Not without the odd scare, especially in a first half when Cray could justifiably claim to have been the better side, Sutton overcame their first hurdle in this season’s FA Cup at Gander Green Lane on Saturday. Their visitors having come very close to promotion from Division One South of the Ryman League last season, and looking likely to be among the front runners this time round, there was never any danger of U’s getting an easy passage through, but there was a degree of uneasiness among U’s fans until Craig Dundas scored his first senior goal of the season to open up a two goal lead with twenty minutes left, although Cray had failed to trouble Sutton to any great extent in the second half after the body blow of conceding a goal against the run of play two minutes before half time that saw U’s go in with an undeserved interval lead. U’s trials in the first half were all the more surprising after they got the start that every club in their position in such a tie dreams of, as the game was only in its third minute when Gavin McCallum’s pace took him away from the Cray defence on to Gavin Heeroo’s through ball, and he lifted a shot past the advancing Jack Bradshaw, the keeper getting a hand to the ball but unable to prevent it bouncing on in to the net. Even the build-up to the goal had hinted at a problem for U’s, though, as Heeroo had gained possession on the edge of his own penalty area only after a cross from Tyrone Sterling had been scrambled away, and the visitors’ pacy left winger proved to be the best player on the pitch in the first half. Soon afterwards he fired in a low cross that was diverted just wide by Tony Dolby under pressure from Steve West, but when he next threatened, the cross was delivered superbly at a perfect height for Tony Atkins to dive and head in to the net from close range. For much of the rest of the half U’s had a frustrating time, with McCallum repeatedly caught offside and Cray battling hard for every ball and not allowing them to settle. On the half hour the visitors should have been in front when Adam Wilde lost possession and a quick pass found Atkins, well onside when the ball was played, clear of U’s back line. His first touch was heavy, though, and Paul Nicholls was able to come quickly off his line and dive at the striker’s feet to avert the danger. It was an important moment in the game, and instead of possibly being in front at the break Cray didn’t even reach half time level. Arron Day’s reckless challenge on Wilde 25 yards out brought a booking from referee Michael Rowley, but Sutton supporters who had been at the friendlies at Croydon and Uxbridge realised that further punishment might follow through Wilde’s free kick, and although his superbly chipped effort lacked the inch-perfection of the two in those games, it came back off the post for West, who had a fine game deputising for the injured Karim El-Salahi at the back, to remind everyone that he is just as good as a striker as he reacted quickest to prod the rebound over the line. McCallum should have ended Cray’s resistance inside the first five minutes of the second half, but this time his low shot was parried by Bradshaw, who reached the rebound just before the onrushing Matt Hann, but apart from an early shot from Scott Kinch that Nicholls had to save U’s seemed in less trouble in the second half as Cray struggled to maintain their first half effort and U’s produced a performance more in line with what they would have hoped for. Once Dundas, fresh from his reserve team hat trick on Wednesday, had headed in Wilde’s corner with twenty minutes left, albeit after appearing to give his marker a hefty nudge, there was rarely any doubt as to which team would be going through, although Nicholls had to save well from Dean Morris after his initial failure to collect a free kick had led to a goalmouth scramble, and Colin Luckett hit the bar with an angled volley three minutes from the end. The final word should have been Sutton’s, though, as substitute Delando Smith survived a crude challenge from Danny Chapman and made the most of the advantage played by the referee to pull the ball back for McCallum, whose form so far this season suggested a certain goal, but who on this occasion scooped his shot over the bar. 

Cray: J Bradshaw, A Day, C Luckett, D Chapman, S Aris(sub D Morris 72), R Royston, S Kinch, J Kempster, T Dolby(sub T Whitnell 60), T Atkins(sub S Beveney 60), T Sterling . Subs n/u A Callaghan, J Wood, M Lee, G Knight. Booked: Kinch(24-foul), Day(42-foul).

Chris Collins leads out the U's.


Gavin McCallum breaks away from his marker.


McCallum looks on as his lob hits the back of the net.


The Cray defence protest as the U's celebrate Steve West's goal.


Craig Dundas's header rifles in to the net.


Billy Dunn keeps his eye on the ball.