Sutton enjoyed their best home result of the season so far on Saturday when they ended Gosport's unbeaten start to the Vanarama National League South season.
In another highly entertaining game, it was Craig McAllister who the statistics will show as the match winner, his opportunist 22nd minute goal the difference between the sides, but sharing top billing was goalkeeper Ross Worner, who saved two penalties during the afternoon, the first after fifteen minutes before the game had taken any real shape, and the second ten minutes from time which should have only denied Gosport a consolation goal, but due to an equally impressive performance at the other end from Nathan Ashmore, and some wayward finishing, carried much greater importance.
Manager Paul Doswell reshuffled his midfield, with Craig Eastmond and the returning Bedsente Gomis both included, Shaun Cooper on the bench and Micky Spillane left out altogether, and both Eastmond and Gomis enjoyed good games as U's produced arguably their best 45 minutes of the season so far in the first half.
It might have been different, though, as after Dan Fitchett had seen an early shot saved Gosport were handed a chance to go in front in controversial circumstances as referee Ashvin Degnarain played an advantage despite the ball being in the U's penalty area after an offside flag had gone up, and when the hasty clearance was returned in to the area Dean Beckwith seemed unlucky to be penalised for a challenge on Justin Bennett.
Beckwith's booking will bring a one match ban, but Worner ensured the incident had a positive outcome for Sutton by saving Bennett's penalty.
From then on Sutton took control, and they should have been ahead when good work by Fitchett and McAllister set up Stuart Fleetwood, who shot wide of the target when it looked easier to score. Minutes later, though, U's did have the lead when Eastmond's superb pass to the right allowed Ross Stearn to attack before driving in a low cross which was turned in by a stretching McAllister.
By the interval U's should have had at least one more, with Stearn shooting across goal after Ashmore could only push out Fitchett's low 20-yard shot, and seeing another shot deflected just wide, and Ashmore then off his line quickly to deny Eastmond a debut goal after he had been set up by Fitchett's superb turn and pass, but Ashmore's best came two minutes later when McAllister met Stearn's cross with a glancing header which the keeper tipped on to the post at full stretch.
Gosport weren't without chances, as Worner saved from Bennett and George Barker, but Sutton continued to have the greater share of the game early in the second half as Ashmore turned Stearn's shot wide via the post after fine work by Gomis had created the chance, and then tipped a header from the same player over the bar.
With the second goal refusing to come, though, U's were never safe and Gosport's efforts to preserve their unbeaten record increased. Worner was out quickly to deny Dan Wooden, but the chance came with ten minutes left as a careless challenge by Jamie Collins on Bennett when no real danger threatened led to a second penalty about which this time there could be no argument.
A minute after coming on it was Jamie White, a Sutton striker last season, who stepped up to the spot, but again Worner came to his side's rescue, saving to his left and then blocking Lee Wort's effort from the follow up. Worner had to make one more good save, from Wort's volley after a diagonal pass had carried over the otherwise excellent Dan Wishart, and White shot across goal as Gosport pushed for an equaliser but U's held on for a deserved victory and a first home clean sheet.
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