Sutton United

Gander Green Lane

24th September 2022

Aware a trip to Sutton United's Gander Green Lane was on the short-term horizon, I had found myself keeping a casual eye on the club's results.  From which I had gleaned an impression that the side were pretty handy at home.

A glance at the current league table showed me the club were actually unbeaten in their six home matches thus far this season.  Indeed, a bit of more diligent (most unlike me) digging unearthed the really rather impressive statistic that Sutton United had actually lost only once in their previous 27 competitive home matches.  A run which had seen them miss out on the play-offs last season by a single point, whilst helping propel the club to the 2021/22 EFL Trophy Final.

So: Welcome to Fortress Sutton, I thought.

But visitors Salford City were actually no slouches on the road this season, having won twice and drawn once on their travels thus far.  And the fact these sides had shared two goalless draws in their encounters last season equally made me believe a goal-fest was unikely to be in the offing this afternoon.

And whilst it certainly was a close encounter, all seemed to be going swimmingly for the home side midway through the second-half.  Sutton had opened the scoring just after the hour through Josh NEUFVILLE's back post header, and looked well in control of proceedings.  

Then, with 20 minutes remaining, home defender Donovan Wilson contrived to get himself ordered off for a sly kick at Theo Vassell.  I have to say I missed the incident, but then again so did the ref whose attention was drawn to the business by a frantically waving Assistant Ref.

This dismissal, inexorably turned the tide in favour of the visitors who drew level in the 80th minute, when some neat footwork by Callum Hendry set up team-mate Matty LUND.  And it was Hendry's driving run through the home midfield which led to Ryan WATSON stroking home Salford's 88th minute winner.

A touch hard on the Sutton lads I felt, but if you cannot keep eleven bods on the pitch, I suppose such reverses are always likely.

The sole entrance to Gander Green Lane (the stadium) is off Gander Green Lane. 

A Happy Chappie.

 

I can never look at cladding on a building these days without thinking: "Is that flammable?"

I counted about 70 visiting supporters - Pete never made it, I believe.
Sutton United v Salford City - YouTube

 

Gander Green Lane has an official capacity of just over 5,000 these days.
But back in 1970, 14,000 bods squished into the ground for an FA Cup tie with Leeds United.
FOOTBALL - SUTTON V LEEDS - YouTube

Time Up

Leafing through the rather decent match programme beforehand, I was startled to learn Salford City manager Neil Wood not only had previously managed Falkirk and Alloa, but had apparently also played 25 times for Scotland.  How the heck had I never heard of him?

It gradually dawned on me that the bio of Hartlepool manager Paul Hartley had somehow been retained from the previous home match programme.

But that was fine.  Such cut and paste errors are easily done.

I was less sure how Sutton's 3-1 home defeat to Bradford City at the tail end of last season could have been wiped from the consciousness of the programme editor.  There can be no other explanatiion for the programme asserting Sutton had "not lost at home this year".