SUTTON UTD 2 HAMPTON & RICHMOND B 0

By Tony Dolbear

Sutton finished what has been an uneven season in winning style on Saturday, ending a second run this season of ten Ryman League games without a win. It wasn't quite enough to lift them in to the top half of the table, thanks to Hitchin's win at St Albans, but for reasons of local pride the news of Kingstonian's defeat by Heybridge was well received at Gander Green Lane as it enabled U's to finish two points ahead of their local rivals. For much of the afternoon a lively pitch and blustery wind ensured that this would be fairly routine end of season fare, along with the fact that only one team has been relegated this season. Had it been three Hampton would have needed to win to have any chance of staying up, and would have regretted even further how little they made of the considerable amount of possession they had in the first half. They also conceded an early lead as Paul Honey, who before the game became the youngest ever recipient of the Supporters' Club Player of the Year award just two months after his 19th birthday, took just eight minutes to show why he is so highly regarded. He first pressurised, then dispossessed Marvyn Watson some 30 yards from the Hampton goal, and played Rob Haworth in on the left. His cross ran through a crowded penalty area to Matt Gray, and he followed up his stunning goal against Grays by striking the ball crisply in to the corner of the net. U's almost had a second three minutes later, Haworth heading against the outside of the post from a tight angle, but then they found playing in to the wind difficult, and might have been punished by a better side. Tommy Dunn made a fine save with his legs from Esayas Yhdego, who also had a goal ruled out for offside, and at the other end Gray, who has finished the season strongly, hit a shot against the legs of Stuart McKenzie after a typically skilful run along the left by-line. Half time saw the sort of coincidence beloved of statisticians everywhere as referee Alf Webb was forced off by injury, having suffered exactly the same fate in the last game of the 1994-95 season at Gander Green Lane against Kingstonian, and was replaced by Roy Marsh. It was another half time replacement, however, who threatened the more immediate impact as Richard O'Connor's first touch was a low 20 yard shot that flew just wide with Dunn beaten. The replacement referee soon made himself noticed with a couple of bizarre decisions and a carefree attitude to where free kicks should be taken from, with Hampton gaining a good ten yards with one early in the second half. After Haworth had run on to Gray's flick and seen his low shot superbly turned round by McKenzie it was U's turn, as Honey took a quick free kick some 15 yards to the right of where a foul had occurred, and with the ball moving. Dave Timothy crossed to the far post, and Haworth installed himself as U's leading league and cup scorer for the season with a fine header past the scrambling McKenzie, his 18th goal of the campaign seeing him one ahead of Eddie Akuamoah. After that it was largely a case of playing out the last half hour of the season, with the lively Gray lifting a shot over the top and Scott Corbett whistling a 20 yarder just wide. Hampton's threat continued to come from O'Connor, but Dunn tipped over a fierce shot and, after another sound performance to round off a largely impressive five months as first choice keeper, the 20-year-old deserved the slice of luck in the last minute that enabled him to finish the season with a clean sheet. O'Connor's driven cross from near the right corner flag thumped back off the inside of the post, and two subsequent shots were blocked by defenders.

Sutton: Dunn, R Palmer, Gonsalves, Mison, Hmmonds, Honey(Bailey 75), Timothy, Corbett, Gray, Haworth, Akuamoah. Subs n/u Drew, Fowler.

Hampton: MacKenzie, O'Brien, Girvan(O'Connor H-T), Dicker, Flitter(Omonua 49), French, Watson, Rose, Ibe(Maskell 64), Yhdego, Sloma.

Referee: A Webb(R Marsh H-T) Attendance 514

Sutton's youth team clinched the Central Division of the Southern Youth League on Friday night when they won 1-0 at Banstead. The crucial goal came in the second half through Sonny Burridge, who met Ken Gundlach's cross with a diving header that went in off keeper and post. They still have two home games to play, against Banstead this Friday and Dulwich on Monday 6 May(both 7.30), and will then face Croydon Athletic and Aldershot in the play offs for the outright championship.