SUTTON UTD 2 ALDERSHOT 0

report by Tony Dolbear

Two spectacular goals in the last 25 minutes gave Sutton their best result of the season so far at Gander Green Lane on Tuesday night and enabled them to grab whatever psychological advantage might have been going in the run up to Saturday's FA Cup meeting between the sides at the Recreation Ground. With a partisan home crowd behind them Aldershot will be a tough proposition in that game, so it was important that U's kept up what is a good record against them over recent years, with Aldershot's only success coming two years ago in an Isthmian Charity Shield game that didn't feature high on U's list of priorities as they tried to come to terms with Nationwide Conference life. Tuesday's game was evenly poised for an hour, and indeed with Grant Payne just having rattled Sutton's crossbar there was reason for the visitors to feel they were getting the upper hand, but a fantastic strike from Jon Palmer broke the deadlock and was soon followed by a storming header from Rob Haworth, albeit from a corner that almost certainly shouldn't have been given, after which Sutton might have added more. The first half was pretty even, with few clear chances and both goalkeepers producing one good save. Former Sutton favourite Gareth Howells diverted a Sam Keevill shot wide with his feet after Haworth's header had set up the chance, while Chuck Martini had to go full stretch to keep out a left wing cross that seemed to divert off a Sutton defender. Aldershot thought that they had gone in front in first half stoppage time when Martini fumbled a Scott Forrester shot to the feet of Mark Watson, but the offside flag was up before Watson lifted the ball in and denied him a goal against his former club. Gwynne Berry, one of three players booked in the first half along with Forrester and Mike Mison, failed to appear for the second half after seeming to sustain a knee injury, with Chris Boothe dropping back to defence and Paul Honey coming on to give an impressive performance which almost started with a goal as he battled through two challenges but miscued the ball over the bar as Keevill waited for the cross. It was Aldershot who came closest, though, when Payne cut in from the right and thumped a shot against the top of the crossbar when a little more care would surely have at least made Martini work. The removal of Payne for 'Shots' leading scorer Stafford Browne wouldn't have been much of a comfort to Sutton, but within two minutes they had brought their supporters' evenings thrillingly to life. From the moment Eddie Akuamoah took a quick free kick having been fouled on the halfway line the move had promise as Dave Timothy swept the ball out to Jon Palmer on the left wing. He cut in towards the penalty area before letting fly from 25 yards with his less favoured right foot, and the ball screamed in to the top far corner of the net with Howells having no chance. Nine minutes later came confirmation that it was U's night as assistant referee Andy Connor gave a corner that even Keevill, the challenging Sutton player, seemed to have accepted as a goal kick as he was 20 yards back towards the halfway line when he realised a corner had been given. The fact that Keevill's foot seemed high only added to Aldershot's annoyance, but nothing should detract from the accuracy of Honey's delivery of the corner or Haworth's full length diving header which crashed unstoppably past Howells. There was almost another four minutes later when Haworth went clear, and after Owen Coll had stopped him just about legally Jon Palmer's cross found Akuamoah, whose shot came back off the post, Aldershot scrambling the rebound to safety. Coll, lucky to escape at least a booking when he halted Akuamoah's run with a body check, should have scored at the other end when he headed wide from a corner, while Lee Protheroe sent a free kick just wide and Browne volleyed at Martini, but Sutton always looked likely to add to their score, and late on Akuamoah, whose pace gave Aldershot problems all night, shot just wide after an exciting run at the defence.

Sutton: Martini, R Palmer, J Palmer, Berry(Honey H-T), Arkwright, Mison, Timothy, Boothe, Haworth, Keevill, Akuamoah. Subs n/u Panter, Murray

Aldershot: Howells, Coll, Chewins, Kirby, Townley, Protheroe, Graham, Harford, Forrester, Watson, Payne(Browne 63). Subs n/u Adedeji, Sugrue.

Referee: P Melin Attendance 944