Match Report

The thin line between success and failure which has been in evidence more than once this season reappeared at Harrogate as Sutton lost a game from which they could easily have emerged with at least a point. The better side for the first half hour and having had a goal ruled out for offside, they were caught on the counter following a corner eleven minutes before half time as George Thomson put Harrogate ahead, and then after the usually reliable Jamie Collins had seen a penalty saved by James Belshaw just before the hour mark which would have given them a springboard for the last half hour, they were unable to find an equaliser despite several promising positions and were finally put out of the game as Jack Muldoon won and then scored a penalty of his own in stoppage time.

After Harrogate had created a chance in the first minute, Thomson’s shot deflected over by a diving Tom Bolarinwa, who continued in the right back position in Dale Bennett’s continued absence, Sutton looked the likelier side in the first half hour with David Ajiboye, on his 21st birthday, testing the left side of the home defence and seeing one cross turned against the outside of the post by Craig Eastmond. They had the ball in the net when Jamie Collins shot in from close range following a corner but the celebrations on his 35th birthday were cut short by an offside flag.

Butler had to scramble away a deflected left wing cross which threatened to creep inside the post, but U’s would have been relatively pleased with the first half hour, with the one blot a failure to take advantage of several good positions through a heavy touch, as Ajiboye knocked the ball too far ahead of him as he sprinted through the defence, or a misplaced pass, Harry Beautyman twice seeing passes that would have given Will Randall a run on the left being cut out. From their own corner, though, they found themselves behind as, after Belshaw had punched clear Rob Milsom’s corner, Bolarinwa’s attempt to find Aaron Jarvis foundered as Jarvis was challenged by Mark Beck, and Harrogate countered at speed, Alex Bradley putting Thomson clear in a largely unoccupied Sutton half to shoot past Butler.

Worse could have followed at the start of the second half as it took a superb challenge from Bolarinwa to force Brendon Kiernan to shoot over from close range after Muldoon had crossed from the right, but the big chance came when Randall, an increasingly influential figure on the game, cut in from the left and released a well-timed pass to Jarvis, who was bundled over by George Smith. At the same end of the ground last season Collins had netted a last minute penalty to earn U’s a point, but this time Belshaw dived to his left to make a good save down by his post.

Tommy Wright’s introduction five minutes later added to U’s attacking options, and Kyel Reid was soon in the action as well, his first appearance of any significance containing several promising moments. Twice Sutton won free kicks in good positions, but from the first Beautyman’s shot deflected over off a head in the wall, and from the second Belshaw made an excellent save to his left to keep out Randall’s effort which was heading inside the far post, the rebound just evading the onrushing Wright.

Reid also sent over a fine cross from the left that was scrambled away at the far post, but it was to be an afternoon of frustration for U’s, and with Craig Dundas waiting on the touchline to replace the tiring Randall, Harrogate put the game to bed as Muldoon ran on to a headed flick from Beck, whose aerial threat had produced no end produce to this point, and although he seemed to have pushed the ball too far in front of him he went over under Butler’s challenge and picked himself up to send the keeper the wrog way from the spot.

Harrogate: J Belshaw, R Fallowfield, G Smith, C Hall, W Smith, W Burrell, G Thomson(sub J Emmett 90+1), A Bradley(sub S Brown 82), M Beck, J Muldoon, B Kiernan(sub J Diamond 75). Subs n/u J Stead, J Cracknell. Booked: G Smith.

Referee: Sam Barrott