry of chances halfway through the first 45, Phil Wilson saved a deflected free kick before the resulting corner was headed wide, and then the rebound to a long shot that Wilson could only palm looked like it was going to be stabbed home only for the U’s goalie to recover to block the shot over the bar. On the half hour, Watkins laid a ball out wide to Matt Gray and he beat his man and headed into the area but drilled his shot at the ‘keeper when three or four Sutton players had taken up good positions in the middle. As the half came towards a close, Eddie Akuamoah embarked on a dazzling run that saw him take the ball from the right of the area and beat two men but his left-footed shot from a central position just inside the area was at a nice height for the ‘keeper, who dived to his right to palm away. In first half stoppage time, Wilson again had to be alert to prevent a Hampton equaliser, this time diving full length to his left to tip a twenty five yard curler around the post. Half-time: U’s 1, Hampton 0. An explosive start to the second half ended the game as a contest as the U’s ruthlessly exploited Watkins’s pace. With six minutes gone, Watkins left the defence for dead to collect the ball on the left and crossed high into the middle where Akuamoah connected with a downward header that the ‘keeper got a hand to but couldn’t keep out, 2-0. Three minutes later the same combination made it three as Watkins again beat the defence to the ball, this time just inside the left of the area, and although the defender managed to get a tackle in on Watkins, he could only knock the ball straight across the face of the goal to the back post where Akuamoah had the simplest of finishes and slid it home for his second of the night, 3-0. Hampton did get themselves on the score sheet with 64 minutes gone when an attacker escaped his marker to hit a side-footed volley in at the near post from a right wing free kick, 3-1. The visitors rarely threatened to get back into the game and, aside from one chance with a little over ten minutes left where their forward shot over from wide on the right, barely had a sight of goal. Having been left embarrassed by him on a number of occasions throughout the game, the Hampton defence ended the game for Watkins in the final ten minutes with a scything tackle from behind. Andrew Martin came off the bench to replace Watkins. The scoring wasn’t over, though, as three minutes into injury time, Gray sprung the offside trap down the right wing and swung in a cross that Boosey met eight yards out and powered a header just below the bar. Full-time: U’s 4, Hampton 1. F-t-L Facts:
Goals: Watkins (6), Akuamoah (51, 54), Boosey (90). U’s v Welling United (13/11/04) United’s six game unbeaten run came to an end at Welling on Saturday despite taking an early lead. Craig Watkins started despite picking up a knock against Hampton on Tuesday. The only change to the team that won in midweek saw Stuart Booth start in midfield in place of the suspended Tony Quinton. The U’s maintained Tuesday’s knack of starting a half in fine form as within two minutes Booth found Glenn Boosey in the middle of the Welling half and he played it wide to Matt Gray who whipped a ball in towards the near post that just eluded Watkins’s attempt at a diving header. Two minutes later United were ahead when Eddie Akuamoah held the ball up under challenge on the edge of the box and touched it to Boosey on the left of the area, and he gained a yard on his marker before rolling it past the ‘keeper and in off the bottom of the far post, 1-0. Sutton weren’t in front for long, though, when Welling equalised before ten minutes were gone. A shot deflected behind off John Scarborough lead to a corner that was taken short, and the Welling player took his time to cross into the box where James Smith headed unmarked into the right of the goal, 1-1. United continued to carve out chances in these early stages and could well have reclaimed the lead on three occasions. With fifteen minutes gone, Watkins headed a long throw from Gray inside to Boosey and from twenty five yards he struck a sublime chip that looked to be dropping below the bar before the ‘keeper stretched back at the last moment to push it over. Akuamoah and Boosey were both then guilty of wasting golden chances. Akuamoah was first not to make the most of an opportunity when he latched on to Gray’s stabbed through-ball but fired straight at the goalie from the right of the area when Boosey was unmarked in the middle. Two minutes later Nigel Brake’s throw was worked via Watkins to Boosey but with only the ‘keeper to beat he scuffed his shot weakly into the ‘keeper’s arms. Welling made the U’s pay for their failings in front of goal when they took the lead after twenty nine minutes. A move down the left wing was crossed low into the area by and George Lay reacted first to slide in at the near post and knock the ball past a helpless Phil Wilson, 1-2. Having taken the lead, Welling finished the half as the better side forcing a diving save from Wilson and being denied by Brake, who headed off the goal-line. In the closing five minutes of the period, two shots from outside the area went narrowly wide of the posts before the welcome sound of the referee’s whistle gave United the chance of a breather. At the break: U’s 1, Welling 2. Once again United started the half well, Watkins firing a hard shot at the ‘keeper, but it was the hosts who found the net for a third time with 54 minutes gone. After Sutton failed to clear the ball, Jamie Day’s shot from the edge of the area took a wicked deflection into the left of the goal as Wilson dived in the opposite direction, 1-3. Almost immediately the U’s almost pulled a goal back in freakish fashion when Gray struck a high looping cross into the area from the right and it dropped on top of the bar at the back post. Sutton then went close as Akuamoah