Sporting Club Balham 3 vs 2 Sutton New Town Athletic

CORNERED!

Sporting Club Balham 3 vs 2 Sutton New Town Athletic - match report photo

Sutton O’Neills lost this game 3-2 after matching or outplaying the opposition in most areas. Thankfully, football matches are not settled by the number of corners conceded, otherwise the score would have been 17-4!  Sofca conceded a mindbending 17 corners, including 12 in the second half, a lot of them unnecessary. It might be a couple more but forgive me if I lost count.

The match started in familiar fashion with Sofca taking the game to the opposition, and winning a corner in the first minute. Nothing came of that but they pressed again with Ben Donaldson going close in the 4th minute. The breakthrough came in the 10th minute after a goalmouth scramble when John Edgar set up Ben for the first goal.  Sporting responded but Dave White saved well from an immediate attack. The resultant corner gave them their equaliser, the ball going in directly from the kick. 1-1.

The match continued with Sutton pressing, and Sporting only staging the occasional counter attack.  However, they went close again with a free kick from 30 yards, again well saved by Dave White. 10 minutes from half time Sporting had another corner which Dan Yeoman headed off the line. On 43 John Edgar hit the upright and a minute later had another chance saved and the sides went in 1-1, but on balance Sutton had the best of the play although ominously conceding 5 corners.

Sutton started the second half energetically, and a good run from James Murray looked promising, but he shot tamely at the keeper.

A minute later Captain Andy lobbed the keeper from all of 30 yards to put Sutton back in front.

On 54 Dan headed another corner off the line.

It was a very hot day and a few tired legs were apparent, and also, Sporting started to get a bit more of the ball, so in the 61st minute a double substitution was made with Mark Kane and Duncan Garnett coming on for Dave Henderson and John Edgar.

Sutton had another couple of good chances in the following few minutes, but in the next 10 minutes or so, although sharing the play, conceded another 6 corners, almost all unnecessary. However all were cleared.

Yet another soft corner on 77 was cleared.

Soon after, Andy Dodson who had been carrying an injury came off to be replaced by Jon Baldwin.

A couple more attacks were made by Sutton but the fresh legs of the subs failed to produce anything of note. Although Sporting’s keeper injured his arm earlier in the half, he was never put under any pressure.

In the 84th minute, yet another corner from Sporting produced the equaliser.

Both teams were tiring in the heat, but in the 89th minute a mix up in Sutton’s defence led to the 17th and softest corner conceded, and almost inevitably Sporting snatched the winner.

Sutton pressed hard until the final whistle but were unable to create any more chances.

One small plus point for Sutton. Ben Donaldson put in his best performance this year to earn Man of the match.

A word of encouragement: If Man U or Arsenal conceded 17 corners, they would have probably let in a few. The trick is not to concede them in the first place!

Another word: When you are facing a one armed keeper, shoot on sight!

Report by Robert