MATCH REPORT

The first match of 2019 saw the ladies first team travel to bracing Skegness to take on Alford who like Sutton, find themselves at the wrong end of the table in a relegation battle. The team that lined up against them was a better side than the one who travelled to Sutton earlier in the season and it was Alford that had the better of the earlier exchanges with Sutton keeper Wallis called into action on numerous occasions. Sutton, however, started to settle and started to have more of the possession with the midfield of Bland and the two Gittins finding the runs of Baker and Jones up front. Sutton won a number of short corners and found themselves one nil up when a dummy by Bland was followed up and coolly slotted home by Dodd. It was a scrappy game with little between the two sides and Alford equalised just before half time with a short corner of their own following a cruel deflection from Parr.

At half-time, Sutton were confident, having played the better hockey, and knew that they did not need to panic. However, Alford came out strongly after the break and an Alford forward came into the Sutton D unchallenged and managed to squeeze the ball between Wallis and the near post to take the lead. Sutton did not let heads drop however and gave everything, with a number of players sustaining injuries in what was a typical hard-fought battle. With time running out Sutton found themselves in a number of good attacking positions but were just not able to find the final touch, Baker junior going close, having sat the Alford keeper on her backside, Jinx Walker also as well as Jones. An infringement in the attacking D gave Sutton hope of an equaliser with a penalty flick but that was also not to be as the Umpire had seen an infringement by Sutton player previously but had not had chance to blow!

All in all, a very frustrating day at the office, however, there are a number of games to go and Sutton must continue to show the fighting spirit that they did in this game, which will surely see them pick up the points needed.