After a blue start, Sutton United end up in the pink.
When Tuesday comes does not conjure up the magic of that footballing strapline that is When Saturday Comes. For Sutton United it does not seem to matter what day it is for the football to be exciting with a bloody good ending. In some respects, Sutton United are the anti ‘All or Nothing’ football documentary. For all the excitement on the field, of it the board and all who run the club are steady stewards who spend money we have when tranches of cash arrive. They prefer not to do an all or nothing spending spree for short term gain with long-term pain. No saviours of the club are required, no Hollywood stars or those seeking to pump in some cash so they can join the board and play at being a football club owner. Let us keep it that way. So, to Colchester on a Tuesday night known to some as a school night, finishing work, having dinner merges into a spot of television in a warm flat. Or if Sutton United were streaming on iFollow a chance to watch them in the kitchen while cooking. But down I went on the bike, not too far for what was good game ending three two for Sutton with the winning goal coming in the nineteenth minute.
As the game started, I was about to say to someone, but I was rudely interrupted by a Colchester goal after three minutes. What I was going to say was ‘the only thing we have to worry about tonight against Colchester was being complacent.’ The form we are in beating Colchester at home was going to be the lesser task than the one we face on Saturday coming against Northampton. Like an alarm clock going off the goal woke Sutton up and off we went onwards taking the ball to Colchester. Six minutes later Olaofe scored to make it one all. From then on and for much of the game we were in the ascendancy, playing as a solid unit of players like actors who know their lines of by heart and know when other actors are going to say theirs. Even when players come on as substitutes, they slot in, and I have never seen in Matt’s management players going off the pitch with all the body language that looks like this could be a bit of drama in the dressing room. As I said we are not an All or Nothing documentary. Colchester with fresh players bought in during the transfer window were not without some nice moves coming forward. They got a penalty that at first, I was not sure they were given and had to check with someone next to me.
Our now legendary goalkeeper Deano to distract the Colchester penalty taker moved his legs and arms as if in homage either to David Brent in The Office dance or Bruce Grobbelaar that Liverpool goalkeeper of yester year who like David Brent was a born entertainer. Colchester scored from the penalty spot, it was not two one, we would need to come back. Half time came, I done my half time warm up walk around the ground. I go as far as the gate that keeps the away fans apart, a necessary step in the EFL but in years gone by in the lower leagues you had the right to roam wherever you pleased including the away end.
The second half commenced with Sutton playing like a great unit, passing was good, battling for each other and getting the ball down the field into the danger zone that is the Colchester penalty area. With players like Oloafe the longer the ball hangs up and around the opposition penalty area Sutton will get a goal. Thankfully Oloafe did just that scoring to peg it back two all.
The way Sutton played the rest of the game it was clear we were not sticking for a draw. We do drama, so it was in the nineteenth minute that Sutton fans had to wait for the promised land that was a late goal. Will Randall with a curling strike that swished into the Colchester net. Three two, Sutton fans in the air shouting, singing a song that is less and less ironic, it is called ‘we are going up.’ Again, I am not ready to sing that song preferring the centre ground of football that says ‘we are staying here’ that is staying in the English League division two.
Onwards to more excitement.
