Match Centre

Sutton dropped back in to the Enterprise National League relegation zone after a narrow defeat at Southend in the most frustrating of circumstances as Gus Scott Morriss’s 17th minute winner came in a goalmouth scramble after Jack Sims had saved Harry Cardwell’s penalty. Sims had already made one outstanding save to claw away a Nathan Ralph header from a corner after eight minutes, and guessed right to keep out Cardwell’s spot kick after Jack Taylor had been adjudged to have fouled Charley Kendall as the former Sutton loanee broke in to the penalty area on the left. Cardwell followed in on the rebound but missed his kick, only for Scott-Morriss to force the ball over the line.

Sutton, who welcomed back Junior Eccleston after suspension and Brandon Njoku to the starting line-up after injury, responded well to the goal and almost equalised immediately as a Kai Jennings free kick from near the left corner flag bounced around the six yard box and appeared to hit the post before ending up in the arms of goalkeeper Collin Andang Ndi. U’s were even more unlucky shortly afterwards when Lewis Simper found space just outside the penalty area to fire in a powerful shot that crashed back off the crossbar. Simper also had loud penalty appeals turned away as he seemed to be brought down as he went for a return pass, and saw a shot deflected in to the arms of Andang Ndi, so with Southend restricted to shots from Kendall and Harry Boyes which went harmlessly wide Sutton were entitled to feel a little hard done by to be going in behind at half time.

Despite bringing Davide Rodari on to play up front alongside Brandon Njoku with half an hour to go, Sutton didn’t have the same threat in the second half and apart from a David Ogbonna cross that evaded everyone and drifted just wide, and a stoppage time volley from Rodari that was well struck but straight at Andeng Ndi they found the Southend defence difficult to break through. Sims made sharp stops from Boyes and Cardwell, while substitute Slavi Spasov should have had a goal when Cardwell flicked on a low cross from the right but Spasov inexplicably allowed the ball to run in front of him inside the six yard box when he seemed to have a tap-in. Scott-Morriss just failed to reach a Boyes free kick that was also helped on by Cardwell, but the one goal proved enough to keep Southend in the play-off positions, and return U’s to the bottom four as Rodari’s late volley was saved by Andang Ndi.

Sutton: J Sims, J Eccleston, Jack Taylor, W Tizzard(sub O Mrisho 68), H Muller, Jake Taylor(sub D Rodari 60), K Jennings, L Simper, B Njoku, J Harris(sub C Bell 79), D Ogbonna. Subs n/u E Vaz, A Jones, D Urpens, D Aziaya. Booked: Harris, Muller.

Southend: C Andang Ndi, G Scott-Morriss, N Ralph, H Taylor, J Gubbins, C Miley, O Coker(sub S Austin 67), L Parillon(sub K Appiah-Forson 74), C Kendall(sub S Spasov 58), H Cardwell(sub T Hopper 74), H Boyes(sub J Bridge 66). Subs n/u J Morton, N Hayes. Booked: Boyes, Scott-Morriss, Hopper.

Referee: Alan Dale

Attendance: 8,798(221 away)