Enfield 5

After a poor performance on Tuesday against Kingston this was an eagerly awaited opportunity to finish off a rare double against arch rivals Enfield on Saturday. However as it turned out, it was the visitors who put on a champagne performance against a Sutton side who never looked in control of the game at any time and must now be looking over their shoulders at the chasing pack in the league table. Sutton, who were still without Andy Salako, gave a first start to Danny Mills on loan from Barnet but some of the players on show, it must be said, did not look fully fit and the Enfield midfield especially Gary Fitzgerald ran the game and fully deserved their victory.

Joff Vansittart could have given Sutton an early lead when a good move involving Barry Laker and Matt Hanlan put him in and with the defender in front of him slipping, left Andy Pape to kick the Sutton players shot away with his feet. After twelve minutes a corner from Sutton's right resulted in Les Cleevely making a fine save from a rasping drive by Jimmy Carstairs after the ball had not been successfully cleared. And five minutes later Cleevely again came to Sutton's rescue sitting on a shot from Steve Darlington after Dave Venables had got in between two Sutton defenders to get his cross in.

But Enfield looked dangerous from corners all afternoon and the opening goal almost inevitably came from one. Steve McGrath's header from ten yards out being flicked in from close range by Leroy May after twenty-four minutes. Hanlan had a fierce drive, which only just cleared the bar after good work from debutante Danny Mills, but in injury time they should have scored Andy Pape dropping a cross, again by Mills, but despite a huge scramble no one got the finishing touch.

Sutton had high hopes at the beginning of the second now having the advantage of the wind but within ten minutes of the re start the game was almost out of sight. Joff Vansittart had a header against the cross bar after six minutes the rebound being headed just over from close in by Paul Clark but either side of that defensive frailties let them down again. Steve Darlington scored both the goals the first coming from another corner that wasn't cleared properly the second involving a driving run from my man of the match Gary Fitzgerald.

Junior Haynes came on for Sutton in place of Paul Clarke and after Andy Pape the Enfield goalkeeper had to leave the field with blood gushing from a head injury after he bravely dived at the feet of Joff Vansittart. Leroy May replaced him for the ten minutes he was off the field. His first job was almost to pick the ball out of the net as a Vansittart header was cleared off the line from a corner but that was probably Sutton's last chance of the game as Enfield cruised home with two goals in the last five minutes. Steve Darlington completing his hat trick and Gary Fitzgerald getting the goal that his performance deserved.

So the Sutton side of the crowd of 1122 went away bitterly disappointed after witnessing their second poor performance of the week. They must now hope that there is an improvement on Tuesday evening when Sutton go to Dulwich to try and get three valuable points in the race for the title, kick off 7.30pm.

The Sutton line up was:

Les Cleevely, Danny Brooker, Gwynne Berry, Paul Clark, Barry Laker, Jimmy Dack, John Ugbah Steve Watson, Matt Hanlan, Danny Mills and Joff Vansittart.

Junior Haynes replaced Paul Clark

And Nassim Akrour and David Everitt were the unused Subs.