Sutton installed themselves as the closest challengers to Aldershot at the top of the Ryman League as they completed their 7th consecutive victory, and a first league double of the season, at The Beveree on Saturday. Apart from an uncertain spell at the end of the first half they dominated the game against a side rooted to the foot of the table, but could only be certain of victory once Matt Gray had scored his first league goal of the season 15 minutes from the end. With Hampton low on confidence, particularly after conceding six at first division Lewes on Tuesday, it was important that Sutton started well, and with Mark Watson looking in good touch after his injury lay off they swarmed all over an uncertain home defence in the early stages. Matt Fowler had the ball in the net after Watson had intercepted a poor clearance from Andy Iga, but an offside flag came to the keeper's rescue, and then Nick Bailey shot just too high after Fowler had knocked Danny Bolt's superb crossfield pass in to his path. With Gray diving to head just wide from a Bolt free kick it seemed only a matter of time before U's scored, and sure enough in the 17th minute Watson punished some woeful marking to nod in Bolt's right wing corner. Another goal and U's might have run riot, but the game changed suddenly as, just five minutes later, former U's striker Richard Thompson headed in at the far post from a fine cross by Lee Riddell to equalise. Worse might have followed as Richard O'Connor ran through and fired in a low shot that Andy Pape did well to keep out, and U's were thrown further off course when Watson was carried off with a badly cut foot after being tackled in the act of shooting over the bar from 20 yards. Mike Hollands picked up a yellow card for a heavy challenge on Dudley Gardner, and Hampton almost increased the punishment as Dave Cory's free kick was met by a powerful header from Alan Inns which Danny Brooker headed off the line. When Ashley Sestanovic had a shot blocked at the start of the second half U's half time anxieties wouldn't have been helped, but a couple of minutes later Bailey thumped in a shot from 25 yards that Iga did well to push over the bar, and U's began to assert themselves again. Scott Corbett had a deflected shot saved before going close with a header, but the breakthrough came when Bolt's low corner was knocked goalwards by Lewis Gonsalves, and Eddie Akuamoah, on for Watson, turned to stab a shot under Iga for his first goal since returning to U's from Bromley. As events temporarily became fractious Gray, Sestanovic and Cory took the bookings count to five, but U's put an end to most arguments when they added a third goal with fifteen minutes left. Ryan Palmer met Bolt's deep free kick with a fierce low drive that was brilliantly cleared off the line by substitute David Cross, but Hampton never completed the defending and when the ball eventually found its way back to Palmer his intelligent cut back from the left by-line ran through a succession of miskicks to reach Gray, who drilled a low shot in to the net from just inside the area. U's might have had more, with a Fowler shot just evading both the far post and the sliding Akuamoah, but although Thompson almost pulled a goal back from Darren Deegan's cross in the last minute there was never any danger of three not being enough.

Hampton: Iga, McCracken, O'Connor(Read 85), Houghton, Inns, Cory(Cross 72), Okafor(Deegan 85), Sestanovic, Thompson, Gardner, Riddell. Subs n/u Bouchez, Rose.

Sutton: Pape, Gray, Hollands, Palmer, Brooker, Bailey, Bolt, Corbett, Fowler, Watson(Akuamoah 26), Gonsalves. Subs n/u Honey, Beale.

Referee: J Evamy Attendance 292

Sutton's reserves beat Maidenhead 3-1 on Saturday, half time substitute Glenn Boosey proving the match winner with two second half goals. Earlier Scott Stevens had given U's the lead, only for Maidenhead to equalise within a minute. One point of interest from the game was the inclusion in the Maidenhead side of two members of the U's line up from their famous FA Cup tie against Coventry, goalkeeper Trevor Roffey and central defender Vernon Pratt.