Sutton today

I see from the teamsheet posted on Twitter that Steve Phillips is captain and not Andy Gallinagh - looks pretty attacking line-up with Kelly, Watkins, McCootie and Richards all starting., and good to see Dan Ball back in defence.

Goal down inside 2 minutes - Stearn! Commentary says we could be three down already!

1-1 - Eliot Richards penalty!

Get In!

1 - 1 FT.  Avery good hard earned point against a good side.

Great result at the start of a new era and a platform on which to build. Yessss!

Rot seriously stopped. First happy Saturday for many a week.

Well done to manager and players and those who were there. Could hear them supporting the Club on BCIR.

2 massivegamescoming up

Great result. I feared the worst when we let in that early goal.....again. Fabulous day on the piste, now a night on the p.....
Happy days.

under previous manager we would have crumbled. don't think I've enjoyed a point so much.

YesI leapt up like we'd won at the final whistle

Pete, are you down in Bath next Saturday? I'm back in Blighty on Tuesday.

Sounds great. Not just the result but what sounds like a battling performance. Sutton obviously need Stearn otherwise we would have won;)

Yes Rob there next week. Sponsoring with the exiles but available for a pint or 2

pete mac wrote:Yes Rob there next week. Sponsoring with the exiles but available for a pint or 2

Great. See you for a pint of Palmers. Or 2.

Other then the result it wasn't massively different to recent performances. The early goal and, but for a couple of decent saves by Phillips, it could have been over within 20 minutes. However, after this woeful start we began to get into the game and got a break when their keeper came rushing out when he didn't need to and floored Watto. And we finally scored a penalty.

Second half was more even, although Sutton always looked the more dangerous. We stood firm though with only a couple of real scares - one where they 'scored' but the ball had gone out before the cross and right at the death when Stearn lined up a shot but it was well blocked.

So no major change but it was good to stop the losing run and it is something to take forward.

Oh, and Owers will please those who like a manager on his feet shouting at the players.

Simon's assessment seems a little more like the game that I watched than the others on this thread. City were certainly second best throughout, although Sutton will surely be frustrated by the number of mistakes they were making. Some important saves from Phillips, and some brave blocks from the defence, kept City in it. The main differences were that City did manage to avoid defeat, credit to the team for that, and that City did actually score a penalty. In fact, it was a very well taken penalty, especially given the time that Richards had to wait to take it. It's difficult to know why the keeper needed such extensive treatment after conceding the penalty, given that there was no actual contact between him and Watkins (maybe it was a carpet burn).

A36 wrote:Simon's assessment seems a little more like the game that I watched than the others on this thread.  City were certainly second best throughout, although Sutton will surely be frustrated by the number of mistakes they were making.  Some important saves from Phillips, and some brave blocks from the defence, kept City in it.  The main differences were that City did manage to avoid defeat, credit to the team for that, and that City did actually score a penalty.  In fact, it was a very well taken penalty, especially given the time that Richards had to wait to take it.  It's difficult to know why the keeper needed such extensive treatment after conceding the penalty, given that there was no actual contact between him and Watkins (maybe it was a carpet burn).

He came across to us at the start of the second half and indicated that he had been kicked in the face by the tumbling Watto, therefore Watto was brought down by his trailing chin!

I thought it was a very entertaining game, given how much was riding on it. We carried more of a threat going forward than in the last few games i've seen, and after such a disastrous start it would have been easy to let the game get away from us. Indeed, we could have been 3 down after 15, but one great close range save from Phillips and a ball across the box that just eluded the sliding striker were the only real threats from the home side. With their failure to extend their advantage, belief seemed to grow in City and we finally got a grip on the game, finishing the first half the stronger side. The equaliser was nothing more than we deserved.

The second half was much more cagey by both sides, and Sutton had the better openings and much more pressure, but we defended well and still managed to cause problems for them at the back. Our front players put their defenders under quite a bit of pressure and they found it hard to play out of defence at times. What was most pleasing, apart from the point, was a return of some spirit and a determination not to let the home side off the hook. As a result they misplaced many passes and didn't look any fitter than our part-timers.

Who played at right back, with Simmo and Bowman on the bench?

Gallinagh.

Free header again for the goal and for the first 20 minutes don't think we got out of our own half but then started to get a foothold in the game.
From then on although Sutton could point to more possession we defended with far greater conviction than recently and everyone was working to support each other. Would have been devastating to concede in the last few minutes, a hard earned point.

Yes, a lot more spirit shown than in recent away games. We did well to limit them to just the one goal but Sutton will be kicking themselves at throwing away two points. Frankly their keeper could have been red carded following the penalty award as he had virtually nothing to do for the rest of the game.
Can never remember a game before when we've had as many as five loanees starting. But if Pratt cannot return to full fitness quickly, I think we need to reinforce the attack. Today was always going to be a tough one but the next two matches are against opponents we must target to beat.

yuffie wrote:Other then the result it wasn't massively different to recent performances. The early goal and, but for a couple of decent saves by Phillips, it could have been over within 20 minutes. However, after this woeful start we began to get into the game and got a break when their keeper came rushing out when he didn't need to and floored Watto. And we finally scored a penalty.

Second half was more even, although Sutton always looked the more dangerous. We stood firm though with only a couple of real scares - one where they 'scored' but the ball had gone out before the cross and right at the death when Stearn lined up a shot but it was well blocked.

So no major change but it was good to stop the losing run and it is something to take forward.

Oh, and Owers will please those who like a manager on his feet shouting at the players.

Was Jimmer up and talking to the team as well?

To be honest, even if Philips has started making point-saving saves again, that will help us regain a bit of the form we had at the start of the season.

comrade powell wrote:........ Today was always going to be a tough one but the next two matches are against opponents we must target to beat.

Agreed, but how many times in the last 3 months have we said that, and we've lost them all. I really hope that this time we can deliver otherwise we will be down and out.

A good draw and a very welcome point to boost confidence. Was good to see the loan players starting and not warming the bench. We were second best at times but we never gave up today. What was noticeable was the style of play we adopted. We didn't hoof the ball from defence as much and tried to play a passing game from the back .The passing was more slick and accurate than in recent weeks. This was the first game for Gary Owers and hopefully with a settled side, good training and better tactics things will improve. Number one priority is to stay in this league and then for Gary Owers to build his own side next season as there are a few players who maybe aren't up to the standard .

The result was everything today.

Pleased to read in the Chronicle that City players 'swarmed' Sutton when we didn't have the ball. For me that's what will keep us up.

Pratt due to come back next week plus Taylor available.

Looking forward to it