Sutton United 2 Basingstoke Town 2

Tuesday 30th December 1997
Sutton United 2 Basingstoke Town 2
Guardian Insurance Cup Third Round (aet)
At: Gander Green Lane
Kick-off: 3-00 pm
Admission: £5 + £1 (seat); Programme: £1 (44 pages)
Attendance: 361
Weather: mild, windy with rain after 85 minutes


Second trip to Gander Green Lane in three days!

One-time FA Cup hero Matt Hanlan spared the blushes of Sutton United as he scored a late equaliser to send the tie into extra time, which failed to produce a winning goal.

Sutton (1st) and Basingstoke (20th) went into this Guardian Insurance Cup (aka Ryman League Cup) Third Round tie at opposite ends of the 22-team table.

Sutton attacked the far railway end in the first half which finished goalless. But goals weren’t far away and Sutton broke the deadlock in the 53rd minute. Joff Vansittart charged down the clearance of Basingstoke keeper Keiron Drake just outside the area and easily played the ball into an empty net as the visitors appealed for handball.

Basingstoke were awarded a penalty in the 76th minute but Paul Coombs saw his spot kick saved by Les Cleevely.

Vansittart’s goal looked like sending Sutton into the next round until the tie was turned on its head by the visitors. Basingstoke levelled things in the 81st minute when substitute David Asker converted a right-wing cross from Coombs.

Amazingly a minute later, the visitors were awarded another penalty for a foul by Andy Salako. Unlike Coombs, this time Simon Line fired past Cleeveley from the spot to put his side in front and on course for a surprise win.

However, Sutton aren’t league leaders for nothing and forced extra time with a 87th minute equaliser. David Everitt and substitute Nassim Akrour combined down the left and Hanlon converted the resulting cross with a low shot from 8 yards out.

The additional 30 minutes failed to produce a winner so the teams will replay at Basingstoke.

Sutton United (amber and chocolate quarters / chocolate / amber): 1. Les Cleevely, 2. Danny Brooker, 3. Barry Laker, 4. Gwynne Berry, 5. David Everitt, 6. Steve Watson, 7. James Virgo, 8. John Ugbah, 9. Joff Vansittart, 10. Rob Bates, 11. Andy Salako. Subs: 12. Matt Hanlon (for Bates, 57), 14. Nassim Akrour (for Vansittart, 70), 15. Sean Daly (for Ugbah, 89).

Basingstoke Town (blue and yellow stripes / blue / yellow): 1. Keiron Drake, 2. Danny Barker, 3. Steve Richardson, 4. Simon Line, 5. Clive Huxford, 6. Andrew Morley, 7. Paul Wilkinson, 8. Chris Ferrett, 9. Jamie Medford, 10. Paul Coombs, 11. Bruce Tydeman. Subs: 12. Alan Galvin (for Tydeman, 79), 14. Nigel Emsden (for Huxford, 70), 15. David Asker (for Medford, 65).

Referee: John Moore (Goring-on-Thames).

Goals:
1-0 Joff Vansittart (53)
1-1 David Asker (81)
1-2 Simon Line (82 pen)
2-2 Matt Hanlon (87)

Cards:
Sutton: Rob Bates (YC, 33), Matt Hanlon (YC, 90)
Basingstoke: none

Sutton United 3 Carshalton Athletic 1

Saturday 27th December 1997
Sutton United 3 Carshalton Athletic 1
Ryman League Premier Division
At: Gander Green Lane
Kick-off: 3-00 pm
Admission: £5 + £1 (seat); Programme: £1 (44 pages)
Attendance: 1833
Weather: cold, cloudy


Sutton United (amber and chocolate quarters / chocolate / amber): 1. Les Cleevely, 2. Danny Brooker, 3. James Virgo, 4. Gwynne Berry, 5. David Everitt, 6. Paul Clark, 7. Jimmy Dack, 8. John Ugbah, 9. Joff Vansittart, 10. Nassim Akrour, 11. Andy Salako. Subs: 12. Matt Hanlon (for Akrour, 71), 14. Steve Watson (not used), 15. Sean Daly (not used).

Carshalton Athletic (white/claret/white): 1. Adrian Blake, 2. Mark Ford, 3. Stuart May, 4. Dean Coney, 5. Tim Alexander, 6. Martin Beard, 7. Viv Jeffrey, 8. Barry Kingsford, 9. Matt Edwards, 10. Richard Thompson, 11. Richard Newbery. Subs: 12. Tony Reid (for Newbery, 80), 14. Carl Bartley (for Edwards, 62), 15. Paul Adam (for Kinsford, 53).

