Report by Tony Dolbear

St Albans ensured that the Ryman League title race will be a three horse race for a little longer when they came from behind to take the points at Clarence Park on Saturday. It was a game that promised much but which ultimately disappointed, both from Sutton's point of view as they saw a good first half hour count for nothing, and on a wider scale as a hard pitch and lively ball made it difficult for either side to play the ball around as they would have liked with any consistency. There was plenty of promise for U's early on, and they could have scored after 15 minutes when Matt Gray's fine cross seemed to catch Mark Watson out as he failed to make any contact with a header, but if Watson was at fault then, he soon made amends as Sutton went in front four minutes later. Nick Bailey seized on a half cleared Danny Bolt free kick and hoisted in a cross which Ryan Palmer headed down. Watson got there before goalkeeper Richard Wilmot and at full stretch lifted the ball over the keeper. When it rebounded off the post, Palmer was following in to score. U's continued to look the better side without being able to add a second goal, and they had a warning just before half time when the excellent Simon Martin crashed a fine header against the bar from a Richard Evans cross. With the advantage of the slope to come in the second half U's could nevertheless afford to be confident as they turned round a goal up, but within two minutes of the restart a chapter of accidents gave the home side the chance to equalise. Tom Dunn claimed a cross and tried to launch a quick attack with a throw to Bolt, but it was all a bit hurried and Bolt gave Paul Honey a pass that gave him little chance. When the ball was hoisted back Lewis Gonsalves was favourite to clear, but allowed himself to be outwitted by Martin, who seemed to have come from an offside position. Martin reached the byline before crossing, and Derek Brown powered a diving header past Dunn. From that point the home side looked the more likely winners. They thought they had gone in front following a goalmouth scramble when Martin's header was cleared with players and supporters claiming that it might have crossed the line, but Sutton showed that they couldn't be discounted as Matt Fowler's header from a Bolt cross was saved by Wilmot, who seemed to know little about it. Palmer's volley over, and a Bolt chip that was just too high, were other isolated moments of promise but apart from that it was the home side who carried the threat and U's defence was kept fully occupied. It seemed that they might have done enough to earn a point that wouldn't have flattered them, but with eight minutes left Brown, whose afternoon had begun in torrid fashion and who had been booked following an off the ball clash with Watson, ended it as the home team hero as he met Andy Lodge's corner with a looping header that dropped inside Dunn's right hand post.

St Albans: R Wilmot, R Evans, D Naylor, C Campbell, D Brown, J Challinor, M Young, R Kean, M De Souza, S Martin, A Lodge. Subs n/u F Hyatt, B White, C Mackail-Smith, G Deacon, S Cook. Goals: Brown(47,82). Booked: Brown(32-unsporting behaviour), Challinor(64-foul).

Sutton: T Dunn, M Gray, L Gonsalves, R Palmer, D Brooker, N Bailey, D Bolt, P Honey, M Fowler, M Watson, E Akuamoah. Sub n/u C Brown, D Beale, S Corbett. Goal: Palmer(19). Booked: Watson(32-unsporting behaviour), Bailey(59-dissent).

Referee: C Couzens Attendance: 466