ENFIELD 2 SUTTON UTD 2

by Tony Dolbear

Sutton's unbeaten run in Ryman League games extended in to double figures on Saturday, but they were made to battle all the way before having to settle for a share of the points. Enfield, battling to keep clear of the relegation picture, wouldn't win many marks for style, and compared with the great traditions that the club has there is something dispiriting about watching them at Boreham Wood in front of a handful of spectators, but in cold conditions and with the pitch given extra zip by a pre match snowstorm they worked hard to ensure that in the end U's had to be happy with a point. U's had the elements with them in the first half and almost went ahead in the 13th minute when Michael Kalli, whose handling always looked suspect, allowed Scott Corbett's free kick to slither through his grasp and Eddie Akuamoah, wearing the captain's armband in the absence of the suspended Mike Mison, slid in to shoot in to the side netting. Two minutes later it was Enfield who struck the first blow as Lee Allen hit a speculative 25 yard shot that dipped under the crossbar, but it took U's only two minutes to level. Dave Timothy combined on the right with Craig Howard, deputising for Mison, before swinging in a left foot cross that was met powerfully at the near post by Rob Haworth's diving header. Grant Cooper almost repeated Allen's effort, and Tommy Dunn came out quickly to make a good stop from George Georgiou, but Sutton had chances to go in front as well, with Kalli pushing a Haworth shot just wide after James Ayres had failed to make decent contact with a header back to his keeper. Tempers then became frayed as Timothy and Vas Soteriou were booked for a midfield skirmish, Timothy perhaps a little lucky not to go off when he committed another foul soon afterwards, and Georgiou picked up a yellow card for a crude and needless follow through on Dunn. Georgiou had a more positive impact on the stroke of half time, though, as Haworth delayed his clearance on the edge of the area and was dispossessed by Ayres, and Cooper's cross shot gave Georgiou the simplest of tap-ins. For much of the second half U's struggled to get back, with Phil Wingfield having the clearest sight of goal when he went clear but saw his shot well smothered by Kalli. Dunn pushed round a Soteriou effort, and Nicky Gyoury missed badly with a header from a corner, but with ten minutes left, just after Enfield had had loud claims for a penalty turned down as Stuart Hammonds tackled Ian Hilaire, U's grabbed the equaliser as Corbett let fly from 25 yards and earned his reward as the low shot went straight through Kalli in to the net. After that both sides could have won it, with Matt Fowler having a shot pushed round the post, Hammonds heading disappointingly wide from the corner, and at the other end Ayres failing to make proper contact from close range when a free kick was knocked back across goal. Right at the end Hammonds' cross was pushed away by Kalli, but Fowler's volley back across goal evaded everyone when a touch was all that was needed.

Enfield: Kalli, Hoy(Peddie 69), Soteriou, Gyoury, Cooper(Hilaire 73), Ayres, Rufus, Reddington(Magona 61), Allen, Georgiou, Warren.

Sutton: Dunn, Timothy(Fowler 73), Gonsalves, Hammonds, Palmer, Honey, Wingfield, Corbett, Howard(Williams 61), Haworth, Akuamoah. Sub n/u Gray.

Referee: Andy Osborne Attendance 159