SOUTH: Sutton United 2 Margate 0

Sutton at last gave their home supporters a result, and a performance, to cheer on Tuesday when they dominated their Kent opponents from start to finish for a richly deserved first home Nationwide South win of the season. With Maidenhead also picking up maximum points at home to Havant it wasn't enough to lift U's out of the bottom three, but the victory, and its impressive nature, should have boosted U's confidence after a difficult few weeks.

It was a victory achieved without all three of U's front-line strikers, with illness keeping Andrew Martin sidelined along with the injured Joff Vansittart and Craig Watkins, although Watkins was able to take his place among the substitutes. But Warren Haughton and Eddie Akuamoah proved able replacements, with the recently signed Haughton still looking in need of games but playing a large part in both goals with touches of genuine quality. Akuamoah could have scored inside the first five minutes when he lost his marker to meet a John Scarborough cross but headed across goal and wide.

Margate's pace in attack looked as though it might cause U's problems, and Tony Quinton was booked for a foul on Moses Jjunju that was as much a product of Jjunju's pace as any ill intent, although Quinton was fortunate that it was close enough to the touchline to convince referee John Farries that Jjunju still had plenty to do, and that a yellow card would suffice. It was a rare threat, however, and Phil Wilson was able to assume the role of spectator for most of the first half.

With Matt Gray and Nigel Brake playing as attacking wingers for much of the evening U's were producing some entertaining football, and with a more confident touch to their finishing would have led comfortably at the interval. Glenn Boosey was unlucky when a curling 20-yard shot drifted inches wide, but should have scored a minute later when Akuamoah chased a long pass over the top and pulled a cross back from the byline, only for Boosey to miscue from close range and allow Peter Trego to scramble the ball to safety.

Moments later a fine pass from Brake found Gray beyond the defence, but on his weaker left side he failed to beat the advancing Trego. He missed a much better chance early in the second half when he blazed over the bar after a missed clearance had allowed Akuamoah to roll the ball in to his path.

Wilson was finally called in to serious action just before the hour, holding on well to a low shot from Rocky Baptiste, but the lively Jjunju was soon surprisingly replaced and Sutton remained much the better side, finally breaking through with twenty minutes left. A Peter Fear free kick was cleared only as far as Haughton on the edge of the area, and he intelligently played the ball wide to Brake, who was in acres of space on the left and had time to measure a cross that was met by Quinton's powerful header.

U's had a scare three minutes later when Che Stadhart escaped the defence to meet John Keister's long free-kick but volleyed over the bar, and six minutes from time Wilson, who had done so much to earn U's a point on Saturday, almost undid that good work when he allowed a Baptiste shot to escape his clutches, but the ball rolled just wide of the post.

A nervous end for U's was quickly averted though, when Haughton did well to win possession on the left before laying the ball inside to Brake, who reached the edge of the penalty area before finding Haughton again. Shaping to shoot, he instead released a perfectly timed pass to leave Akuamoah clear, and he whipped a shot across Trego and in off the far post to clinch the points.

Sutton: P Wilson, M Gray, E Akuamoah , N Brake, J Scarborough, G Boosey , P Fear, T Quinton, W Haughton, P Honey, L Gonsalves. Subs n/u: E Arkali, C Watkins, G Tydeman, S Booth.
Goals: Quinton(70), Akuamoah(85).
Booked: Quinton (9 - foul).

Margate: P Trego, A Chavalambous (sub T Ngongou 80), P Benevenides, R Smith, A Barnett, D Annon, J Keister, M Jjunju (sub D Watson 64), C Stadhart (sub D Bulley 82), R Baptiste, A Clarke. Sub n/u: I Pulman.
Booked: Keister(61 - foul), Watson (80 - foul).

Referee: J Farries

Attendance: 481

With Maidenhead involved in FA Cup action at the weekend, Sutton can move out of the bottom three on Saturday if they can maintain their unbeaten record this season against clubs who joined Nationwide South from the Southern League when they visit Weymouth.

Like Sutton, who are looking for their first victory at the Wessex Stadium, Weymouth suffered a shock FA Cup exit last week against opposition from two levels lower, a result that cost high-profile manager Steve Claridge his job. Since then they have picked up four points from Nationwide South games at Welling and Lewes.

U's will be without Andrew Martin, who begins a three match suspension after his sending off against Bromley, and Matt Gray, whose suspension is one game for accumulated bookings. He will therefore be available again for next Tuesday's Carthium Cup tie at home to Carshalton Athletic (ko 7.45pm), which will be played to a finish with extra time and penalties. The winners will be away to Maidenhead or Hayes in the second round.