and Gray combined to find Paul Honey on the edge of the area and he passed inside to Boosey whose hard shot was held by the ‘keeper at the second attempt as Watkins and Honey closed in on the rebound. Watkins, never fully recovered from Tuesday, limped off just after the hour, having been showing signs of injury since before half time. He was replaced by Craig Howard, who went in to the defence with Joff Vansittart moving upfront. Two minutes later, after Welling spurned a one on one chance, Andrew Martin replaced Boosey. In desperation to get the U’s back in the match, Lewis Gonsalves tried an audacious lob from long range that sailed comfortably over but minutes later was much more deadly as he netted United’s second goal. After a foul on Booth to the left of the middle of the Welling half, Gray curled a free kick towards the right post where Gonsalves met the ball and planted a header back across the goal and into the inside netting on the far side, 2-3 (71 mins). United’s chances of equalising improved when Welling were reduced to ten men with ten minutes remaining. Smith, having been booked moments earlier for a needless handball, stupidly challenged Wilson as he kicked the ball out and picked up a second yellow. But although Sutton’s share of the possession improved slightly after the sending-off, Welling still looked just as likely to score and came the closest when Paul Booth flicked the ball over Wilson but clear of the bar in injury time. Final score: U’s 2, Welling 3. F-t-L Facts:
Goals: Boosey (4), Gonsalves (71).
Right, Matt Gray's second half cross drops on the Welling bar. U’s v Lewes (20/11/04) United dropped into the relegation zone as a woeful defensive performance lead to a 5-3 defeat at home to Lewes. Tony Quinton returned from suspension to a place in the back three with Lewis Gonsalves moving to left wing back. Craig Watkins’s absence through injury saw Andrew Martin start up front. The slow start to the game gave little indication of the goal-fest that was to follow. Neither side really looked dangerous until the 11th minute when Lewes broke down the left wing and beat Joff Vansittart but the ball into the box was intercepted by Quinton. From Quinton’s clearance, United launched a counter attack, Eddie Akuamoah reaching the edge of the area before laying in Martin on the left of the box but his first time, left-footed shot was deflected past the post by the outstretched boot of a defender. With fourteen minutes gone, Lewes took the lead when Peter Adeniyi’s shot from eighteen yards crept under the body of Phil Wilson, 0-1. In the following fifteen minutes the visitors looked likely to add to their lead but could only muster a couple of shots, the most dangerous almost beating Wilson at his near post from a tight angle. Sutton levelled the scoring a minute ahead of the half hour. Glenn Boosey started an attack that produced a corner on the right and, although it was cleared back to the right wing, Boosey was fouled on the touchline having taken the corner himself. Matt Gray hit the dead ball low towards the front post where John Scarborough side-footed home, 1-1. Two minutes later United went close to a second when Martin took a free kick quickly to Akuamoah who ran past a defender to the right of the area before cutting it back to Boosey whose stinging strike was just held by the ‘keeper. United never looked comfortable at the back, though, and went behind for a second time after 33 minutes when Adeniyi crossed high into the box from the right with the outside of his right foot and Barry Moore timed his run into the area to meet the ball, heading it down into the ground and up and over Wilson’s dive. Half-time: U’s 1, Lewes 2. The U’s started the second half positively as they pushed for an equaliser. Gonsalves was the chief architect, tearing their right back apart twice in four minutes as he first crossed to Martin, whose header was blocked by a jumping defender and then drilled low to Scarborough who fluffed a shot at the back post right across the goal line. Some abysmal defending gifted Lewes a third goal just after the hour. Quinton got himself into trouble in the Sutton area and his attempted clearance only found Adeniyi just outside the area and he fired low beneath Wilson, 1-3. John Rains immediately made a double substitution in an effort to get United back into the game. Martin and Boosey made way for Graham Tydeman and Steve Douglas, who was making his debut after some impressive performances in the youth team. The reshuffle saw Vansittart move from the back to play up front alongside Douglas, with Stuart Booth dropping into the defence and Akuamoah into midfield. The changes seemingly did little to shore up the U’s leaking defence as five minutes later the visitors added a fourth. Lee Newman received the ball on the edge of the penalty area, flicked it past his marker and hammered a left-footed shot low across goal into the bottom right corner, 1-4. As Lewes eased off with the game in the bag, Sutton went close as a cross into the area was sliced at goal by a defender but the ‘keeper reacted instantly to tip the ball around the post. A minute later, and with 16 minutes remaining, United found a glimmer of hope when Gray’s corner was headed at goal from near the penalty spot and Vansittart turned it into the net from near the right post, 2-4. Any chance of getting some points was extinguished only two minutes later with some more dreadful defending as Newman was allowed time to collect the ball on the right of the area and steady himself before hitting a soft shot that beat Wilson at his near post, 2-5. In the final moments, United grabbed a final consolation goal when Gray’s free kick from the left was met with a powerful header by Vansittart and guided expertly just below the bar. Final score: U’s 3, Lewes 5. F-t-L Facts:
Goals: Scarborough (29), Vansittart (74, 88).
