MATCH PREVIEW: SATURDAY 3RD DECEMBER, SUTTON UNITED v EARLSWOOD TOWN...

 Sutton United v Earlswood Town:

The Mowdog’s Preview…

SUTTON'S NEW COLESHILL ROAD HEADQUARTERS...

United returned to the top of Midland League 2 last Saturday, unseating Cadbury Athletic, whose match v Coventry Alvis was postponed. However, both teams have played the same number of games, so Sutton lead the standings by two points on merit. They also have a vastly superior goal-difference to Cadbury.

Out of 14 games, 10 have been won by Sutton, whilst they have drawn 2 and lost 2, amassing 32 points. The goals ratio is an impressive 53-19 and the difference is +34. This means that they have managed to score an average of 3.79 goals per league game this term…

Earlswood are having a decent season too and currently lie fourth in the league table with 6 wins, 6 draws and 3 losses from their 15 games. Their goals ratio is 29-23 (a difference of course of +6) and their points total is 24…

United’s recent league form…  

A 0-7 win on the road at Barnt Green Spartak, where Shane Smith nabbed a brace and the other goals were netted by Remi Bell, Joe Delaney, Chad Duggan, Brad Gregory and substitute Joe Gildea, was followed by a disappointing 2-2 draw at Bolehall Swifts. Tom Massey and Smith scored for United in Tamworth in the final 18 minutes but a surprising 1-2 home defeat at the hands of lower mid-table Inkberrow followed. Gildea grabbed United’s consolation goal, although the visitors’ winner was scored just 8 minutes from the end.

JOE DELANEY, LEFT: HAT-TRICK AT INKBERROW...

The lads then travelled to Inkberrow for the return game and left the village with a 2-6 win, where Delaney netted a hat-trick. Two of his goals were scored in the final minute, during which Gildea also netted, whilst replacement Matt Bishop’s goal had also been scored late, in the 83rd minute. Inkberrow managed to score in the 4th minute of added time too, to complete a crazy end to the match… Massey had grabbed the other goal for Sutton…

TOM MASSEY CELEBRATES HIS GOAL AT KNOWLE ON SATURDAY LAST...

I saw the away game at Knowle last week, where a pair of substitutes, Kaine Donald and Jordan Hall (in the 90th minute) added goals to Massey’s opener for United to earn a 1-3 win against a Knowle team which is also enjoying a successful season. 

JOSH DUGGAN, LEFT, IS ABOUT TO BE SIN-BINNED AT KNOWLE...

Gildea leads the scoring chart for Sutton with 17 goals, followed by Delaney with 11…

Earlswood’s last five league encounters…

A 2-2 draw v Barnt green Spartak, who of course share The Pavilions ground in Earlswood was followed by a 4-2 loss at Kev Kingham’s Coventry Rangers. Tom Kinsey and Dan Smith scored v Barnt Green, whilst James Wright and substitute John Palmer hit the net against Rangers.

JAMES WRIGHT: SCORED AT COVENTRY RANGERS...

Harry Street and replacement Mikey Bridges found the net in a 2-2 home draw v Coventry Alvis, then Mikey Bridges scored again in a narrow 2-1 defeat at Cadbury Athletic. Last Saturday the Earls won 3-0 at The Pavilions v Lane Head, a game which saw Mikey Bridges, Kinsey and Louis Bridges get the goals.

HARRY STREET: A GOAL v ALVIS...

Mikey Bridges and Kinsey currently top the goalscoring chart with 7 apiece… 

MIKEY BRIDGES: 7 GOALS THIS TERM...

My previous visit to watch Sutton United at home…

My previous visit to see Sutton United play was way back in April 2015 at their recently vacated Hollyfield Road ground but it was a significant match, whereupon Sutton applauded Midland League 2 champions Coventry United onto the pitch before the start. The score was 2-2 but previously I had seen the reverse fixture in Coventry which had ended 6-0 to the hosts.

HOLLYFIELD ROAD IN 2015...

COVENTRY UNITED CELEBRATE THEIR TITLE AT HOLLYFIELD ROAD...

COVENTRY MANAGER EDWIN GREAVES, THE TROPHY, THE LEGENDARY BODGING & THE MOWDOG...

YES, THAT REALLY IS PATRICK SUFFO, EX-COVENTRY CITY, BARCELONA 'B' & CAMEROON INTERNATIONAL (WON A GOLD MEDAL AT THE 2000 OLYMPICS IN SYDNEY), ETC, ETC...

Incredibly, current Sutton skipper Josh Duggan played in that match v Coventry, as indicated by my coverage at the time and the team-sheet I produced for the game… The match report & images can be searched and found on my blog…

Of course Sutton United are now based at Coleshill Road and I look forward to checking out their new home…

SUTTON CELEBRATE A GOAL v COVENTRY UNITED, 2015...

Full coverage of the game this weekend will be at themowdog.blogspot.com from Sunday morning with screenshots from the video clips (depending on the light, for the match starts at 3pm), plus images, video highlights with full commentary and an independent match report…

The Mowdog…