Wild rues missed chances after Sutton’s fightback
TOWN MANAGER Pete Wild says his team were by far the better side after their 2-2 draw against leaders Sutton.
Goals from Billy Chadwick and Jack Earing looked to have put Town on the way to victory, only for Isaac Olaofe and Craig Eastmond to help salvage a draw for Sutton.
“We’ve had enough chances to win about three games of football today,” said Wild.
“Apart from the last 20 minutes when we gave them a bit of hope and they started playing boom ball into our box, I think we’ve been by far the better side.
“We’ve controlled the game, I never felt threatened by them, I never felt like they were going to open us up, I thought we defended well.
“But if they keep throwing that amount of bombardment into our box and keep booming it into our box, law of averages says you might get something and they have unfortunately.
“But I’m really happy with my players, I thought they showed character, I thought we dominated the top of the league.
“I could go in there and start having a go about not defending our own box, not taking our chances, but it’s not the time of the season to do that.
“We take the point and we move on.
“It’s another point gained, we’ve got to look at it like that.
“It’s 14 points from the month, an excellent return for the month and we move onto next month.
“If we can replicate that again next month then the lads have done really well.”
The absences of Jamie Allen and Martin Woods again forced Pete Wild’s hands with team selection, necessitating Neill Byrne to play right-back and Danny Williams and Jeff King as wingers in a 4-2-3-1.
King was good in his more advanced role, seeing a shot deflected behind for a corner after three minutes, from which Niall Maher’s header was cleared off the line.
Kieran Green then found space on the edge of the box to shoot, which was deflected into Chadwick’s path and the striker picked his spot coolly to fire Town ahead.
King and Earing both had decent efforts from range before half-time as Town came much closer to a second than the visitors did to an equaliser.
Olaofe found space from a free kick a few minutes after the restart to drag a shot just wide as Sutton threatened to kick into gear.
Although Town went close after a clever nod down from Clarke at a corner but the shot was fired wide, before only desperate defending then prevented Williams from scoring after a cross from Earing.
Earing then produced a lovely finish across keeper Dean Bouzanis after Sutton failed to get the ball clear.
Sam Johnson was finally tested with 20 minutes to go when he saved well from Olaofe’s close range shot.
And from Rob Milsom’s corner, Olaofe got one back to setup a grandstand finish.
That visibly invigorated Sutton with more energy and tempo as they pegged Town back.
Omar Bugiel should have done better with a tame header from close range moments before Chadwick tried to catch Bouzanis off his line and shot just wide.
But the shift in momentum that had been palpable since
Sutton’s first and seen the visitors finally show what they were capable of produced the equaliser when Eastmond blasted home from the edge of the box.
Halifax: Johnson, Byrne, Clarke, Bradbury, King, Maher, Senior, Earing (Hyde 63), Green, Williams (Spence 82), Chadwick. Subs not used: Renshaw, Benn, Tear.
Scorers: Chadwick (18), Earing (61)
Shots on target: 6
Shots off target: 9
Corners: 4
Sutton: Bouzanis, John, Barden (Simpson 79),
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