SATURDAY 15 SEPTEMBER 2007

Blue Square South

There was an inevitability about County’s third successive 2-0 victory against a Sutton side who, though not short on effort, were never remotely likely to take anything from the game.  So while County again failed to produce the flowing football of which they are capable, four goals conceded from eight games to date suggests that a strong base is being put in place for a good season.  Just how good that can be, we wait to find out, but the evidence thus far suggests this is not going to be a vintage Conference (Blue Square) South season in terms of the quality of its teams.

County never needed to get out of second gear to clinch this win, and if Sutton were able to carve out some decent half chances, Glyn Thompson, though busier than has sometimes been the case, was never seriously extended.  However, as one of his defensive team mates said after the game, the certainty of the County keeper in his handling of the ball is giving confidence to those in front of him.

With Lee Collier restored to the midfield for his first league start of the season, Nathan Davies had a willing workhorse alongside him, and this gave a base for Richard Evans and Jason Bowen to venture forward alongside the front pairing of Julian Alsop and Craig Hughes.  Evans, who has been criticised for being predictable at times, used his pace and tormented Liam Pestle to cut in and unleash a right-footed effort which tested Phil Wilson on 12 minutes while Sutton had no answer to the power and strength of Alsop in the first half.

The big man could not quite find the target from a Hughes cross on 18 minutes, but four minutes later he made a decisive contribution to County’s opening goal.  Sutton’s discipline was poor all afternoon, with a succession of fouls conceded in dangerous areas, and it was from one of these that Damon Searle’s set piece found the head of Alsop who in turn directed it sideways for JASON BOWEN to nod home his fourth goal of the season.  Sutton did not learn their lesson and from another free-kick close to the penalty area, Collier touched the ball sideways for Ian Hillier to blast a shot just past the post.

County then slipped into a casual spell and Solomon Taiwo tested Thompson before the keeper was twice able to deny Craig Watkins after some sloppy midfield play, and half-time arrived with the home side looking comfortable if not convincing.  Sutton continued to contribute to their own undoing with Lewis Gonsalves climbing all over Alsop for the umpteenth time in the 52nd minute and persuading Lee Swabey to produce his notebook for the game’s first booking, though the reason for the referee’s wrath may have been the Sutton defender’s petulant reaction to the award of a free-kick.  He certainly did not take the hint because five minutes later he hauled down Hughes and could have no complaints about receiving his second yellow.

Sutton, who had barely troubled County with 11 players, were certainly not going to do so with 10, and the crowd was growing impatient as they awaited the killer blow.  Evans had a shot blocked and Alsop failed to get a touch to a Bowen ball across the face of the goal before falling awkwardly and giving way to Charlie Griffin.  Malik Buari and Taiwo followed Gonsalves onto Mr Mawbey’s card list with some horribly timed challenges on Davies and Collier which fortunately did not appear to cause lasting damage.

In the last match between the clubs at Sutton last spring, home fans were rightly furious with the outrageous award of a point saving penalty for County.  Well, as they say, what goes around comes around, because in the 71st minute Evans skipped past Pestle yet again only to be brought down by the hapless full-back who was probably as amazed as anyone when Mr Swabey indicated that the ball had been played.  GRIFFIN then fired just wide from 20 yards before a 79th minute mix-up between Darius Charles and Wilson presented the County substitute with an open goal, albeit from a very narrow angle.   No matter because the finish was perfect and provided further evidence of the player’s class in front of goal, which he displayed in abundance last spring.

For all his effort the previously prolific Hughes cannot buy a goal at the moment and he again had a frustrating time of it, though he seems to be trying too hard and chasing the game in the wrong areas.  Sutton had a late flourish with substitute Jason Henry trying to impersonate his namesake Thierry with some useful late efforts as he tries to break his first team scoring duck.   He did enough to suggest he might be capable of replicating his impressive reserve team strike rate, but he is playing in a side that looks a long way short of recapturing their better days of the not too distant past.

County manager Peter Beadle declared himself reasonably pleased with the collective effort of his players but he stressed more work is needed if they are to produce their best form.

“We are still making hard work of things.  We started well for twenty-five minutes and needed a second goal, but it is another clean sheet and we can get better.”

A crowd of 853 was the first time Spytty has housed less than a thousand this term, but with indifferent County form and only a small visiting contingent, the televised rugby international did not have the effect feared, and hopes are high that the improvement in support in the last year will be sustained.

Man of the Match: County: Lee Jarman (in complete control).

Sutton: Malik Buari (some decent first half crosses).

© Colin Jeremiah