Sutton snapped their three-game losing streak this evening as they beat Eastleigh 2-1 at home. First-half goals from Osadebe and Njoku were enough to take all three points for the home side.
It was Sutton who started the brighter of the two sides at Gander Green Lane. Long throws from Dan Urpens, along with a handful of corners, put the Eastleigh defence under early pressure.
It didn’t take long for The U’s to open the scoring. In the 17th minute, Emmanuel Osadebe struck from outside the box. The home side neatly played through the Eastleigh defence before Osadebe’s effort from range found the bottom left corner. It was Sutton’s first league goal since winning away to Gateshead at the end of August.
Osadebe almost had a second just two minutes later. A cross from the left flank landed at his feet in the middle of the box, but he could only put it straight at the goalkeeper.
The U’s kept the pressure up though and found the net again in the 22nd minute. Temi Babalola’s curled effort was tipped onto the post by David-Jeffries in the Eastleigh goal, but Brandon Njoku was waiting there to put home the rebound.
The visitors’ frustrations were evident a few minutes from the half-time whistle. After a heavy challenge by Joe Knight, several yellow cards were dished out for the scuffles that ensued. Sutton had dominated every part of the pitch in the first half, and Eastleigh were feeling the effects.
Ten minutes into the second period, Eastleigh got themselves back into the game when a counterattack from a Sutton corner was finished off by Hady Ghandour. He arrowed a shot from outside the box past Spike Brits and into the bottom left corner.
Sutton absorbed much of the Eastleigh pressure following the goal, limiting the away side to few chances. Attacking substitutions by the U’s kept the visiting defenders on their toes, as Sutton came close to a third goal on more than one occasion.
As five minutes of injury time was announced, a yellow shirt was taken down in the Eastleigh box for a penalty. Osadebe stepped up, but the goalkeeper saved it to keep it 2-1.
In the end, it was the kind of reaction needed to bounce back from last weekend’s 3-0 defeat to Scunthorpe. Sutton showed good character to hold out for the win and snap their three-game losing streak, and will look to take that momentum into their away fixture against Halifax Town on Saturday.
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