4:31pm Friday 5th September 2008
By Tony Dolbear
Sutton United crashed to a horrendous 4-0 defeat at Wealdstone on Tuesday night.
Like Tooting & Mitcham, who had inflicted Sutton’s first Ryman Premier League defeat of the season eight days earlier, it was Wealdstone’s first league victory of the season.
Until Wealdstone’s 54th-minute opener Sutton had appeared in little trouble and the likelier side to make the breakthrough with Karl Murray, signed on loan from Bromley earlier in the week, making his debut.
But once defender Alan Massey had volleyed Wealdstone in front with their first on-target shot of the game, United subsided alarmingly.
The best moment of the first half came to nothing when Gavin McCallum strayed fractionally offside as he met Delando's Smith fine cross with a half volley just wide.
Apart from that, it was largely long-range efforts. Smith and Gavin Heeroo both tried their luck but failed to hit the target.
McCallum thought he might have given United the lead just before half time when he slid in to challenge goalkeeper Sean Thomas to a through pass, and then rolled the ball in to the net when it ran loose, but referee David Belbin penalised McCallum's challenge.
The keeper then needed two attempts to keep out a McCallum free kick on the stroke of half time.
At the other end, Paul Nicholls' action in the first half was restricted mainly to playing sweeper behind his back four and plucking a couple of dangerous crosses out of the air.
But Wealdstone got a barely deserved lead after Dean Palmer was booked for a foul on Carl Martin out on the wing.
They failed to clear David Hicks' free kick the ball fell for Massey to catch his volley perfectly from 20 yards and beat the diving Nicholls.
Massey was inspired by his moment of glory, and five minutes later found the ball at his feet some 25 yards out.
A neat exchange of passes left him clear of U's defence, and he rounded Nicholls before firing his second goal.
The goals gave Wealdstone a huge boost, and when a minute later Marvin McCoy surged down the right and crossed low, Callum Martin, whose hat trick against Sutton's reserves on Saturday had earned him a first appearance of the season, was only inches from carrying on that form at senior level.
United responded with three substitutions, Adam Wilde coming on for his first game after injury, and Palmer forced a diving save from Thomas after Murray had headed on an Alan Bray corner that had been partially cleared.
Sutton’s efforts lacked any real pattern or conviction, though, and the attempts to rescue the game left gaps at the back.
Callum Martin burst through after dispossessing Chris Collins on the halfway line and saw his shot beaten away by Nicholls.
But, with seven minutes left, Lee Chappell and Stephen Hughes linked up on the left and Chappell was free to cut in and drive a low shot in to the net.
As the home side finished in style, Callum Martin broke clear on the left and shrugged off Bray's attempt to hold him back that earned the United defender a booking, but only after Martin's low cross had been converted at the far post by a sliding Ryan Ashe.
Wealdstone: S Thomas, M McCoy, A Massey, J Gray, Carl Martin, R Ashe, K Forbes, D Hicks, Callum Martin, S Hughes, L Chappell. Subs n/u C O'Leary, G Burrell, D Quaye, N Salapatas, B Clarke. Goals: Massey(54,59), Chappell(83), Ashe(89). Booked: Hicks(72-foul).
Sutton: P Nicholls, J Smith (sub S West 68), A Bray, G Heeroo(sub A Wilde 68), C Collins, K El-Salahi, K Murray, D Palmer, G McCallum, C Dundas(sub C Eribenne 62), D Smith. Sub n/u S McKimm. Booked: McCallum(29-delaying Wealdstone free kick), Palmer(53-foul), Bray(89-foul).
Referee: D Belbin (Staines) Attendance: 371 * The match marked the debut of midfielder Karl Murray who has arrived at Sutton on loan from Bromley.
Murray, who joined Bromley in the summer after a brief spell with Eastleigh, previously made more than 100 appearances for both Shrewsbury and Woking, and has also played for Grays.
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