RYMAN PREMIER DIVISION
Att: 821
SUTTON UNITED – 1 [Gonsalves 34]
KINGSTONIAN – 1 [Wingfield 45]
After the excitement of Tuesday’s rousing comeback, what better to bring you all back to earth but a disappointing local encounter?
As per normal, K’s will be providing the oppo, but slightly earlier than normal after the Ryman League finally gave them the Xmas and Easter derbies they’ve been dying for, against Hampton. You know, their local rivals. Meanwhile, some fucking rocket scientist decided a trip to Aldershot was what we required. Yeah, Cheers.
Recent league encounters between the 2 sides have been a little lacklustre recently, with K’s holding the aces in the Cup encounters. But with only 2 wins in 25 visits to GGL and the U’s having won 4 from 4 at Home this season, we could have felt reasonably confident about this one.
The 2 line ups also included 2 men who’d spent spells on the other side of the fence last season. Danny Bolt having an unhappy spell at K’s around the time their financial woes surfaced and Phil Wingfield who joined Sutton just to earn a few quid at the end of last season, mainly because this shower owed him a couple of months wages and he had a wedding to pay for. Lord knows why he headed back there in the summer, I hope he got his money up front this time.
Yours truly started his afternoon a little earlier than normal, joining the K’s fearsome Table One mob for a couple of beers up by the station. Even managing to get Scotsman, Moggy to buy me a beer! Now there’s something you don’t see every day. A jock getting his wallet out.
I eventually leave ‘em to ponder just how good Choc n Amber looks on a footy shirt and head for the usual pre-match rallying point at the Hood. Bob and Oscar are already getting stuck into a pint when I roll in. Beers later and it’s the normal last minute stagger to the ground.
The U’s side is once again showing changes, with Paul Honey dropping to the bench and Nick Bailey taking his place in midfield. This somewhat puzzles us as what a local fixture like this requires is a no-nonsense tackler like Mr Honey. Ho hum…
The U’s start the match quicker, looking confident on the ball and moving it well. Bolt, with something to prove to his former employee’s, is involved early on and an excellent run ends with Watson being played in, but a very good recovery tackle robs him of the ball before he can shoot.
K’s manage a couple of forays forwards before Hodges wastes the U’s best chance. A corner involving Bolt (of course!) finds the big defender behind his marker at the back post. But he fails to make the required contact and heads over when it seemed easier to hit the target.
The visitors best opening comes following a free-kick. It’s hit low and Pape gets down to save, but the ball breaks free and a lurking K’s player thumps the follow up into the side netting. The U’s though continue to make the running and when Corbett combines with Bolt, the Gandermonium sponsored midfielder hits a trademark left footed drive that Key in the K’s goal does well to turn away for a corner.
K’s have a half-hearted shout for a penalty turned down when one of theirs goes down in the box, but the ref for once seems close to the incident and he seems sure!
Again Sutton push for a goal and just after the half hour, Bolt is involved again, this time teeing up Matt Fowler who forces another good stop from the visitors ‘keeper at the expense of another corner. The breakthrough finally comes from the resulting flag kick. Bolty’s corner from the right misses everyone but Ryan Palmer at the back post and he rescues the situation by hooking the ball back accross the box. Danny Hodges gets up highest and nods the ball down for Lewis Gonsalves to thump a crisp left foot volley through the crowd and inside Key’s far post. Gerrinthere!
But the goal comes at a cost. Hodges lands heavily after winning his header and despite treatment, he hobbles off to be replaced by Dave Timothy. The U’s reshuffle slightly, with Darren Beale moving inside to his customary centre-back spot he occupied in the reserves and Timothy going in on the right.
The change doesn’t upset the U’s straight away and K’s go all wobbly for a couple of minutes following the goal. And within 2 minutes of taking the lead, the U’s spurn a great chance to put themselves 2-0 up. Another sweeping move puts Danny Bolt into a great postition on the left. His pinpoint cross picks out the unmarked Mark Watson at the back post. But somehow, the errant U’s striker heads his effort wide of the upright. Oh arse…….thats going to cost us. I just know it….
Sutton are left to rue this missed sitter, when, as per sodding normal, a late rally by the oppo right on half time brings a goal. A K’s attack finds space behind Hollands on the left and the cross picks out, who else, but Phil Wingfield. Right where Danny Hodges should be. The ex-K-ex-U-K-again doesn’t miss and directs his free header past a stranded Pape.
Thats the 3rd goal right on HT in the last 3 home games and it’s getting a touch annoying. For fucks sake lads, just what is so bloody interesting in our dressing room at halftime? It must be pretty amazing considering that our defensive minds seem to wander big time with between 40 & 45 minutes on the clock.
WAKE UP YOU BASTARDS!
We wander round to Roses’ for a cuppa and await another enthralling 45 minutes.
The second half though is sadly lacking in, well, how can we put this??
Action! That’s it.
Both sides toil away but neither seems quite prepared to give that little extra required to try and win the match. Wingfield and Timothy have an interesting little duel down the right, but it’s one of the few interesting points about a rather dull 45 minutes.
The visitors have more of the play, but fail to force a serious save out of Pape. The U’s meanwhile drift along without causing any serious threat to the K’s goal apart from one Scott Corbett effort that Key again is called into action to keep out.
The U’s see out a nervy last few minutes during which Mr Wingfield misses one absolute sitter. A free-kick from the left picks out the K’s midfielder, who has again lost his marker, only for him to lash a close range volley way over the bar with the goal at his mercy. He creates himself half an opening right on time, cutting across the box, but his well struck effort is high and wide.
We head for the Hood and a few post match pints. I’m cheered up by Oldham’s 6-1 success, so it’s not all bad. Then for a change of scenery, we decide to take a stroll & hit the Little Windsor just out of Sutton to sit out in the warm evening air. Talking shite & sinking ales.
Lovely.
MAN OF THE MATCH : Lewis Gonsalves. Solid as a rock and a great strike too!
ENTERTAINMENT : 6. Decent enough 1st half, 2nd wasn’t great though……….
TEAM : Pape, Hodges, Palmer, Hollands, Beale, Gonsalves, Honey, Corbett, Bolt, Watson, Fowler.
SUBS : Gray, Timothy, Honey, Dunn