SUTTON IN SEVENTH HEAVEN AT SPARTAK
BY ANDREW DELANEY
COPY
First club goals for Shane Smith and Brad Gregory helped Sutton United put seven past struggling Barnt Green Spartak to go two points clear at the top of MFL 2.
Chris Bratt-Rose and Matt Gough stepped into the hot seat to manage Sutton for the match, and it wasn’t long before the changed frontline of Remi Bell and Shane Smith combined for United’s opening two goals. The first came in the 8th minute with a rapid break after defending a Spartak free kick, with Smith released down the right to deliver into the path of Bell who calmly rounded the keeper to slot home his third of the season.
Just three minutes later, Bell turned provider with a wonderful pass forward for Smith to run onto and find the net with a clinical finish from the edge of the box.
Sutton made it three before the break when Sef Semlali’s corner kick came back out to him, and he then had time to pick out Chad Duggan at the back post to head in his third in two matches.
United continued to dominate as the second half got underway and when Harvey Coley made a great block at his near post to deny Tom Massey from close range, the resulting corner kick was again saved by Coley before Gregory fired the rebound through a crowded penalty box for his first goal of the season.
Sutton made it five with an hour on the clock, when Smith powered home his second of the match with a superb finish on the turn to find the bottom corner after Jonny Grigg’s effort had been blocked.
Grigg again came close two minutes later with a shot that glanced wide of the far post after Josh Duggan’s fantastic cross-field pass.
United’s sixth goal came from a dead ball as the home side failed to set up a wall for a Sutton free kick on the right of the penalty box and Joe Delaney seized on the invitation to whip the ball straight into the top of the net, giving Coley no chance.
Sutton made it seven when Massey delivered a great ball from the left and Leyton Hines squared, providing an easy tap in for Joe Gildea to take his season tally into double figures.
It was a quiet day in goal for Reiss Wagstaff, though he had to remain alert for Barnt Green’s best effort in the 80th minute, diving low to push behind Abdul Taiwo’s effort from the edge of the penalty box and ensure United went home with a clean sheet intact.
Next Saturday Sutton will be looking for their fifth straight win when they travel to Bolehall Swifts whom they beat 6-1 back in August.
| Barnt Green Spartak | Statistics | Sutton United |
| 0 | Goals | 7 |
| 4 | Attempts | 18 |
| 4 | Attempts on Target | 11 |
| 6 | Corners | 7 |
| 13 | Fouls Committed | 10 |
| 1 | Yellow Cards | 1 |
| 0 | Red Cards | 0 |
| Harvey Coley | Man of the Match |