HARROW BOROUGH 1 SUTTON UTD 6

In scoring six goals in an away Ryman League game for the first time since a 6-0 win at Purfleet in August 1997, Sutton began the year 2002 in the most positive fashion at Earlsmead on Saturday. The crushing victory moved Sutton in to the top half of the Premier Division table for the first time this season, and intensified the gloom at Harrow, cast adrift at the foot of the table, still without a home win, and looking ever more as though the relegation trapdoor that they have narrowly avoided in recent years is about to open beneath them. Five of the goals came in the second half after Harrow had lost skipper Christian Hyslop, sent off on the half hour, and that was another pleasing aspect for a side that hasn't got a great record against ten men over the past couple of seasons. U's started well, and were ahead in the 9th minute when Scott Corbett sent Eddie Akuamoah away to finish confidently as goalkeeper Duncan Roberts came out. Within a minute, though, Harrow were level in contentious circumstances as Fabio Valenti curled a quickly taken free kick from 20 yards past a surprised Tommy Dunn while referee Tony Mason appeared to be organising the Sutton wall. U's claimed afterwards that Valenti had been told to wait for the whistle, and Michael Mison's protests brought him a booking before the game restarted. Despite playing just about all the football Sutton found the next twenty minutes frustrating as tensions simmered fairly close to the surface. Pat Gavin was booked for a foul on Mison, and then Hyslop, having fouled Akuamoah on the edge of the area, seemed to clip U's striker round the back of the head as the dispute continued and was shown a red card. Roberts did well to keep out Phil Wingfield's free kick, and made an even better save from a Corbett header moments after U's midfielder had gone in to the book following an off the ball incident. Sutton's frustration might have grown on the stroke of half time when Dunn was penalised for picking up Ryan Palmer's pass, but Adam Everitt's free kick was deflected in to the side netting. It was to be the closest Harrow came, as Sutton took complete control with three goals in the first nine minutes of the second half. Rob Haworth confidently assumed penalty taking duties to set them on the way after Akuamoah had been brought down as he created space for a shot to the left of goal, and Akuamoah, in storming form at present, then added a fine individual effort as he went free down the right, drifted in past two challenges and drilled a low shot in to the far corner. Five minutes later he was almost upstaged by Matt Gray, who outwitted Mark Xavier brilliantly on the right, cut in past two defenders and seemed set to celebrate his 18th birthday on Monday with a memorable goal when he was brought down. Not for the first time, Mr Mason produced a decision that stunned U's as he waved play on, but he was let off the hook when the ball broke to Wingfield, who curled a delightful right foot shot in to the top far corner as Gray lay injured in the penalty area. The three goal blitz shattered Harrow, who began to look like a bottom of the table side playing with ten men, and at times U's seemed almost to have too many options. They took the chance to give all three substitutes a run out, and it was on-loan midfielder Craig Brown who did most to catch the eye, impressive in both penalty areas. It was also Brown who got the scoring moving again with fifteen minutes left, some neat skill to the left of goal creating the chance which was converted with a low, and slightly deflected, shot across Roberts. Four minutes later Akuamoah completed a well deserved hat trick, his second of the season, with a close range header from a superb left wing Matt Fowler cross, and as if he didn't want to miss out on the action Dunn denied Harrow even the smallest of consolations when he made a fine save from substitute Carlton Mitchell.

Harrow: Roberts, Clarke, Everitt, Hyslop, Walters, Gavin(Mitchell 54), Adolphe, Ellis(Bennetts 29), Valenti, Xavier, Minton(Torto 54).

Sutton: Dunn, Timothy, Gonsalves, Mison, R Palmer, Honey(Brown 62), Wingfield(J Palmer 69), Corbett, Gray, Haworth(Fowler 59), Akuamoah.

Referee: T Mason Attendance:262