RYMAN PREMIER DIVISION
Att : 732
Sutton United – 2 [S.Watson 8], [M.Watson 72]
Bishops Stortford – 0
The abberation of Tuesday night was forgotten as Sutton continued their pursuit of Aylesbury at the top of the Ryman Premier with a comfortable, if laboured win over bottom placed Bishops’s Stortford.
The game was almost a carbon copy of the match against Dulwich. The visitors came to battle and to try and contain Sutton as best as possible in the hope they could frustrate U’s and maybe snatch something. United started well, as they caused the visitors problems from the word go and took the lead after only 8 minutes.
Steve Watson’s chip over the static Stortford backline has them appealing in vain for offside. Naz races onto the ball and returns a pass to Watson just inside the box. He steps inside a covering defender and fires the ball low past the ‘keeper into the far corner. It looks like the goal rush predicted in Fridays Comet may just happen.
Sadly it does’nt. The first half peters out with few chances created by both sides, although Stortford do give Sutton a scare just before the break. A long ball is’nt cleared and the cross finds it’s target unmarked at the back post. Amazingly the no 8’s header hits a grounded Gareth Howells on the thigh and spins away for a corner. This is the visitors only real chance as few others come their way.
Half-Time reveals that Aylesbury are beign held 0-0 at home by Hendon and Oldham have a 1-0 lead at Man City. So far so good!!
The second half carries on in much the same vein as the first. Sutton continue to play the long ball rather than actually get the ball down and play on the deck, thus creating few chances and all the while giving our guests that little bit of hope. With 71 minutes gone, the U’s finally finish off the visiting relegation candidates with a slightly bizarre goal.
Again it’s Naz causing the problems, he gets free on the edge of the box and chips the ball over the advancing ‘keeper, then races past him to make sure the ball ends up where he intended. As he reaches the edge of the 6 yard box, a chasing defender bundles him into the post. As he stumbles forward he knocks the ball against the post he’s about to meet close up and it rebounds back into the 6 yard box.
Fortunately Mark Watson is following up to lash the ball into the empty net unchallenged. The goal spurs our lads on that little bit more and they up the pressure. A Jimmy Dack piledriver from close range is somehow turned away by the ‘keeper and a Dave Harlow thunderbolt from the resulting corner is charged down in the box.
The cheers that greet the final whistle have a relieved tone to them, but it’s 3 vital points and it keeps our title challenge going. Sadly we discover Aylesbury have sneaked a 1-0 win over Hendon and they cling onto top spot.
Man of the Match : Steve Watson. Runs all day and a good goal.
Entertainment Value : 5. Was’nt very pretty, but the result will do.