Match Centre

First half goals from Junior Eccleston, his first senior goal for the club, and Brandon Njoku gave Sutton a well deserved win and moved U’s out of the Enterprise National League’s bottom four. The goals underlined a fine first half performance, and although Halifax came in to the game more after the break their hopes of staging a comeback were frustrated by Tommy Reid’s fine penalty save from Shaun Hobson.

Sutton were on the front foot from the start, and inside the first five minutes a powerful header forward from Eccleston allowed Njoku to set up a chance for Jayden Harris, whose shot was saved by Sam Johnston, and the Halifax keeper denied Harris again before the game was a quarter of an hour old, U’s midfielder being allowed time to turn on to David Ogbonna’s pass in the penalty area and his shot beaten away by Johnston. Sutton’s enterprising start received its reward, however, when a move that started slowly deep inside U’s half developed quickly with Ogbonna’s pace on the left giving him the chance to whip in a terrific low cross that Njoku couldn’t connect with at the near post, but Eccleston was coming in at the far post to hammer the ball in to the net.

It was no more than U’s deserved, and just after the half hour mark they had an even firmer grip on the game with Kai Jennings the creator, seeming to miss a chance to get a shot away but instead creating space on the right of the penalty area to chip in a cross that Njoku brought down before sweeping past the helpless Johnston.

Apart from one self inflicted scare, when a poor clearance from Reid set up a chance which the keeper himself averted as he punched the ball away from Owen Davenport, Sutton were untroubled in the first half, with the first chance that Halifax created themselves coming just before half time when Will Hugill turned Angelo Cappello’s cross wide, but two substitutions before half time gave some idea of manager Adam Lakeland’s views on the situation, although Dylan Crowe’s replacement seemed to be due to injury.

The visitors came out stronger in the second half, while Sutton struggled to recapture their form of the first half, and Reid was soon in action to save a low cross shot from Jamie Cooke. The chance for the game to turn came on the hour when Edon Pruti impeded Cooke as they contested a long ball over the top. Referee Carl Brook pointed to the penalty spot and booked Pruti, but Hobson’s powerfully struck penalty was superbly kept out by Reid to his right.

Moments later opposite number Johnston produced an equally impressive save to keep out a close range Harris effort, but with Halifax still seeing a chance to get back in the game Reid saved again from Cooke’s low shot.

As the half progressed Sutton regained the control they had enjoyed in the first half, with Ogbonna cutting in from the left and hitting a low shot that Johnston saved to his left. Substitute Osman Foyo, having picked up a quick booking, then showed U’s supporters some encouraging ability as he used strength and control to cut in from the right but saw his shot blocked by Jevon Mills, and Jack Taylor had a shot deflected just over, while U’s increasing confidence was underlined near the end when Lewis Simper tried to return a poor clearance first time with Johnston out of position and only just cleared the crossbar.

Sutton: T Reid, J Eccleston, D Ogbonna, H Muller(sub C Bell 83), E Pruti, Jack Taylor, K Jennings, L Simper, B Njoku(Sub O Foyo 58), Jake Taylor(sub A Jones 63), J Harris. Subs n/u D Aziaya, W Tizzard, K Crichlow, M Halim. Booked: Pruti, Foyo, Jennings, Eccleston.

Halifax: S Johnson, D Crowe(sub A Adetoro 44), J Mills(sub W Smith 78), W Hugill, S Hobson, C Johnson, O Bray(sub M Wright 44), J Jenkins(sub W Harris 68), O Davenport, J Cooke(sub AJ Warburton 78), A Cappello. Subs n/u N Ford, S Tarima. Booked: Jenkins, Wright.

Referee: Carl Brook

Attendance: 2,381(101 away)