HEYBRIDGE SWIFTS 1 SUTTON UTD 3
report by Tony Dolbear
Facing a return trip to Heybridge in the FA Cup on Saturday, Sutton gave themselves the confidence boost of an impressive win at Scraley Road when the sides met in the Ryman League on Tuesday. U's will be mindful of the fact that last season, having beaten Aldershot in the league at Gander Green Lane, they then tumbled out of the FA Cup against the same opposition four days later but the circumstances were slightly different in that the cup game was at Aldershot, and U's will feel that if they can approach the form they showed in an outstanding second half display on Tuesday that they will be giving themselves every chance of progressing on Saturday. Once again they had to come from behind to win, but even when Heybridge went ahead two minutes before half time it was against the run of play and crucially U's replied instantly to go in at the break level. It was a game that took a while to get going, but U's had the better of the first half chances, Matt Hanlan shooting just wide after Scott Corbett had headed a free kick in to his path and then, after Mike Dignum had been booked for a tackle on Matt Fowler and Heybridge failed to deal with the free kick, Hanlan should have scored from Danny Bolt's corner but put his header wide. It was from a corner that Heybridge went in front as David Culverhouse met the ball at the far post with a header that just about had enough on it to fine the net. U's response was immediate, as Bolt controlled Nick Bailey's cross from the left on his chest, cut in between two defenders and buried a shot past Kingsley Banks from about 15 yards. Banks had been struggling in the first half and failed to reappear after the interval, Culverhouse taking over between the posts, and it says much for Bolt's confidence and footballing brain that his reaction was to test Culverhouse straight from the kick off with a shot from the centre circle which didn't quite come down in time and just cleared the crossbar. That set the tone for a second half in which U's completely outplayed their hosts, and it was simply a question of whether the goals would follow. Fowler snatched at one chance after Hanlan had headed the ball down, and Bolt scampered clear of the defence only to pull his shot wide under pressure, but when the breakthrough did come midway through the half it was worth the wait. Bolt and Bailey combined on the left, with Bailey whipping in a cross from near the corner flag that carried to the far corner of the penalty area. Fowler was waiting to meet it with a magnificent first time volley, and better keepers than Culverhouse would have been struggling to get near it as it flew across in to the corner of the net. Fowler might have had a hat trick as U's threatened to cut Heybridge to pieces with attractive, passing football, while the home side failed to make any impression on a U's defence in which 24 year old Dubliner Graham Brett made an assured debut. Fowler cut in from the right to send one shot just too high, and then met a pinpoint Bolt cross from the left with a header that also flashed over the bar. When he broke through again John Pollard's desperate tackle on the edge of the penalty area would have merited a red card but for the presence of a covering defender, but the third goal that the performance needed and deserved duly arrived three minutes from time as Bolt broke from midfield, weighed up several options, and then produced a perfectly timed pass that sent Bailey through to shoot firmly past Culverhouse.
Heybridge: Banks(Culverhouse H-T), Dignum, Barber, Pollard, Culverhouse(Walker H-T), Tomlinson, Windows, Hunter, Abrahams, Gough(Budge 71), Baillie.
Sutton: Pape, Beale, Hollands, Palmer, Brett, Bailey, Bolt, Corbett, Fowler, Hanlan, Gonsalves. Subs n/u Honey, Gray, Timothy, Dunn
Referee: N Kinseley Attendance 208
Sutton's reserves saw their progress up the Suburban League table checked by two defeats in the space of two days. On Saturday they went down by the only goal of the game at Marlow, and on Monday conceded twice in the last four minutes in losing 4-2 at Crawley. Earlier Danny Dray had put U's in front, and after Crawley recovered to go 2-1 up, Sam Hewitt looked to have secured a point with a fine volley 15 minutes from time. This Saturday U's have a home Suburban League game against Hendon.
Sutton's youth team dropped their first points last Wednesday in a 2-2 draw at Walton, but showed good character to come from behind after conceding two goals in the last four minutes of the first half, the first time their defence had been breached this season. U's had led through Matt Curtis, and Reece Mander claimed the equaliser early in the second half. This week U's were at home to Dulwich, and next Wednesday visit Banstead in a Southern Youth League game.