Aylesbury United 1

Sutton United 1

For the second season running Aylesbury prevented a Sutton victory with a last gasp equaliser and with Dagenham thrashing Oxford they have increased their lead at the top of the table.

 Sutton welcomed back Gwynne Berry to their ranks replacing Clive Gartell and John Ugbah came in for Jimmy Dack who picked up a hamstring injury during the week. Otherwise it was the usual Sutton line up with James Virgo taking Ugbah's place on the bench.

 There was a quiet opening to the game with neither side creating a clear cut opening in the first fifteen minutes. Sutton then had a lucky escape when a Swaysland header looked goal bound but David Everitt got up on the line to head the ball onto the underside of the bar and it was scrambled away. After twenty-nine minutes there was another scramble inside the Sutton box resulting in the ball ending up in the net but the referee had spotted a handball. He then booked Aylesbury's number two Rickie Sullivan however it was unclear at the time whether he was the offender or he was booked for protesting.

 Two minutes later Kevin Davies, who was a threat to Sutton all afternoon, came close with a glancing header and then Sutton had their closest moment of the first half. A corner on the right was headed on at the near post and John Ugbah looked likely to score but his header struck a defender and rebounded straight to the stranded Gary Phillips in the Aylesbury goal. Joff Vansittart was then booked for dissent after being adjudged to have fouled a defender when it looked like he had got beyond the Aylesbury man. The decision looked very harsh.

 Sutton got the best possible start to the second half Joff Vansittart putting Andy Salako in on the right and his low cross was pushed in by Matthew Hanlan to put Sutton in front. (For those regular readers Hanlan was also credited with the opening goal at Oxford after the game)

 This was the start of Sutton's best spell of the game. Salako should have scored when he put through with only the keeper to beat and a Joff Vansittart effort went agonisingly past the post after good work by Steve Watson had put in David Everitt.

 Aylesbury brought on Mark Jones and Adam Clarry towards the end to try and change the pattern of the game and although they pushed Sutton back territorially hardly any clear-cut chances were created and it was deep into injury time when they equalised. The ball was played in from the left beyond the far post and looked to be going out until substitute Clarry hooked it back in for Mick Swaysland to drive the ball home.

 Sutton now look forward to a big game next Saturday against Boreham Wood at Gander Green Lane to get points to keep the pressure on Dagenham, but before then, there is a cup game against Uxbridge at home on Tuesday night to look forward to. Kick off 7.30pm.