Match Centre

Sutton continued their recovery from last week’s Yeovil disappointment with arguably their best result of the season so far, the 76 supporters who made the long midweek trip to Hartlepool rewarded by second half goals from Osman Foyo and Kai Jennings that lifted U’s six points clear of the relegation zone and dented Hartlepool’s hopes of moving in to the play-off zone with Southend’s failure to beat Truro.

Fielding an unchanged starting eleven, Sutton had opportunities to score in the first half before being indebted to Junior Eccleston for a magnificent tackle just before the interval to deny Tyrese Sinclair a goal, but after an early second half scare when home striker Alex Reid hit the post, U’s dominated the last half hour and were fully deserved winners.

Neither side made the best of their possession in the first half, Hartlepool failing to test Jack Sims with two shots from distance, and until stoppage time the clearest chance fell to U’s when Jennings chipped in a cross from the by-line to the far post where Edon Pruti’s header lacked the power to beat home goalkeeper Nick Hayes. Just before the half time whistle, though, Sinclair, who had been Solihull’s outstanding player in U’s 4-1 defeat there just before Christmas, looked set to inflict more pain as he raced clear from the half way line, but with U’s fans fearing the worst Eccleston managed to get back and produce a superbly judged tackle ten yards out to prevent an almost certain goal.

U’s had another escape two minutes after half time when Tom Parkes headed back a free kick and Reid diverted the ball past Sims but against the outside of the post, and Pruti needed to redeem himself with a fine tackle to deny Adam Campbell after giving the ball away in the penalty area. There were also several blocks from U’s players as Hartlepool had their best spell of the game, but having survived the early second half pressure Sutton then turned the tables, and Foyo produced some good work on the right to reach the by-line and pull the ball back for Brandon Njoku, who was denied at the near post by Max Kouogun. Lewis Simper’s resulting corner was headed behind by Parkes as Pruti waited at the far post, and when Jennings delivered the next corner to beyond the far post, Foyo volleyed the ball back across Hayes in to the far corner for his first Sutton goal.

U’s should have had a second moments later when Simper combined neatly with substitute Charlie Bell to attack the penalty area before slipping in Njoku, who sent the ball wastefully over the top. U’s were now in the ascendancy, though, and a second Sutton goal always looked likelier than a Hartlepool equaliser, Gavin Holohan slicing their only real chance well wide of the near post and Sinclair’s fading threat ending with him being substituted nine minutes from time. Jayden Harris, another second half replacement, volleyed wide from Besart Topallaj’s cross when he should have done better, and with last week’s late collapse still fresh in the memory there was always the fear that the wasted opportunities would be costly. However with the game entering the 90th minute another attack on the right ended with Hayden Muller rolling the ball to Jennings thirty yards out, and with no Hartlepool player coming to close him down Jennings decided to try his luck with a superb shot that flew past Hayes in to the top corner to record U’s 50th league goal of the season and clinch an outstanding Sutton victory.

Sutton: J Sims, K Donkor, B Topallaj, J Eccleston, E Pruti, H Muller, K Jennings, L Simper(sub J Harris 80), O Foyo(sub A Nadesan 70), B Njoku(sub D Ogbonna 80), J Francis(sub C Bell 65). Subs n/u  D Rodari, D Eze, C Haigh.

Hartlepool: N Hayes, J Benn, C John(sub V Oliver 81), T Parkes, M Kouogun, N Sheron, M Daly(sub C Caton 64), J Miley, A Reid(sub S Folarin 73), A Campbell(sub G Holohan 65), T Sinclair(sub C Okike 81). Subs n/u J Hunter, A Smith.

Referee: Michael Barlow

Attendance: 3574(76 away)

Photo Credit: Paul Loughlin