report by Tony Dolbear

Sutton suffered their heaviest defeat of the season at York Road on Saturday against a Maidenhead side who for the second game running looked to possess as lively an attacking partnership as any U's have encountered this season. U's trailed 3-0 at half time, hardly a fair reflection of the play but indicative of the way that the home side had taken their chances, and when Mark Watson reduced the arrears little more than a minute after half time a comeback looked possible. Hopes were quickly extinguished, however, by a venomous strike from Richard O'Connor, and unable to hit back immediately U's lost heart as the game drifted to its conclusion. Scott Corbett's early volley wide from a Danny Bolt corner hinted at better things to come, but instead U's fell behind after eight minutes, O'Connor's corner from the left allowed to reach Adrian Allen, who headed firmly home. U's continued to have as much, if not more, of the ball and had loud penalty appeals turned down when Corbett went tumbling, but Maidenhead struck again before a quarter of the game had elapsed. This was a superb goal as Lawrence Yaku gained possession just outside the penalty area on the right, brushed aside two challenges as he ran from right to left and then produced a delightful chip which left Tom Dunn stranded and dropped in to the net. Dunn rescued U's after some more hesitant defending, coming out quickly to deny Allen, but as at Ford a fortnight earlier U's still seemed more than capable of recovering, Corbett having a header saved and Watson heading a Bolt free kick over. The game went further beyond them, though, in a crucial two minute spell on the stroke of half time. Bolt's free kick was cleared to Craig Brown, whose 25 yard volley was brilliantly tipped over by Richard Barnard, and from the resulting corner U's had, and wasted, three opportunities to put a decent cross in to the danger area. Worse followed, for when Maidenhead hacked the ball clear, Yaku had the run of the ball in a challenge with the returning Tyrone London, raced clear, and then saw his half-hit shot deflect off the heel of the challenging defender to bobble in past the wrong-footed Dunn. U's half time response was to bring on Matt Hanlan in place of London, and then to pull a goal back immediately as the home defence failed to cut out Danny Brooker's header and Watson went on to drill his shot under Barnard. A midfield flare-up which saw Andy Cook and Nick Bailey deservedly booked along, rather more mysteriously, with Bolt, hinted at tension rising and had Hanlan managed to keep down a header from Brown's cross moments later battle would have been well and truly joined. All too quickly, though, Yaku burst clear again on the left and this time squared the ball for O'Connor to thrash a shot in to the roof of Dunn's net. U's almost replied when Bolt fired in a free kick that Barnard couldn't hold but somehow managed to push away from three oncoming forwards, but Maidenhead were playing with confidence and substitute Matt Glynn shot over at the end of the afternoon's best move. U's had isolated moments of promise, Brown running out of space after a good run which took him past Barnard, and right at the end the keeper acrobatically turning over Bailey's fierce volley. While one more goal for U's would probably have given the game a more representative scoreline Maidenhead's lively attacking made them well worth their first ever league win over Sutton.

Maidenhead: R Barnard, M Boyce(sub O Ulasi 58), A Jennings, A Cook, A Durrant, D Coppard, R O'Connor, L Yaku, A Allen(sub I Adeoye 82), P Kelly(sub M Glynn 58), A Morley. Subs n/u O Jeffrey, J Nartey. Goals: Allen(9), Yaku(22,45), O'Connor(52). Booked: Cook(48-unsporting behaviour).

Sutton: T Dunn, D Brooker, T London(sub M Hanlan H-T), R Palmer, D Hodges, N Bailey, D Bolt, S Corbett, M Gray, M Watson, C Brown. Subs n/u D Hamlin, D Beale, N Drew. Goal: Watson(47). Booked: Bailey(48-unsporting behaviour), Bolt(48-unsporting behaviour).

Referee: S Fay Attendance: 257