Report by Tony Dolbear
By the time Sutton started playing properly in Saturday's local derby at Kingsmeadow the game had been in progress for 20 minutes and Kingstonian had taken a two goal advantage, and although after that U's could claim with some justification to have been the better side the margin proved too much to recover as the home side hung on despite having two players sent off inside the last 15 minutes. With Matt Gray suspended, U's hoped that the inclusion of Eddie Akuamoah against his former club would have the same effect as last season, when his spectacular solo effort rescued a point, but they did themselves no favours with their slow start. The alarm bells were ringing after only two minutes when Ronnie Green, returning from a loan spell at Carshalton, found himself clear on the right but pulled his shot across goal, but they weren't heeded. Seven minutes later Tim Sills, whose afternoon was to be one of mixed fortunes, was allowed a free run to head Max Hustwick's free kick past Jamie Ribolla from close range, and ten minutes after that Sills' volley from a low right wing corner somehow found its way through a crowd of players and ended up in the net. At that point U's decided to show a bit more of the form that has seen them in the top three at times this season, and within eight minutes the arrears had been reduced as Mark Watson was fouled by Peter Barnsby 20 yards out, and Danny Bolt's low free kick squirmed through Lance Key's grasp in to the far corner. From that point there was only one team in the rest of the first half, with Watson foiled by Key after a good link with Bolt, Nick Bailey volleying just wide from 20 yards after a Bolt free kick had been headed out to him, and Bolt himself just off target with another free kick from an almost identical position to that which had produced his goal. That miss, though, had been preceded by a spectacular wrestling pile-up involving the majority of the players on the pitch after Barnsby had again fouled Watson. When order was restored referee Chris Salt contented himself with yellow cards for Barnsby and Watson, and then bizarrely for Bolt when he complained about the 'wall' being too close, although Mr Salt rather undermined his position by moving it back once he had booked the U's player. Before half time Sills, beginning his descent from hero to zero, and Darren Beale were also in the book for reckless challenges, and the half time whistle gave the game a chance to cool off. That happened, but the break also saw U's lose the fluency they had shown in the later stages of the first half. Too often the ball was played forward in hope rather than expectation, whereas before half time it had been at times moved stylishly around, and in fact much of the second half had little to commend it. Kingstonian might have had a third goal, and Sills a hat trick, when he exchanged passes with Phil Wingfield but Ribolla stood up well to keep out his shot, while at the other end Bolt conjured up a superb cross from tight on the left by-line which Matt Flitter did brilliantly to hook away from Watson inside the six yard box, colliding with the post in the process. Until then the tensions of the closing stages of the first half had not resurfaced, but then Sills challenged Beale for a high ball in a fashion dangerous enough for Mr Salt to show him a second yellow card and reduce K's to ten men. U's almost capitalised with another magnificent Bolt cross from an almost identical position that this time might have led to a penalty had Bailey not been penalised for pushing before his header hit the hand of a covering defender. K's desperation to hang on led to a booking for James Pinnock for the time he took over taking a corner, but worse followed for the home team when he finally took it as Ribolla, who had a good game, claimed a fine catch before being flattened by Barnsby's challenge. Perhaps lucky to have escaped with a yellow card in the first half incident, Barnsby could have no complaints at becoming the second K's player to see the yellow and red combination, but despite the introduction of Scott Corbett U's couldn't punish the home side's indiscipline and K's held on their first home Isthmian League win over U's since November 1974.

Kingstonian: L Key, M Hustwick, M Flitter, D Clarke(sub C Rocastle 11), P Barnsby, M Elverson, J Pinnock, B Alimi, T Sills, R Green(sub L Collins 51), P Wingfield(sub D Ocquaye 72). Subs n/u J Sills, A Jones. Goals: T Sills(9,19). Booked: Barnsby(34-unsporting behaviour), T Sills(40-foul), Pinnock(82-time wasting). Sent Off: T Sills(76-foul-second bookable offence), Barnsby(83-foul-second bookable offence).

Sutton: J Ribolla, D Beale(S Corbett 83), M Hollands, R Palmer, E Akuamoah, N Bailey, D Bolt, P Honey, M Fowler, M Watson, L Gonsalves. Subs n/u M Hanlan, D Brooker. Goal: Bolt(27). Booked: Watson(34-unsporting behaviour), Bolt(34-dissent), Beale(44-foul).

Referee: C Salt Attendance: 902