Report by Lyall Reynolds
Last Saturday, Sutton, unbeaten in the league for 6 games, lost to a rather ordinary looking Hitchin side. Neither side fashioned any great chances in the opening half-hour and United looked unsteady in midfield and gave the ball away too often with a succession of sloppy passes. No game for nearly two weeks seemed to have cost the team the element of sharpness and fight that had been present in coming from two goals down against Chesham and Hayes. Sutton failed to fashion any obvious opportunity, and soon after United fans had caught their breath protesting when Mark Watson first real threat had been thwarted, the home side took the lead when their winger breezed past two U's defenders and slid the ball wide of Andy Pape into the far corner of the net. With the half almost over, Watson controlled the ball on the corner of the Hitchin area. His initial cross was blocked but as the ball came back to him, the defender clumsily brought him down for a penalty. A prime opportunity to level the scores, was wasted as Danny Bolt's spot-kick was weak and too close to the 'keeper. Three minutes after the restart, Hitchin extended their lead to two when Ayres, had the simplest of tasks in pushing the ball home at the back post as he rushed to meet the cross. The introduction of Matt Gray for Bolt on the hour gave Sutton's midfield more zip but clear chances were hard to come by. Late in the game, Watson headed just wide and Lewis Gonsalves, solid at the back, got forward but could not bundle the ball past the Hitchin 'keeper. Dave Timothy tested their 'keeper from the corner of the box but United were unable to force their way back into the game.
Line-up: Pape, Timothy, Hollands, Palmer, Brett (Honey), Bailey, Bolt (Gray), Corbett, Fowler, Watson, Gonsalves. Sub (n/u) Beale