SUSSEX SENIOR CUP: SUTTON UNITED 2 WOKING 1
After seeing their team comfortably beaten by the same opposition a week earlier, and then suffer a heavy defeat against Grays on Saturday which also saw injuries to several key players, Sutton supporters could have been forgiven for finding optimism a struggle going into Tuesday's Surrey Senior Cup tie at Gander Green Lane.
They will all have subsequently been reminded of football's appeal however, as U's, fielding three quarters of their Suburban League defence against a Woking attack arguably stronger than that which went through so easily in the GLS Cup last week, avenged that defeat - and their loss in the Surrey Senior Cup final last season - with a battling and hugely spirited performance, which thoroughly deserved the victory and the ovation received at the end of the game.
It was a pity that only 182 spectators opted for this game over the televised action, but those who did attend will enjoyed a stirring tie that even had the bonus of a tense finish after former Oxford striker Jefferson Louis had pulled a goal back for Woking three minutes from time.
With Matt Gray, Scott Corbett and Lewis Gonsalves all injured and recent signing Romauld Bouadji ineligible, the chance was there for players like Craig Howard, Danny Dray and on his debut Richard Blackwell to make names for themselves, and eagerly they took it. Blackwell's debut ended painfully ten minutes from time after a clash of heads left him with a nasty cut, but the reception he was given from all round the ground spoke volumes for an assured performance that once again highlighted the quality of player coming through the youth and reserve ranks.
With Raphael Nade joined by National Game XI squad member Amos Foyewa in the Woking attack, U's looked in for a hard night. But Nade was never allowed the freedom he had received last week, and with Michael Johnson playing as an orthodox left-back and unable to have the same attacking impact, U's more than held their own in a first twenty minutes of few chances.
They went ahead as Joff Vansittart, whose aerial prowess was always too much for the Woking defence, out-muscled Gary McDonald on the edge of the area to win the ball and find Eddie Akuamoah on the right of the penalty area; while McDonald remained on the ground, Akuamoah pulled the ball back in to Vansittart's path and he turned inside is marker before firing low across Adriano Basso into the far corner.
Even a harsh booking three minutes later, for what referee Eamonn Smith perceived as kicking the ball away after being penalised for handball, failed to blunt Vansittart's threat, and he laid on what should have been a second goal with a flick from a Peter Fear throw-in that found Chris Nurse arriving in the six-yard box but unable to put enough on his shot to beat Basso.
Towards half time Woking threatened for the first time, but Andy Iga, deputising confidently for the suspended Phil Wilson, made a brilliant save to turn aside Neil Smith's shot after Steve Ferguson had set him up, and Ferguson shot wide from a low Foyewa cross on one of the rare occasions that the striker got the better of Dray.
Early in the second half a Ferguson cross just eluded Foyewa at the far post, and Steve Evans was allowed to run a long way before shooting just wide, but otherwise U's defended well, and the work rate of the players further forward made it difficult for Woking to launch any concerted pressure.
The departure of the increasingly anonymous Foyewa twenty minutes from time was a testament to U's effort, but it got no easier with Louis replacing him, and there was a scare for U's when Ferguson broke clear on the edge of the area and was brought down by John Scarborough. Once Mr Smith had decided it was a foul, although Scarborough seemed to get plenty of the ball, U's were happy to settle for a free-kick right on the 18-yard line and a yellow card for Scarborough, when it could easily have been a penalty and red, and Scott Canham's free kick rebounded to safety off the defensive wall.
Fear cleared off the line from McDonald's header following a corner, and Blackwell then went off to be replaced by Tony Quinton, making his first appearance since breaking an ankle in U's win at Farnham in the previous round. He had only been on the pitch two minutes when U's eased the pressure with a priceless, and superb, second goal. Paul Honey broke up an attack on the edge of his own penalty area and released Akuamoah, who ran directly at the back-pedalling defence with Vansittart to his left and Nigel Brake to his right. The pass when it came was perfectly placed for Brake, who swept a first time shot past Basso.
There was still work to be done, however, with Louis outpacing Quinton and firing past Iga with three minutes left, and Mr Smith then forcing U's to endure seven minutes of stoppage time, but it would have been an injustice if all the effort had counted for nothing, and remaining resolute to the end U's ensured their place in the quarter finals.
Sutton: A Iga, C Howard, D Dray, J Scarborough, R Blackwell (sub T Quinton 80), N Brake, C Nurse, P Honey, P Fear, J Vansittart, E Akuamoah. Subs n/u: C Watkins, G Tydeman.
Goals: Vansittart (23), Brake (82).
Booked: Vansittart (26 - dissent), Scarborough (74 - foul).
Woking: A Basso, M Ruby(SUB s Jackson 30), S Evans, N Smith, J Boardman, G McDonald, M Johnson, S Canham, R Nade, A Foyewa (sub J Louis 70), S Ferguson. Subs n/u: S Jalal, A McGregor, K Murray.
Goal: Louis (87)
Referee: E Smith
Attendance: 182
