RYMAN PREMIER DIVISION
Att: 2547
ALDERSHOT TOWN – 1 [Protheroe 23]
SUTTON UNITED – 1 [Salako 76]
At last! Stand in reporter, Mr Chalmers has finally delivered his report for Saturday’ game. Not bad, only the FOUR days late!!! This had better be good Paul…
Apologies for the delay in getting this reports out, the top boy was away watching his No4 team, Grimsby for the weekend. Well, OK, maybe not. Do you want the truth? He was shopping in Grimsby town Centre. Very sad. So a sidekick (me!) had to do it and I’m a lazy git so tough shit!!
Hey, but do read on!! (If I was paying you for this Chalmers, I’d have fired your arse by now – Taz)
A new season and high hopes. Pah! No hopes! Well, just think of all those new grounds to do, er, Peacehaven maybe?? (if we’re lucky – Taz) When we saw the Trophy draw, the enimitable Newport IOW Away, oh happy happy joy joy, but first Weymouth in the first round! (The Newport tie would be at home you dozy git! – Taz) The loss of our better players, for the second year running, that we really want to be keeping hold of and no new signings of any real significance, except Danny Bolt and a couple of players who looked promising in pre-season.
So, here we go again, the rollercoaster world of a Sutton United Supporter.
And what better way to start the new season than where the last one ended? The pub! The Prince of Wales in Wimbledon our first stop before we make the shortish trip to Aldershot, up there with the title favourites as they have been for the past couple of seasons.
The old boy Gary Abbott is still plying his trade for them up front and is now joined by the pacy ex-Crawley and now Oxford United forward, Ben Abbey. On loan whilst 20 grand man Grant Payne gets fit again. Even older Andy Pape in goal, they must’ve been desperate!
We’ve come into this game without a settled side from the friendlies, so we did’nt have high hopes for this one. Ryan Gray started at left back, a new name to us, but rumoured to have come from Fulham. Unfortunately Harlow’s back and he’s partnered in midfield by Sears who’s looked OK there up to now. Salako appears up front, if he can score goals for the Scum, surely he can do it for us. Can’t he??
We’re standing on the East Bank first half and the usual gobby 17 year olds give us grief. No surprise there then! We’re pinned back a little at the start and Abbott does a dying swan impression in the box, only to be laughed at by us and the ref. Bolt has a fierce shot just over the bar and Salako has a good opportunity but then a defender get in the way and spoils it all. Bastard! Then for some reason, our midfield dissappears off the face of the earth. Deja Vu or what? Their right back, Protheroe, gets the 25 yards out and bullets the ball into the top left corner. Howells has no chance.
Nartey, not 100% is subbed before half time which the home crowd loves and is replaced by Westcott.
A good through ball from Harford finds Salako and he goes down in the box under the challenge, but the ref waves away our shouts for a peno. A few corners later, most landing in Papes hands and it’s half time. We saunter into the bar for the other half times and Jules fails to re-emerge for the second half, it’s as if we’ve never been away!!
At the start of the second half, Abbey is still looking dangerous. God he’s quick. If you were’nt there, him against Gwynne is like an F1 car against a snail (Er, does’nt that cover most forwards in the Ryman??? – Taz). A high ball has Salako chasing again, but the ref ignores what looks like a clear cut handball from where we’re standing. We were getting the feeling it was’nt gonna to be our day. Sal then comically falls over the ball shortly after.
Bolt is still casuing problems and one good run is only halted by a Protheroe tackle, with Pape saving a shot soon after. Howells makes his customary 2-3 quality stops again. Ryan Palmer is looking class at the back with Gray and Walker doing well, with Berry the weak link.
Another penalty appeal is turned down with Salako again sent tumbling in the box. Harford pushes up and powers through on one run and manages for force a stop out of Pape despite 2 defenders. Then Sears gets to the by-line and finds Sal in acres of space at the back post. 1-1. Again this manages to shut up the East Bank. Dead silence. I don’t think they were too impressed, shame…..
We briefly fall asleep after the goal, with Harford blocking one effort with his chest. Very Dodgy! The shots push for a winner but we manage to keep ‘em out. We’ve got to be happy with the result, as I’m sure they’ll be a top 5 side this season.
We went back up to the pub. A hogshead. Just to wind me up on the way, Bob, Jules and Ian stopped outside a bookies trying to get info about a couple of other boozers. It was torture! They seem to think I bet too much! If that was’nt bad enough, we heard on the grapevine that the scum had won 1-0!! They can’t be above us in the league!!!! We try to get in touch with Dan, but get no reply. Must have been in Dorothy Perkins or something. Eventually we find out they drew 1-1. Thank god!
Jumped on the train back to Wimbledon, which seemed to take 3 minutes. Probably ‘cos I was fast asleep. Grabbed a burger and nipped onto the tram home, intending to head back to the Old Bank in Sutton for a few more beers. But I ended up dead to the world til the end credits of Match of the Day. (You’re right Chalmers, you are a lazy git – Taz)
TEAM : Howells, Walker, Gray, Berry, Palmer, Harlow, Bolt, Harford, Nartey, Salako, Sears SUBS: Westcott, Hammond, Riley