Ryman Premier League

 

 

 

     1     Sutton United         v        Gravesend & Northfleet     4

 

 

 

                  Another disappointing score line for Sutton made it thirteen goals conceded in three games. Although Sutton didn’t play as badly as the score line suggests seeing as they played with ten men for seventy minutes.

                  Sutton started brightly enough forcing an early corner and almost scoring from a Chris Boothe header but it was Gravesend that took the lead on five minutes. A thru ball by Lee Spiller allowed Stadhart to lob the ball over Howells and into the net. Gravesend could have gone two up when Paul Boothe opened up enough space to shoot and saw his shot rebound of the post. With the pitch making it difficult to pass the ball Sutton tried to brake the through the Gravesend defence. With ten minutes gone Brooker played a cross-field ball to Nko Ekoku who was able to beat one defender before slotting the ball under the keeper and slid the ball into the empty net to equalise. Ten minutes later Sutton allowed a long ball to bounce though the centre of defence to Stadhart who looked to be in a one on one situation but Palmer brought him down and was sent off. Jimmy Jackson stepped up to slot home from the spot. With thirty minutes gone a far post cross fell to Barnett whose shot rebounded of the post. Minutes later Barnett and Nko were involved in an off the ball situation for which they were both booked. With five minutes of the first half left Whitmarsh played the ball thru to Haworth who was tripped by a Gravesend player but no penalty was given.

                 The second half had little action in it and it wasn’t until the seventy fifth minute that there was a shot on either goal. It was Stadhart who ran on to a thru ball and was able to slip the ball past Howells to get his second goal of the game. Whitmarsh could have pulled the game back a goal but his half volley went inches wide. In the final minutes of the game, a bad clearance by Howells allowed Stadhart to brake thru the defence before Paul Boothe stole the ball of him from an offside position and slotted home. The linesman put his flag up and Howells even placed the ball for the free kick but the ref decided that the goal should count and took the ball back to the centre circle.

               The game left Sutton with out a league win since the Boxing Day clash win Carshalton. Sutton will hope to get back to winning ways when they play Hitchin away next Saturday