BEDFORD T 0 SUTTON UTD 1

Report by Tony Dolbear

Sutton picked up an excellent three points on their first visit to the New Eyrie on Saturday, adapting to the blustery conditions well and fully deserving the victory. But for a wild penalty miss by Rob Haworth nine minutes from time they would have put another goal between them and their struggling hosts and such a margin wouldn't have flattered them. Playing in to the wind in the first half U's took time to get a foothold in the game, and the first 25 minutes were as uneventful as any period of play in any game this season, but significantly Sutton finished the half the stronger, and underlined that advantage with the crucial goal within seven minutes of the restart. That forgettable opening spell ended with a chance for the home team when Stuart Hammonds made his only mistake of the afternoon when he failed to cut out a ball down the left, but Wayne Dyer's chip over the advancing Tommy Dunn drifted away on the wind and fell harmlessly wide. Scott Corbett was far closer to achieving the breakthrough on the half hour, found at the far post by Phil Wingfield's chip but seeing his shot turned away at the near post by goalkeeper James Heeps. In terms of goalmouth incident that was about it for the first half, but Sutton had had a lot of the ball, and a couple of corners, in the closing stages that will have left them optimistic for the second half. That feeling was justified as seven minutes after the break Eddie Akuamoah was able to attack the defence before being crowded out, but he managed to lay the ball off to Corbett coming in to his left and although a covering defender got to the ball at about the same time Corbett made enough contact to loop the ball out of Heeps' reach and in to the far corner for his first competitive goal in a Sutton shirt. Sutton went on to play some good football without quite being able to apply the finishing touch, and too often moves broke down in and around the penalty area, but apart from Dunn saving a low 20 yard Mark Paul shot and one outstanding tackle by Hammonds on the halfway line to halt an ominous break out attack U's weren't seriously threatened. It was Dave Timothy and Lewis Gonsalves, deployed as wing backs in a 3-5-2 formation, that came closest to fashioning a second goal when Gonsalves arrived at the far post to meet Timothy's cross on the volley but saw the ball cleared inside the six yards box. The real chance to sew things up, though, came when Matt Fowler, who had only been on the pitch for a couple of minutes, was put in on the right of the penalty area by good work involving Timothy and Ryan Palmer, and sent flying by Lee Harvey's clumsy challenge. If referee Paul Randall has an easier penalty decision this season he'll be lucky, but Haworth wasn't able to accept the opportunity as he blasted the ball over the bar from the spot. He almost made amends two minutes later when Fowler's flick on allowed him to lift the ball past Heeps, but Harvey atoned for his earlier error by covering inside the six yard box to clear. The closing stages were therefore more anxious than they might have been, and in the closing seconds U's might have been deprived of victory when substitute Gary Williams outjumped both Dunn and a defender to meet Justin Griffiths' left wing cross, but his header hit the top of the crossbar and went over.

Bedford: Heeps, Harvey, Miller(Jones 78), Wilson, Tucker, Turner, Dyer(Griffiths 64), Berry, Slinn(Williams 64), Paul, Edge.

Sutton: Dunn, Timothy, Gonsalves, Mison, Palmer, Honey, Wingfield(Fowler 78), Corbett, Hammonds, Haworth, Akuamoah. Subs n/u Gray, Bailey.

Referee: P Randall Attendance 488

SUTTON UTD RES 0 HAYES RES 2

An experienced Hayes side proved too strong for Sutton's youngsters in Saturday's top of the table Suburban League clash at Gander Green Lane. U's started brightly, and Ben Moger had a goalbound shot deflected away while Darren Delandro put a good chance straight at the Hayes keeper. Delandro almost put U's ahead when his corner swung in on the wind and was clawed away, but after Hayes had gone ahead with a break away attack finished with a 20 yard shot U's were always struggling to get back in to the game. Hayes hit the bar early in the second half, and had two more near misses before going 2-0 up in the 57th minute. U's had their moments late on, with Heuston heading at the keeper and Nick Williams heading wide, but they always looked too lightweight to make any lasting impression.

Sutton:Ribolla, Stevens(Hamlin), Dray, Dennis, Beale, Howard, Williams, Smith(Tydeman), Heuston, Moger, Delandro(Drew)