Right, A blurry John Scarborough (right of photo) heads away in celebration after side-footing Sutton's first. U’s v Welling United (28/11/04) Sutton gained some revenge for losing 3-2 to Welling in the league a fortnight ago by knocking them out of the FA Trophy at Park View Road on Sunday. Peter Fear returned from injury with Glenn Boosey making way as Sutton lined-up for the first half in a 4-4-2 formation rather than the customary 5-3-2. The added width of playing Matt Gray and Nigel Brake as wingers rather than wing-backs served Sutton well in the opening exchanges. Twice Brake was involved on the left, first receiving a pass from Lewis Gonsalves and crossing deep to the back post where Gray’s sliding shot was blocked and then beating two men before rolling a pass through for Joff Vansittart who was judged to have fouled his marker as he battled for the ball on the edge of the area. With thirteen minutes gone, United took a deserved lead when Paul Honey won possession in the middle of the park and then flicked a pass to Eddie Akuamoah, who outpaced a defender and curled a precise shot around the ‘keeper from eighteen yards, 1-0. The U’s went close minutes later as Gray and Akuamoah combined to set up Vansittart but his left-footed shot on the turn was straight at the ‘keeper. Welling’s first major attack should have seen them equaliser and indeed they would have done but for a fantastic goal-line clearance from Stuart Booth – their striker turned inside Tony Quinton on the right side of the area and hit a firm shot that Phil Wilson could only block and the ball dropped nicely into the path of Paul Booth who hit a thunderous effort that Booth knocked clear. Akuamoah was constantly a thorn in the side of the Welling defence, as first he released Brake to shoot at the ‘keeper from a tight angle and then collected the ball on the halfway line and found Gray in space on the right whose low cross was cleared only as far as Peter Fear on the edge of the area, and his crisply struck volley was held at the second attempt by the ‘keeper. As the half came to a close, Sutton’s defence had to fight to stay ahead when Welling had a series of four or five corners but despite the pressure they failed to find a leveller. At the break: U’s 1, Welling 0. A positive start to the second period almost saw the U’s extend their slim advantage when Gray crossed from the right but the Welling ‘keeper was equal to Vansittart’s header from 14 yards. Moments later, Vansittart picked up a knock and was replaced by Steve Douglas. Sutton continued to threaten the Welling goal, and came as close as you can to scoring just after the hour. Fear started the move in the middle, spreading the play wide to Gray, who swung in what looked to be a harmless cross until Akuamoah headed it from near the back post to Brake. Ten yards out, Brake had time to control the ball but fired his effort against the left post as the ‘keeper and defence watched helplessly. The hosts finally found their feet in the second half, and gave the U’s a number of problems during a ten minute spell that saw Wilson deny them on three separate occasions, twice saving long-distance shots and once blocking from point-blank range when a goal appeared to be on the cards. As United reverted to their more familiar 5-3-2, Douglas nearly bagged his first senior goal with fifteen minutes to go. After collecting the ball on the halfway line on the right wing, he brought it infield before switching the play to Brake on the left. He took two touches before rolling a pass to Fear in the left of the area and he cut a pass behind his marker to the penalty spot where Douglas connected sweetly with a side-footed effort but placed it just too close to the ‘keeper, who dived to his left and saved one-handed. Inside the final ten minutes Akuamoah continued to be the biggest influence on the game. Gray’s chip towards the area eluded Douglas, but fell kindly for Akuamoah who dummied a shot to beat his marker only to pick out the goalkeeper with his shot from the edge of the box. Shortly after, Akuamoah’s trickery lead to a disgraceful challenge twenty-five yards out but Fear’s low, curling free-kick missed the right post by a foot. Welling could still have grabbed a late equaliser but Wilson saved a powerful shot from inside the area and when the rebound dropped to a Welling forward eighteen yards out, he could only hit a tame shot straight at Wilson. Final score: U’s 1, Welling 0. F-t-L Facts:
Goal: Akuamoah (13).
Right, Peter Fear and the ball are obscured by the Welling wall as he curls his late free kick narrowly wide of the post. |
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