Match Centre

Three second half goals saw Sutton back up Tuesday’s defeat of Woking with a comfortable win against Wealdstone and move further away from the Enterprise National League’s relegation zone. After a first half in which U’s had been in control but had failed to create clear chances apart from a Kai Jennings shot cleared off the line in the first five minutes, U’s struck twice in the first eight minutes of the second half and cruised to what was ultimately their biggest league win of the season.

With Chris Haigh suspended after his red card on Tuesday U’s were pleased to be able to welcome back Jack Sims, who in turn may be happy that he had little to do on an afternoon that could have been frustrating for U’s until Hayden Muller, with his first Sutton goal, and Lewis Simper swung the game decisively. Having seen a player sent off in each of the last two games, U’s supporters may have had their hearts in their mouths inside the first fifteen minutes when Junior Eccleston flew in to a challenge but referee William Davis contented himself with a yellow card.

U’s had plenty of possession in the first half but struggled to create clear chances after the opening minutes, when a Simper free kick was diverted by a visiting defender requiring Dante Baptiste to save down to his right and when the ball came back to Kai Jennings his shot was cleared off the line. Jennings tested Baptiste with a low 20-yard shot soon afterwards, the keeper saving comfortably, but otherwise U’s found it difficult to penetrate the visitors’ defence, with passes intercepted or moves breaking down. Indeed as half time approached Wealdstone threatened to punish U’s for their failure to capitalise on their possession as Anthony Georgiou sent a 25-yard shot flying just past the post, and Sims then had to get his positioning right to hold a chip from Dylan Kadji under his crossbar.

Sutton started the second half well to regain the initiative, and this time they backed it up with goals. First Hayden Muller, hitherto without a goal in his 64 previous senior appearances for U’s, dived to head in a free kick swung in from the left by Lewis Simper, and then Simper added a touch of class three minutes later. A superb first touch brought Besart Topallaj’s crossfield pass under instant control on the right, and he then cut inside before placing a shot beyond Baptiste in to the far corner of the net.

There was rarely any danger of Sutton conceding the advantage, with one cross flashing across the face of goal the only moment to cause any uncertainty, and U’s came close to extending the lead when Baptiste pushed away a powerful 20-yard effort from Topallaj. The third goal did come with three minutes left, however, when the tireless Jennings won possession in midfield and put substitute David Ogbonna through, and then continued his run forward so that when Ogbonna’s shot crashed down off the bar he was able to head the ball in to the empty net and complete an impressive victory.

Sutton: J Sims, K Donkor, B Topallaj, J Eccleston, E Pruti, H Muller, J Taylor(sub D Eze 75), L Simper(sub A Nadesan 70), B Njoku(sub D Ogbonna 83), K Jennings, J Francis. Subs n/u L Vincent, D Rodari, J Harris, D Aziaya. Booked: Eccleston, Simper, Jennings.

Wealdstone: D Baptiste, C McAvoy, A Georgiou(sub S Hassan 56), S Spencer(sub T Agyemang 56), D Woodman, J Tiensia, D Hutchinson(sub M Adu-Poku 81), D Kadji, O Olomola(sub S Adarkwa 68), M Obiero(sub E Dixon-Bonner 81, N Tshikuna. Subs n/u M Diarra, E Johnson.

Referee: William Davis

Attendance: 2,534(220 away)