Deon’s first goal keeps U’s safety hopes alive

STEVE Morison has vowed his Sutton players will ‘keep fighting’ for survival following their draw at Harrogate.

An 87th-minute equaliser from sub Deon Moore – his first League goal at the age of 24 – made it 13 points from a possible 18.

But victories for relegation rivals Colchester and Grimsby – who play each other on Tuesday – left the U’s a point adrift of a position of safety.

Colchester also have two games in hand and Morison admitted: “It’s out of our hands completely and we’ve got to hope for a favourable result from the Colchester v Grimsby game, but we’ll keep fighting for as long as we’ve got a chance. Our aim is to win our last two games – that still might not be enough but we’ve got to see where it could take us.”

Harrogate looked to have reignited their play-off ambitions after goals by George Thomson and Jack Muldoon had cancelled out Harry Beautyman’s firsthalf opener.

But Moore’s leveller now leaves them five places behind the top seven.

The visitors had carried the greater attacking threat during the opening exchanges and Beautyman opened the scoring in first-half stoppage time from a couple of yards after turning in a low Coley cross.

But Harrogate began the second half with greater purpose and were level less than four minutes into the restart when Matty Foulds’ pullback from the left was guided inside the far post by Thomson from 12 yards.

The hosts then forged ahead in devastating fashion with Thomson’s quickly taken free-kick releasing sub Sam Folarin through the left channel.

He squared to fellow replacement Muldoon who, after sprinting into the area, emphatically finished high to exposed Sutton keeper Steve Arnold’s left from 12 yards in the 80th minute.

But Sutton demonstrated their fighting spirit when Beautyman released Moore through the right channel and he held off Foulds before poking the ball between the legs of advancing home keeper James Belshaw from ten yards.

Muldoon and

Harry Smith both went on to spurn great chances to win the contest, Muldoon denied by Arnold, while Smith fired wastefully over.

Harrogate boss Simon Weaver said: “We’re proud as punch that we’re going to finish in our highest league position.”