Report by Tony Dolbear

SUTTON UTD 1 CANVEY ISLAND 4

Sutton saw their hopes of what would have been a morale boosting victory blown away on Tuesday night when the Ryman League leaders scored four times in the last 18 minutes to maintain their three point lead at the top on a night when closest rivals Gravesend also won impressively at Basingstoke. The scoreline was harsh on Sutton, who lost nothing in comparison with the high flying Essex side until the last quarter of the game, when an equaliser that by then Canvey deserved was quickly followed by the sending off of Dave Timothy, and U's disintegrated. In the first half, though, both teams played some good passing football and after Chuck Martini had fisted away a fierce shot from Spencer Knight U's more than matched their opponents. They should have had a penalty when referee Andy Harvey ignored his assistant and waved play on after Rob Haworth's powerful run had been halted by what looked a clear foul, but if they were out of luck then things changed in the 29th minute when Paul Honey's corner from the left glanced off the head of Julian Dicks, the former West Ham defender recently signed by Canvey, and looped in to the far corner of the net. U's might have had another before the break, goalkeeper Ashley Harrison plucking Haworth's header out from under the angle of post and bar, and they will have reached half time satisfied with their performance. They came under pressure early in the second half and were pushed back further, with stand-in left wing back Eddie Akuamoah given less chance to feature in an attacking position than before the break. Martini was a little lucky to see Neil Gregory head straight in to his arms from a left wing cross that he should probably have claimed, and Dicks clipped the top of the crossbar with a free kick. Sutton survived this spell, though, and in the 65th minute Haworth's shot was tipped just past the post by Harrison after Chris Boothe and Matt Fowler had guided Martini's long clearance in to his path. Two down, and Canvey might have struggled to recover, but Lee Boylan's introduction as an extra attacker saw them storm back in to the game. He should have scored with his first touch, shooting horribly wide when clear, but 18 minutes from the end a neat passing movement saw him through again on the right, and this time he shot low in to the far corner. Two minutes later Timothy, booked for handball earlier in the half, saw his second yellow card for an unwise, if scarcely malicious, challenge on Knight, and within five minutes U's were behind as Haworth did well to track back and get in a good tackle on Boylan, but succeeded only in diverting the ball through to Wayne Vaughan who ran on and scored with ease. A man short, and against good opposition with their tails up, the wheels came off for U's as Vaughan's high cross from the left dropped in to the net behind a rooted Martini, and then after Harrison's brilliant save from a Boothe header had scotched any chance of a comeback, Martini had to come outside his area to reach an underhit Mison backpass. Although he dribbled round two attackers a third proved beyond him and Adam Miller was able to run on and cross low for Thompson to step over and Knight to slot in to the empty net.

Sutton: Martini, R Palmer, Arkwright, Mison, Brooker, Honey, Timothy, Boothe, Fowler, Haworth, Akuamoah. Subs n/u Berry, Williams, Howard

Canvey Island: Harrison, Kennedy, Dicks, Chenery, Bennett, Smith, Knight, Vaughan(Thompson 86), Gregory(Tanner 84), Miller, Parmenter(sub Boylan 65)

Referee: A Harvey Attendance: 574