Ryman Premier League

By David Parker

Sutton United  2      Boreham Wood 2

Sutton will be disappointed not to have taken all three points after an impressive first home league game. Sutton only had three players from last season starting for them and it showed early on when Boreham had two chances on goal when the defence were still finding their shape. The first chance fell to Selby who worked his way into the area but shot well wide. In the fifth minute a ball over the top of the defence to Jones who left Palmer for dead before seeing his shot hit the side netting. United saw their first attack on eight minutes when good work by Matt Fowler allowed him to get a good cross into the area which was almost put in by Boreham defender Lee Harvey whose header went just wide. A minute later another cross by Fowler was cleared but fell to Scott Corbett on the edge of the area who struck well but the keeper was able the hold on to the shot. Boreham Wood took the lead when a cross from the right looked to be saved by Chuck Martini but Meah got to the ball and knocked the ball into the goal, the united keeper and his defence claimed Meah handled the ball it was a claim echoed by most of the fans but the ref allowed the goal. United could have equalled the game with ten minutes of the half left when quick play by Martini unleashed Corbett who was able to play a cross field ball to Fowler who cut inside his marker but dragged his shot wide of the goal. Five minutes later United almost went two down when a mix up between Ryan Palmer and Chris Boothe allowed Selby thru on goal but he saw his low shot well saved by Martini. With two minutes of added time played a cross found Dixon in what looked like an offside position but he was allowed enough time to blast his shot past Martini.

Sutton didn't deserve to go into the break two goals down but they didn't let it get them down and were back in the game with ten minutes of the second half played when a Corbett free kick flew over the wall and was headed past the motionless keeper by Michael Mison. Scott Corbett showed that he could be a good signing when he picked up the ball outside his own area and ran the ball the full length of the pitch before slipping the ball neatly to Matt Fowler who beat the keeper but saw his shot cleared off the line by a defender. With twenty minutes left Eddie Akuamoah out run Lee Harvey, but saw his shot well saved by Chris Taylor. Ten minutes later Dave Timothy beat one Boreham defender and was fouled by another and a penalty was given although the foul looked to have been outside the area. Fowler stepped up to take the spot kick but saw his shot saved by the keeper fortunately Taylor couldn't hold the shot and Fowler slotted the ball home from close range. In the final minutes Sutton almost took the lead when Akuamoah broke from midfield and slipped a ball down the wing for John Palmer to run onto. Palmer ran to the edge of the area and crossed for Mision whose header looped over the keeper but was headed off the line by Jeren Meah. The clearance fell to Chris Boothe who saw his header go over the bar.

Sutton showed a lot of potential in this game and were unlucky not to have taken all three points. The new look side saw a few good performances especially the ones from Corbett, Fowler, Mision, Jon Palmer and Akuamoah.

Sutton United 1 Martini 2 R Palmer 3 Taylor 4 Mision 5 Arkwright

6 Corbett 7 Timothy 8 Boothe 9 Fowler 10 Haworth

11 J Palmer 12 Akuamoah 14 Drewett 15 Honey

Boreham Wood 1 Taylor 2 MacDonald 3 Engwell 4 Wotton 5 Harvey

6 Mason 7 Meah 8 Jones 9 Lawford 10 Selby

11 Gallagher 12 Dixon 14 Pulston 15 Capone

Thanks to Tony Dolbear for the following report.

A double substitution at half time, and complete change of formation, saw Sutton's Ryman League campaign take off excitingly on Tuesday in the second 45 minutes. It wasn't quite enough to win the game, but at least it saved it, and when you also take in to account doubts about the leaglity of Boreham Wood's first goal it was no more than U's deserved, particularly as it was Boreham Wood who seemed most pleased to hear the final whistle having surely thought at half time that they were on their way to a second win. U's went in with the same starting line-up as at Braintree, and started brightly as Matt Fowler's cross was headed inches wide of his own net by Micky Engwell, and then Scott Corbett had a fierce 20 yard shot saved, but U's had already had a scare when Brian Jones hit the side netting, and as their promising start subsided the visitors took control. Their opener in the 26th minute came ironically from Lee Harvey's long throw after U's had failed to capitalise on any of Richard Taylor's missiles. The ball ended up in the net as a group of players jumped at the near post, including Chuck Martini, and it was Jeren Meah who claimed the decisive touch although U's claims that it had been with his hand were given credence by nearby spectators. From then until half time made dismal viewing for U's fans, and Neil Selby should have made it 2-0 when he went clear but shot across goal, although Martini may just have made a vital touch that the referee didn't give him credit for. A second goal did come, though, when Keiran Gallagher lifted the ball over a square U's back line, and substitute Gary Dixon, who had replaced John Lawford after only ten minutes, volleyed home. John Rains' half time actions were decisive, as off went Taylor and Rob Haworth, on came Eddie Akuamoah and Paul Honey, Michael Mison and Ryan Palmer joined Danny Arkwright in a back three and Chris Boothe moved in to midfield. Immediately U's looked to have a better flow to their game and received the crucial boost of a quick goal when Mison, who had struggled in midfield, looped in a header from Jon Palmer's free kick. The second might have followed within two minutes as Corbett's strong run cut through the defence before he played in Fowler, and although Fowler delayed perhaps a fraction, he still shot past Taylor and was unlucky to see Garry Wotton's superb block on the goal-line deny him. That the visitors were unsettled was clear from three bookings in five minutes, and Akuamoah then outpaced Harvey to a through ball and saw his shot half stopped by Taylor but cleared before Fowler could get there. The equaliser U's deserved came with eighteen minutes left as Dave Timothy, a natural in the right wingback position, picked up a clearance and attacked the defence with a darting run which invited a mistimed tackle and duly received it from Phil Mason just inside the area. Fowler had to wait while Meah received lengthy attention to an injury, and then produced a weak penalty which Taylor saved easily, but he failed to hold on and Fowler easily netted the rebound. Five minutes later it was Akuamoah's turn to be denied by a goal-line clearance, his looping header from Jon Palmer's cross cleared by Meah, and he headed the rebound over the top, and although U's were slightly running out of steam in the end the back three defended well throughout the second half and Martini had little to do.

Sutton: Martini, R Palmer, Taylor(Honey H-T), Mison, Arkwright, Corbett, Timothy, Boothe, Fowler, Haworth(Akuamoah H-T), J Palmer. Sub n/u Drewett.

B Wood: Taylor, McDonald(Polston 80), Engwell, Wotton, Harvey, Mason, Meah, Jones(Capone 72), Lawford(Dixon 10), Selby, Gallagher.

Referee: J Beadle Attendance: 483