Match Report

Sutton’s outstanding Christmas form moved up to another level with a blistering first half performance that swept away a Woking side that recovered some pride in the second half but for whom the cause was hopeless after Harry Beautyman’s penalty two minutes before half time gave U’s a 5-0 interval lead. It was little surprise that they were unable to maintain that form after the break, but any worries that Ibrahim Meite’s two goals might take the gloss off the performance were dispelled when Craig Dundas scored his first goal of the season in stoppage time.

There was little hint in the opening stages of what was to follow, as a Woking side without the dangerous Dave Tarpey and Jake Hyde, as well as skipper Josh Casey, made a good start, Nik Tzanev holding a well struck shot from Paul Hodges and diving on the ball inside the six yard box after a long Jack Cook throw-in had been flicked on, but then Tommy Wright was fouled 25 yards out, Beautyman’s free kick squirmed between goalkeeper Sam Howes and his near post, and U’s never looked back. Will Randall saw a chance go as he delayed just a moment too long after being put through by David Ajiboye, but then Ajiboye’s fine cross from the left was turned in by Ben Goodliffe for his second goal in as many games, and U’s went on to take total control with two goals in three minutes around the half hour mark. Probably the best of the six was the third, as Ben Wyatt’s overlap on the left allowed him to run on to Craig Eastmond’s pass and cross low for Wright to sweep the ball first time past Howes, and then Ajiboye, set up by Wright, shrugged off a challenge and thumped in a shot from 20 yards that went straight through Howes’ grasp.

The one setback in the first half was when Randall limped off, having twisted the same ankle that he injured at Eastleigh in August, but Rob Milsom’s arrival was simultaneous with a double Woking substitution as the visitors looked for damage limitation. It did little good, and Howes’ afternoon went from bad to worse as Wright chased a through ball and reached it a split second before the keeper, whose challenge sent Wright crashing. Referee Sam Allison pointed to the spot, Beautyman gave Howes no chance, and a stunning first half was complete.

It was scarcely surprising, in their fourth game in ten days, that U’s were unable to recover their intensity after the break, and there was little of note for much of the second half, although Ajiboye had to limp off with twenty minutes to go after falling awkwardly after a run in from the right. Meite pulled one back from close range after a fine run and cross from Jamar Loza, one of the players brought on just before half time, and scored again three minutes from time with a powerful low shot from the edge of the penalty area after Tzanev, under pressure from Jayden Wareham, had failed to gather a cross. However U’s supporters ended the game celebrating as, in the third minute of stoppage time, Wright sent Bolarinwa through on the right, and although Howes was down to save he could only push the ball in to the path of Dundas, who tapped in to complete the rout.

Woking: S Howes, J Cook, J Gray(sub J Wareham 86), M Parry(sub M Kretzschmar 40), B Gerring, M Diarra, S Donnellan, K Ferdinand, I Meite, N Collier, P Hodges(sub J Loza 40). Sub n/u C Ross. Booked: Collier, Ferdinand, Wareham.

Referee: Sam Allison