Sutton Common Rovers made it 13 games unbeaten when they saw off Spelthorne Sports in a bad-tempered encounter on Monday night, writes Gary Brigden.
Rovers started brightly and were ahead inside seven minutes. Man of the match Liam Holden shrugged off the challenge of Spelthornes Graeme Edwards before squaring to Matt Auletta who calmly fired beyond Jake Taylor in the Spelthorne goal.
Rovers continued to hold the upper hand, with both Auletta and Holden both missed good chances to increase the lead, as Rover cut Spelthorne apart at will. Gradually though the visitors grew into the game and forced a succession of dangerous corners, once which saw a Craig Tomkins header hooked off the line, and then on the stroke of half time Tomkins headed back to Edwards who bought the scores level.
Rovers made a change at the break with Craig Nelson replacing Asa Rixon, who had been on the end of a poor challenge from Tomkins.
Rovers started to exert more control on the game, but it was still a bad tempered affair, and Sports were lucky not to go down to ten following a poor challenge by Luke Richards on SCR keeper Michael Eacott.
Rovers retook the lead in some style on 73 minutes when Matt Ferdinando latched onto a huge clearance by Eacott, cut inside his man and curled a stunning effort beyond Taylor for 2-1.
Rovers substitutes Sean Agun and Danny Fernandez both saw yellow late on, and Fernandez was on the wrong end of a dreadful Taylor challenge which only earnt the keeper a yellow.
Nine minutes into stoppage time and the game was finally put to bed. Auletta picked up the ball on the right, drifted passed five players before rolling under Taylor for 3-1.
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