SUTTON UTD 2 HITCHIN T 4

report by Tony Dolbear

After making a habit of successfully retrieving single goal deficits in recent weeks, Sutton found that giving Hitchin a three goal start on Saturday was too great a handicap to overcome, and despite a concerted effort that had Hitchin on the back foot for most of the second half they couldn't rescue their ten game unbeaten run, with Carl Drew's goal five minutes from time even sparing the visitors the need to hang on in the closing minutes. The damage was done inside the first half hour as Sutton conceded two extremely unsatisfactory goals to the afternoon's outstanding player Matt Nolan, and after missing a great chance to pull one back, a third shortly afterwards. Hitchin should have scored in the first minute as leading scorer Shaun Marshall somehow failed to connect with a cross from Dean Brennan when any sort of touch would surely have put the ball in, but they did score after 14 minutes with a rapid counter attack following a Sutton corner. Paul Honey's cross was hammered downfield, Lewis Gonsalves failed to make the interception and Nolan was left to run half the length of the pitch unchallenged, although his neatly chipped finish was of the highest order. Thirteen minutes later worse followed as Ryan Palmer produced a good challenge inside the area that sent the ball back towards Tommy Dunn, who gambled wrongly that referee Matt Downey would not interpret Palmer's intervention as a pass. The moment he picked it up the whistle blew, and although Dunn then produced a brilliant save to deny Ian Scott from the free kick, Nolan put the loose ball high in to the net. Sutton should have replied soon afterwards when a powerful run by Rob Haworth set up Matt Fowler, starting a league game for the first time since November 24th, but he went for placement rather than power and James Robinson saved comfortably. In the 34th minute Brennan, recently signed from Wingate & Finchley, volleyed cleanly past Dunn after a left wing cross fell to him 15 yards out, and Sutton were seriously up against it. Their response was just what their supporters would have wanted, and within six minutes Haworth bundled the ball in from Phil Wingfield's low free kick to begin the comeback. Seconds later Craig Howard saw a ferocious shot rebound to safety off Craig Rydeheard, and as Sutton continued to press in the second half Paul Honey's well struck 25 yard shot was saved. With still the better part of half an hour to go Eddie Akuamoah reduced the deficit further, taking over penalty duties with some style after Haworth had been barged in the back following Howard's cross and Wingfield's header, and at that stage U's fans would have expected something from the game. It wasn't to be, though, as Honey disappointingly shot off target when twice presented with space 20 yards out, and from the best chance of the lot Robinson came off his line quickly to deny Akuamoah who was clear on the left. The Hitchin keeper must have been within millimetres of handling outside his area as he prevented Akuamoah reaching another through pass, although assistant Paul Green was as well placed as it was possible to be, but with Hitchin using every ploy available to take the sting out of the game the pressure wouldn't pay off. With five minutes left Scott burst through from the midfield and set up substitute Drew to score with a low shot, although to round off an eventful 18 minute appearance Drew went on to become the seventh player to be shown the yellow card by Mr Downey in what was at times a fractious afternoon.

Sutton: Dunn, R Palmer, Gonsalves, Hammonds, Howard(Gray 62), Honey, Wingfield, Corbett, Fowler, Haworth, Akuamoah. Subs n/u Seal, Bailey

Hitchin: Robinson, Bone, Rydeheard, McElroy, Burke, Scott, Williams, Beevor, Marshall(Drew 72), Nolan, Brennan. Subs n/u Parry, Childs

Referee: M Downey Attendance 531