Match Report

Sutton recorded back to back wins for the first time in the National League this season and for the second game in a row avoided being the victims of a league double. After scoring the winner at Dagenham on Tuesday, Tommy Wright was again the match winner, striking two superb goals in the last twenty minutes as U’s reacted to the disappointment of Josh Falkingham’s equaliser midway through the second half.

U’s had lost at Harrogate in September, since when the Yorkshire side had been beaten just once in the league, but there was no doubt that U’s deserved to reverse that scoreline, especially once Harry Beautyman, again starting the game on the left of midfield, had given them the lead just before the half hour mark.

Until then it had been a fairly scrappy game with defenders coming closest to goals. Ben Wyatt sent a 25-yard shot just over the bar, while at the other end Will Smith headed just too high from a right wing cross, but U’s grabbed the initiative when Kyel Reid, preferred to David Ajiboye in the starting line-up, broke down the right before laying the ball back to Craig Eastmond, whose first time cross found Beautyman stealing in behind the defence and diving to head past the helpless James Belshaw as Harrogate looked optimistically for offside.

U’s almost had a second before half time, Louis John’s header following a corner being deflected just wide, but early in the second half John was called in to action in his own penalty area, clearing from inside the six yard box when the ball was knocked forward in a goalmouth scramble following a corner. By then U’s had been forced in to a change, Ajiboye coming on at the break to replace the injured Kenny Davis and creating a chance for himself within five minutes, beating Belshaw with his low shot but not the covering Smith. Omar Bugiel put a header just over the top, but midway through the half Harrogate found an equaliser as Falkingham took advantage of hesitant defending from Jon Barden to shrug off his challenge and take the ball neatly round Nik Tzanev before tapping it in to the net.

Having reacted so well to going behind at Dagenham on Tuesday, U’s again provided the perfect response to regain the lead within four minutes, Wright collecting the ball some thirty yards out after Ajiboye had dispossessed an opponent and unleashing a thumping shot which flew through the grasp of a startled Belshaw in to the roof of the net. It was a strike which brought possibly the loudest noise at the ground this season, and with three minutes to go U’s supporters were celebrating again as Wright chased Eastmond’s headed through pass, reaching it before any defenders and then turning inside past Fallowfield before driving a shot beyond Belshaw and inside the far post.

U’s had to survive six minutes of stoppage time, and Harrogate did go close to creating a nervous finale when the ball was nodded just wide, but otherwise U’s defence, in which Ben Goodliffe returned to partner John, saw off any threat and were able to celebrate a fine victory.

Harrogate: J Belshaw, R Fallowfield, M Hancox, J Falkingham, C Hall, W Smith, G Thomson, J Emmett, J Stead, J Muldoon, J Diamond(sub B Kiernan 66). Subs n/u G Smith, J Cracknell, A Bradley, L Kerry. Booked: Muldoon, Emmett.

Referee: Gary Parsons