Sutton United were made to work hard before maintaining their Ryman League promotion challenge by completing their second double of the season.

On a difficult pitch only passed fit at lunchtime, it was never likely to be a classic, but it was entertaining enough to keep a shivering crowd satisfied.

Aveley took a 10th minute lead when Alan Bray’s defensive header from Matt Johnson’s free kick was met by a stunning 25-yard volley from Nicky Symons, which flew inside Kevin Scriven’s right-hand post.

But United were soon level. Karim El-Salahi’s excellently judged tackle also turned into a defence-splitting pass and Charlie Taylor went round the advancing Ollie Morris-Sanders before finishing confidently.

Two minutes later, Sutton were in front in comical fashion. Keeper Morris-Sanders miskicked a difficult bouncing back-pass to James Norwood, who rolled the ball back into an empty net.

Taylor came close to making it 3-1 in the half hour, having been put through by good work from Matt Hann and Francis Quarm, but Morris-Sanders got down well to save.

Aveley should have been level five minutes before the break. David Obaze’s one mistake of a promising debut allowed a cross from the right through to David Knight, but he pulled his shot wide of the target.

Instead of being on terms, Aveley found themselves further behind a minute late.

The impressive Francis Quarm’s strong run on the right ended with a pass back to El-Salahi. His low cross was laid back by Taylor for Quarm, who had continued his run, to fire in a shot. It came back off Morris-Sanders for Quarm, following up, to claim his first goal in Sutton colours.

Aveley were back in it again 10 minutes after the restart. After Sutton lost the ball in midfield, Aveley broke quickly and Sherwin Stanley’s low cross from the right was neatly turned in by Knight.

Struggling for fluency after that, United endured a nervous last half hour, but defended solidly enough.

Even Morris-Sanders appeared in Sutton’s penalty area for a long throw later in the end, when it took a typically brave intervention from Bray to clear the danger.

On-loan Norwood came closest to clinching the game for Sutton. He shot two high after one run through the defence sprung Aveley’s attempts to catch Taylor offside.

Norwood then clipped the outside of the post with a left foot shot after being set up by one of several surging runs from substitute Sam Gargan.

Sutton: K Scriven, K El-Salahi, A Bray, S Perkins, D Obaze, S Cobbs, M Hann (sub A Pouton 64), F Quarm, C Taylor, J Norwood, J Hawes (sub S Gargan 64). Subs n/u S McKimm, S Watts, B Hawes. Goals: Taylor (15), Norwood (17), Quarm (41).

Aveley: O Morris-Sanders, R Doyle, S Holloway, N Symons, M Alaile, J Maskell (sub M Tuohy 81), D Quinton (sub R Edgar 75), M Johnson, S Stanley(sub J Dadson 75), C Stadhart, D Knight. Subs n/u T Russell, S Butterworth. Goals: Symons(10), Knight(55). Booked: Stadhart (34-persistent infringement).

Referee: M O’Keefe (Sundridge) Attendance: 446.