Referee: John Kasey (Stoneleigh).

Goals:
1-0 Jimmy Dack (18)
2-0 Jimmy Dack (27)
3-0 John Ugbah (62)
3-1 Richard Thompson (82 pen)

Cards:
Sutton: none
Carshalton: Barry Kingsford (YC, 2), Stuart May (YC, 90)

Crawley Town 0 Hastings Town 0

Friday 26th December 1997
Crawley Town 0 Hastings Town 0
Dr Martens League Premier Division
At: Broadfield Stadium
Kick-off: 3-00 pm
Admission: £5 (standing), £6 (seat); programme: £1 (36 pages)
Attendance: 1573
Weather: showers


This was quite an interesting game at Crawley’s new Broadfield Stadium which was opened earlier this year to replace the old Town Mead ground I visited twice.

Both sides went into this Boxing Day fixture in midtable with 11th-placed Crawley Town (31 points from 22 games) three positions and five points better off than visitors Hastings United (26 points from 21 games).

Watched by an above average crowd, play was quite competitive though few clear-cut goalscoring opportunities were created. Peter Garland impressed me in midfield and defender Marc Pullen was named as Man of the Match by the sponsors.

Crawley Town (red/red/red): 1. Richard Morgan, 2. Dave Stevens, 3. Ian Payne, 4. Wesley O’Connor, 5. Marc Pullen, 6. Phil Barber, 7. Jsutin Gregory, 8. Peter Garland, 9. John Richardson, 10. Jon Warden, 11. Mark Hawthorne. Subs: 12. Benn Abbey (not used), 14. Joel Kirkland (not used), 15. Lee Richardson (not used).

Hastings United (white/white/white): 1. James Creed, 2. Danny Simmonds, 3. Paul Tuppenney, 4. Andrew Larkin, 5. Mark Norris, 6. Matthew Ball, 7. Steve Payne, 8. Stuart Playford, 9. Nicky Dent, 10. Stafford Brown, 11. Simon Beard. Subs: 12. Simon Fox (for Dent, 84), 14. Terry White, 15. Steve Yates (for Steve Payne, 71).

Referee: Martyn Newell (Edenbridge).

Goals:
None.

Cards:
Crawley: Mark Hawthorne (YC, 23)
Hastings: Paul Tuppenney (YC, 34), Mark Morris (YC, 41)

Man of the Match: Marc Pullen (Crawley Town).

Wimbledon A Arsenal A

Monday 22nd December 1997
Wimbledon 0 Arsenal 0
FA Carling Premiership (abandoned 45 mins 10 secs)
At: Selhurst Park
Kick-off: 3-00 pm
Admission: £10 seat; Programme: £2 (48 pages)
Attendance: 22833
Weather: rain


The floodlights failed after just 10 seconds of the second half and play was suspended. Twenty minutes later they came back on only to go out again while the players were warming up. At this point the match was abandoned by referee Dermot Gallagher. Sky TV actually named the referee as Man of the Match while linesman Alan Sheffield was replaced at half-time.

Wimbledon (navy blue / navy blue / navy blue): 1. Neil Sullivan, 2. Kenny Cunningham, 3. Alan Kimble, 4. Vinnie Jones, 5. Dean Blackwell, 6. Ben Thatcher, 8. Robbie Earle, 10. Ståle Solbakken, 11. Marcus Gale, 16. Michael Hughes, 18. Neal Ardley. Subs: 12. Stewart Castledine (not used), 21. Duncan Jupp (not used), 22. Andy Clarke (not used), 26. Carl Cort (not used), 13gk. Paul Heald (not used).

Arsenal (red with white sleeves / white / white): 1. David Seaman, 2. Lee Dixon, 3. Nigel Winterburn, 4. Patrick Vieira, 5. Steve Bould, 7. David Platt, 8. Ian Wright, 10. Dennis Bergkamp, 11. Marc Overmars, 14. Martin Keown, 15. Ray Parlour. Subs: 9. Nicolas Anelka (not used), 21. Luis Boa Morte (not used), 25. Scott Marshall (not used), 28. Steve Hughes (not used), 13gk. Alex Manninger (not used).

Referee: Dermot Gallagher (Banbury).

Goals: none

Cards: none