SUTTON UNITED 3  BRAINTREE TOWN 1

Having started their season in dispiriting style at Braintree, when the promoted Essex side cruised to a 3-0 win, Sutton ended the first half of the campaign against the same opposition on Saturday and, in giving a far better account of themselves, would have exactly reversed the scoreline but for Nicky Simpson's late goal. With four players under 20 in the starting line up there was huge encouragement to be gained by U's followers from as good a performance as they have produced this season, and it gave Mike Mison a highly satisfactory start as captain following Chris Boothe's departure to Aylesbury on Friday. An early goal always helps, and with just 34 seconds gone Eddie Akuamoah provided it with a powerful left foot shot after Jon Palmer's challenge had knocked Rob Haworth's right wing cross in to his path. It might have been two in the first three minutes, Matt Gray cutting in from the right and seeing his shot pushed round the post by Paul Catley, but just as easily Braintree might have been level before the quarter of an hour mark when Andy Potter outjumped Tommy Dunn to head a corner goalwards but found Paul Honey standing on the goal line to head clear. Braintree had other chances during the half, Robbie Reinelt's shot deflected just wide and Paul Rippingale shooting past the post after Dave Timothy's only mistake of the afternoon had allowed Simpson and Reinelt to attack on the left. Jon Palmer fired a shot across the face of goal following a corner before referee David Evans found himself at the centre of the arguments as defender Gary Waters hauled down Akuamoah on the edge of the penalty area after Haworth had flicked a ball in to his path. Quite who else other than the goalkeeper was in a position to deny Akuamoah wasn't obvious, but Mr Evans allowed Waters to escape with a yellow card, and if Ryan Palmer wore a puzzled look at that moment he was entitled to it, since the same referee had sent him off in similar circumstances against Gravesend last season. The reprieve didn't stop visiting captain Nicky Smith picking up a booking for dissent, and Braintree's situation became rapidly worse immediately after half time as those who had missed the first minute found greater cause to regret taking slightly too long over their half time cup of tea. Within four minutes of the restart Ryan Palmer had blasted in a 20 yard shot after Jon Palmer's presence had again set up the shooting opportunity, this time from Akuamoah's deep corner, and Haworth had scored a third, heading on a high ball to Akuamoah and receiving the return pass before guiding a shot beyond Catley. To their credit Braintree then had their best spell of the game, and were unlucky when Dean Parratt's 40 yard shot drifted over the stranded Dunn but clipped the outside of the post. They could make no impression, though, and as Sutton finished strongly Honey was unfortunate to see his well executed 20 yard half volley ruled out because Haworth was standing offside in the centre of goal, and both Timothy and substitute Matt Fowler saw shots go inches wide. Timothy was also the recipient of a rustic challenge on the edge of the area that earned a yellow card for Simpson, who could reflect with relief that Mr Evans was one of few referees who wouldn't have booked him for a scything foul on the same player in the first half. As it was, he remained to grab Braintree's late consolation, his header just evading Dunn's clutches after the keeper had saved brilliantly from Steve Blaney.

Sutton: Dunn, R Palmer, Gonsalves, Mison, Timothy, Honey, J Palmer(sub Fowler 64), Corbett(sub Berry 85), Gray(sub Brown 61), Haworth, Akuamoah.

Braintree: Catley, Howard, Davidson, Potter, Waters, Reinelt, Simpson, Parratt, Rippingale(sub Blackery 49), Smith(sub Albone 80), Blaney. Sub n/u Girling.

Referee: D Evans Attendance: 515

CORINTHIAN CAS RES 0 SUTTON UTD RES 2

Sutton's Suburban League victory at Tolworth on Saturday was marred by a serious injury to Martin Dunne, who was taken to hospital midway through the second half with suspected knee ligament damage. Sutton led by a goal at the time, Darren Delandro scoring a superb individual effort after 19 minutes finished with a chip over former U's keeper Clive Offer, and they might have had more, Dunne heading against a post and Stuart Hammonds denied first by a goal line clearance and then by a fine save. Nick Bailey also had a shot cleared off the line, and had a goal ruled out for offside, before Dunne's injury held play up for 25 minutes while an ambulance was brought to take him to hospital. Inevitably the remainder of the match was played in a subdued atmosphere, but Bailey ensured that the points would be Sutton's when he took Ben Moger's pass round the keeper before putting the ball in to the empty net.

Sutton: Ribolla, Hamlin, Taylor(Loucas), Dunne(Dennis), Howard, Hammonds, Bailey, Smith, Morris(Heuston), Moger, Delandro.

SUTTON UTD YTH 5 CHIPSTEAD YTH 0

Sutton turned in one of their best performances of the season so far to sweep Chipstead aside in last week's Southern Youth League clash. Nick Bailey put them in front after just two minutes after good work by Tony Bridgeman, and from then it was virtually all one-way traffic. Bridgeman scored a fine second, cutting in from the left and shooting in off the bar from 25 yards, and picked up his second of the night in the 35th minute, tapping in after the keeper had failed to hold Bailey's cross. He was denied a hat trick when his hot was deflected on to a post, but then Ken Gundlach made it 4-0 with a superb solo effort, running from halfway and then chipping the keeper. Lawrence Richardson added the fifth with 14 minutes left, although his injury once U's had made all three substitutions meant that they finished the game with ten men.

Sutton: Smith, Hamlin, Marshall, Fontana, Drew, Richardson, Bailey(Gilbert), Tydeman(Boosey), Bridgeman(Wall), Imms, Gundlach