Turnill calls the shots

Andy Turnill’s double helped guide Sutton Valence men’s 1sts to a

4-1 South East Division 3 Invicta triumph from their top-three encounter with Deal on Saturday.

Valence began well and it didn’t take long for the pressure to tell.

Turnill forced a short corner, which he converted himself, before Lewis Mitchell burst down the right and crossed for Aidan Sleeman to double their advantage. Unsurprisingly, Deal came out of the blocks strongly in the second half, attempting to get back in the game, but

Fred McVarish supplied Turnill who made it 3-0, 10 minutes into the second half.

Mitchell sealed the

Sutton Valence win and, despite Deal scoring late, their goal proved a mere consolation.

Russell Blanchard was named the Valence player-of-the-match. In Division 7, the secondplaced 2nds were also victorious as they beat Blackheath & Elthamians Highwaymen 3-1 in another top-three clash. They showed early promise and, eventually, this paid off, with a Chris Sheldon hit breaking the deadlock.

Valence were then reliant on goalkeeper Ross Mackay, although he could do little about the Blackheath equaliser. Undeterred, Sutton Valence kept on coming as Alex Hodges converted Andy Barr’s pass and their third came from Duncan Field who latched onto Duncan Wills’ ball. And the Division 9 leading 3rds beat Old Williamsonians 7ths to earn a 2-1 victory and round off a successful weekend for the club. It was Old Wills who secured the first goal from a short corner, deflected in off Nick Hall’s foot.

Sutton Valence persevered, however, and levelled things up when Tom Bartlett spotted an unmarked Rob Cockayne. Heated exchanges followed, which involved a late challenge from John Edmed.

But he redeemed himself shortly after with the match-winning goal. A short corner, injected by Darren Thompson, to Cockayne was pushed to Edmed who found the net.