WE’VE NOT GOT TITLE JITTERS, IN SISTS GRAY
BECOMING National League champions is never easy. Sutton United are beginning to find that out now – the hard way!
The U’s have won just twice in their last eight games and scored just four goals – that all came against Altrincham – in five matches.
Yet you won’t find flourishing manager Matt Gray panicking now after seeing his side fire another blank in a narrow defeat to play-off hopefuls Eastleigh, which leaves the U’s one point behind leaders Torquay with a game in hand. “It’s no concern at all,” Gray told The NLP on their lack of goals.
“We’ve got two good points and clean sheets at Boreham Wood and Solihull Moors. Against Torquay, a tight game went the wrong way for us but then we’ve gone and scored four last week at Altrincham.
“We’ve played six out of seven
EASTLEIGH V SUTTON UTD
2 SHOTS ON TARGET 2 1 SHOTS OFF TARGET 5 3 CORNERS 10 0 OFFSIDE 0 9 FOULS CONCEDED 14 2 YELLOW CARDS 0 0 RED CARDS 0 away from home. It’s not like we’re not looking like we are going to score.”
Indeed, Sutton should well have been ahead at the break with the opportunities they created.
“Overall, I’m reasonably pleased with the performance but it’s all results at this stage of the season,” he added.
“The first goal is always massive in tight games with two good sides. I haven’t seen it back yet but I believe it’s offside, it’s a hard one to take against us.”
The BT Sport cameras showed Adam Marriott’s first-half goal should have been ruled out due to Tyrone Barnett being offside in the build-up.
It came after a sustained period of pressure from Sutton,
who had started unchar acteristically slowly with Harry Beautym the ball agains before Sam Sm deflected into t Dean Bouzanis.
The Sutton started the v meaningful att later, throwing the pacey Da who ran the le pitch before squ Sho-Silva, but brilliantly bloc House, leaving from the head, a would then forc
Donovan Wil nied by some br ing from Eastle Donnell before A past Cav Miley and blazed over.
Then, on the Sutton left,
Isaac Olaofe fired towards the top corner and McDonnell spectacularly tipped the ball behind.
Ajiboye was the main cause of Eastleigh’s problems and his teasing cross was met by Sho-Silva, who beat McDonnell in the air, but his header was weak and defender Pierce Bird was able to clear.
After his bright start, the influence of Eastleigh’s Smart had waned until Barnett pulled out to the left to pick up the ball – offside when he received it – and played a wonderful pass out to the winger, whose first time cross into the box was swept home by Marriott.
“Adam’s a good player and a real good person, he’s fitted into the group really well,” said Eastleigh manager Ben
Strevens about their recent signing.
“I’ve seen his finishing the last couple of years and this season as well, he scored against us for King’s Lynn so I think he owed us that one today!”
Marriott should have had another in the second half when Ryan Hill squared him the ball 12 yards out, but Eastleigh nullified Ajiboye and the Sutton attack to grind out another vital win which leaves them a point adrift of the play-offs.
Having beaten Notts County last week, the Spitfires play them again on Tuesday, followed by Torquay in a pivotal seven days.