Kingstonian 2 Sutton United 1 (From Your Local Guardian)

Kingstonian 2 Sutton United 1

7:44pm Sunday 4th April 2010 in

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Kingstonian put the battle for second place in the Ryman League, and home advantage in any play-off games, under their own control on Saturday as Sutton’s unbeaten run stretching back 14 games to mid-January was ended by Bobby Traynor’s last kick of the game winner.

But, if United do find themselves at Kingsmeadow in a month's time, there was little in the game to suggest that they would not be perfectly capable of reversing the result.

The defeat hinged on three individual mistakes.

It is a fair bet that if Jason Goodliffe was confronted again with a ball rebounding off the post six yards out from his own goal he would aim to put it out of the ground rather than attempt the ill-fated chest back to Kevin Scriven. That ended with keeper and ball in the back of the net.

Charlie Taylor would be unlikely to manage again the scarcely believable miss that he contrived midway through the second half.

Take away those two pivotal moments, and given that Taylor achieved personal redemption 17 minutes later, the failure of Steve Perkins, like Goodliffe a pillar of strength in central defence during United's recent run, to cut out a skidding header from Adam Thompson, allowing Traynor a free run on goal, would have been less crucial.

On this occasion, it allowed the division’s leading scorer to slot home a winner rapturously received by the home supporters.

It was a good local derby, well fought and for the most part well refereed, and until Perkins’ last gasp error a 1-1 draw would have been accepted by both sides.

Sutton had the better of the early exchanges and early chances, with Anthony Joseph driving a shot wide of the near post after running on to a Francis Quarm pass, and Alan Pouton meeting a cleared corner with a volley that evaded everyone apart from Mo Harkin, standing sentry by the goalpost.

Craig Dobson might have done better with a volley from 20 yards that he sliced high and wide, and it wasn’t until the last five minutes of the half that Kingstonian threatened the Sutton goal and then, as was to be the case most of the afternoon, from a counter-attack as Christian Jolley ran on to Matt Gray’s long pass just inside the Sutton half and reached the corner of the penalty area before shooting just wide of Scriven’s far post.

Three minutes later, though, they had the lead when Mo Harkin was allowed time and space 25 yards out to fire on a shot that bounced back off Scriven’s left hand post. In trying to cushion the ball back to Scriven off his chest Goodliffe succeeded only in putting it in to his own net.

United made a change at the break, bringing Taylor on as a second striker alongside Steve Watts.

However, it was Ks who forced the early pace, with Carl Wilson-Denis shooting over from the edge of the area when he had time to at least require a save from Scriven.

United began to push their hosts back, though, and Taylor’s first significant contribution saw him attack on the left before rolling a pass across the face of the penalty area where Watts allowed it to run and James Hawes struck a superb first time shot, the quality of which was matched by Rob Tolfrey’s finger-tip save.

Sutton's increasing pressure produced several free kicks which could have seen the yellow card produced before former Sutton favourite Gray was finally booked for a challenge on Joseph.

The introduction of Danny Phillips for Alan Pouton just after the hour swung things further Sutton's way.

Five minutes after his arrival, United seemed certain to level when Joseph’s free kick was nudged forward by Perkins and Taylor, having seen Tolfrey block his first effort, found himself four yards out in front of an open goal but achieved the considerable feat of lifting the ball over the bar.

James Hawes headed a cross straight at Tolfrey when had he knocked it back across goal Watts would surely have scored, and the keeper then made a double save from a low Watts shot as Taylor closed in on the rebound.

Although Wilson-Denis forced Scriven in to a save with a volley on the turn that had it been a foot either side of the keeper would probably have given Ks the security of a second goal, United's right to an equaliser couldn’t be denied.

It came when Tolfrey had to come to the edge of his area to punch the ball away as Taylor chased a Watts flick-on.

Phillips picked up the loose ball and sensibly took his time before driving the ball back across goal, where Taylor first turned it against the post but followed up to score at the second attempt.

The momentum was with Sutton, but the home side came back off the ropes and it took a fine save from Scriven, low to his right, to keep out Simon Huckle’s shot from a right wing cross as KS appealed for a penalty for a push.

From the resulting corner Traynor’s header bounced up and hit the bar before being cleared.

Momentarily, United had the chance of a winner as Taylor chased Watts’ clearance and Tolfrey had to come outside his area to clear.

With time just about up, though, Thompson met Scriven’s clearance with a strong header which didn’t bounce as high as Perkins expected, and Traynor went clear to slot the ball under Scriven and give K’s a four point cushion in second place.

Sutton: K Scriven, B Hawes, K El-Salahi, J Goodliffe, S Perkins, A Joseph (sub S Cobbs 77), F Quarm, A Pouton (sub D Phillips 62), S Watts, J Hawes, C Dobson (sub C Taylor H-T). Subs n/u S McKimm, B Woods-Garness. Goal: Taylor (83).

Booked: B Hawes (13-foul), Perkins(26-foul).

Kingstonian: R Tolfrey, M Gray, J Fletcher, A Thompson, M Hustwick, S Huckle, L Hall, M Harkin, B Traynor, C Wilson-Denis(sub D Lodge 83), C Jolley. Subs n/u R Sheridan, L Garrard, F Duku, L Hickie. Goals: Goodliffe (44 og), Traynor (90).

Booked: Gray (54-foul)

Referee: M Rowley (Reading)

Att 946