Phil Babb’s side fought hard and netted a well earned point from a goalless draw with high flying Sutton United at Kingfield on Tuesday evening.
The Gaffer made two changes to his starting line-up that had held firm for the previous three games as Rashid Yussuff and Brandon Goodship came in from the bench replacing Frankie Merrifield and Samir Bihmoutine.
United started quickly and an early chance fell to Freddie Ladapo who moved on to a Goodship throughball only for U’s keeper Jason Brown to save low down.
Ladapo soon forced another save from Brown who did well to parry the United strikers shot to safety while at the other end a Ben Gerring attempted clearance cannoned back off Gavin McCallum but thankfully straight at Mikhael Jaimez-Ruiz in the United goal.
In what was a fairly open game, chances continued to come, Ladapo’s chipped attempt was grasped by Brown and the U’s went close when Jamie Taylor got his head to a Damian Scannell corner but his guided effort went the wrong side of the far post.
The half ended with the visitors pushing towards the United goal but skipper Dean Inman and his defence stood firm as a ricochet saw McCallum gain possession only to fire wide and then a neat move on the right involving McCallum and Louis John saw the letters centre being met by Taylor but he headed over.
The last chance before the break again fell to the high flyers from Surrey when Craig Dundas crossed from the right and Lee Sawyer, arriving at the far post, flung himself into a diving header that Jaimez-Ruiz got down smartly to save.
Sutton continued where they had left off after the break as first Jaimez-Ruiz was forced to push the ball over after a double interchange between Michael Spillane and Taylor led to the former driving for goal from the edge of the box.
Inman then made a superb intercepting clearance as he slid in to steer McCallum’s low driven centre out for a corner as two attackers arrived just behind him.
With fifteen minutes remaining United found a forward thrust through route one as a Jaimez-Ruiz goal-kick was well flicked on by Pat Cox to Luke Williams who steadied himself before aiming for the top corner only to see his shot tipped away by former Charlton keeper Brown in the U’s goal.
Within seconds of almost taking the lead, United could have been behind as Simon Downer’s forwards pass to Taylor saw Gerring slip and allow the U’s striker a run at goal, his shot flying across the face and inches wide of the far post.
Brown then saved again from Ladapo before a goalmouth scramble in the United box saw the ball partially saved by Jaimez-Ruiz with the follow-up being blocked on the line before the United keeper grabbed the loose ball.
Both sides nearly took the spoils in stoppage time as Williams 20 yard drive went just the wrong side of the post after good approach play from Ben Brown and Ladapo then in the fifth minute of stoppage time at the other end, former United man Dale Binns crossed to another in the form of Dean Sinclair who snuck in at the near post but toed the ball into the side netting.
Report by Kevin Watts.
United Man of the Match: Matty Harriott.
Print the Teamsheet: Here.
