Hayes & Yeading United 1 3 Sutton United
It wasn't quite as straightforward as looked likely after the first quarter of the game, but Sutton United still moved up to 4th place in Vanarama National League South with a fourth successive league win, and atoned for last month's home defeat against the same opposition, the last occasion on which U's had failed to take all three points.
Playing with the advantage of wind and slope Sutton dominated the early stages and soon had the goals to show for it. Craig Dundas reacted quickly to a midfield ricochet to play the ball wide to Kevin Amankwaah, who took on the defence before lifting in a fine cross which was met by the unmarked Fitchett, who the previous week had seen several chances go begging but this time planted a convincing header out of Dan Lincoln's reach.
That was in the 13th minute, and nine minutes later the lead, and Fitchett's tally, was doubled. Again Amankwaah was involved, this time playing a long ball up to the edge of the penalty area. Fitchett's downward header set up Tom Bolarinwa for a chance, and although he was tackled Hayes weren't organised enough to prevent the ball rolling back to Fitchett, who placed his shot in to the open goal.
At that stage Hayes, who four weeks ago had crashed 5-0 against Chelmsford at York Road, must have feared a repeat but within three minutes they had given themselves a chance. Beckwith's misdirected header as he attempted to fnd Ross Worner gifted them a corner, and when Elliott Benyon headed on Max Worsfold's corner, McKain climbed highest among a static defence to nod home.
It wasn't entirely good news for Hayes, as Worsfold injured himself taking the corner and had to be replaced soon afterwards, but with the lively Cole Brown coming on up front it did give them a way back in to the game and Beckwith did well to block Benyon's header just before half time from Brown's cross.
If that was a good block, Beckwith did even better early in the second half when a quickly taken free kick, after Fitchett had been the victim of a doubtful offside decision, saw Jake Sheppard and Luke Williams combine on the right before the ball was pulled back to Matt Jay, whose shot was deflected over by Beckwith's superb clearance.
Sutton had penalty appeals turned down when Dundas appeared to be impeded as he attacked a cross from the right, although Hayes had seen similar claims turned down in the first half for Beckwith's challenge on Benyon, and playing up the hill and in to the wind U's had to work hard to maintain the lead, but thirteen minutes from the end they had breathing space.
An off-balance Emmanuel Monthe's handball gave them a free kick thirty yards out, and against his former club Dan Wishart hit a cleanly struck shot that Lincoln couldn't hold, and it was skipper Collins, outstanding again at the back, who celebrated his 50th Sutton appearance by hammering the loose ball in to the net. Worner had to make one brilliant reaction save to keep out Monthe's shot after a corner had fallen to him, but the afternoon almost had a perfect conclusion for U's when substitute Stuart Fleetwood, still searching for his first competitive goal of the season, cut in from the left past two defenders to create a clear chance, only to see Lincoln divert his shot away for a corner.
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