Notts County 1 v Sutton United 1 - National League

Saturday 7th December 2019
National League
at Meadow Lane
Notts County (1) 1
Wes Thomas 14
Sutton United (0) 1
Harry Beautyman 76
Attendance: 5,652 (inc 205 away fans)
Non chronological phone pictures: click HERE

To quote the late Rutger Hauer: "Not everything in black and white makes sense".
'Tis a phrase that could readily be coined to describe the tactics and game-plan that was hatched by today's home side, who, having taken the lead on the back of a convincing attacking opening spell, seemed quite content to sit back and defend the slender lead they had, for the remaining seventy seven minutes (plus stoppage time), in an attempt to contain relegation threatened Sutton United, while hitting them sporadically (and not overly convincingly) on the counter attack.

The visitors happily accepted County's overly cautious switch in play, while taking it as an open invitation to 'come and have a go', while possibly even sensing that Neal Ardley's side were displaying no small level of fear and anxiety, because, if truth be told, this 'Pies team aren't actually all that good, and they looked visibly scared to open up the game and take a few risks, in case they squandered their narrow lead in front of their own fans.
You would have thought that attack is surely the best form of defence in such circumstances, but either way, County took their foot off the gas, while Matt Gray's side upped the ante and having eventually drawn level, could count themselves unlucky not to claim all three points, late in the day.

But while the curious approach of disappearing into their shells, contributed in no small part to Notts' own downfall, it would be unfair not to give Sutton the credit that they deserved, for fighting their way back into the game and showing the kind of application that strongly suggested that they 'wanted it more' than their once illustrious hosts.
It all started well for County, who, from the outset, looked very lively and capable of securing a convincing win... until they actually went in front, after which time they faded away fairly quickly.
The early exchanges, saw the 'Pies pressing forward, particularly on the right hand side of their attack, where Richard Brindley combined well with Enzio Boldewijn, to put the visitors under a lot of pressure.

A long-range shot by Mitch Rose skidded wide of the left hand upright as the visitors defence began leaving a few gaps for County to exploit. And at that point, the way the game was developing pointed towards the fact that it was only a matter of time before County took the lead... and it came as no surprise to anyone when Boldewijn dribbled his way into the Sutton area, before drilling a low cross towards Wes Thomas, who turned the ball past Nikola Tsanev and into the bottom corner of the net.

Momentum has a considerable impact on the outcome of games, so why Notts decided not to seize the initiative and go for Sutton's jugular, while they were on the front foot, is anyone's guess.

But County took to trying to contain the south London side instead of asserting themselves on the game and put men behind the ball, when all the home supporters wanted them to do was put 'the Amber and Chocolates' to the sword and get the Yuletide festivities started with another goal (at the very least) and more of the same attacking endeavour that they had witnessed from the start of the game. I don't think it would be too much of an exaggeration to say, some of the home sides players went missing in action, as the 'Pies lost their shape at times and misplaced the cohesion that they had been showing earlier in the game.

Harry Beautyman was putting himself about to good effect for Sutton, while filling the hole between midfield and attack. The circumference of his domain grew, as a rise in confidence on the visitors part saw them give their small, but noisy, band of travelling fans plenty to enthuse about. He sprayed passes one way then the other, as United took County on down both flanks... and wasn't shy about battling his way straight down the middle into the heart of the hosts rearguard either.
Notts momentarily showed a glimpse of the endeavour that had seen them take the lead, but when Richards crossed to Thomas with what was a virtually identical copy of Boldewijn's delivery that Thomas had scored from, the same player didn't connect with the ball quite as well this time and Tsanev got down to his left, to make a fairly comfortable save.

County got into the Pantomime season mood, with a host of slapstick comedy routines and sloppy passes along the edge of their own area, that almost presented Beautyman with an early Christmas present, but Sam Slocombe came to Notts rescue and got behind the ball.
Just before half time David Ajiboye tried his luck from outside the area, with the home defence backing off and allowing him all the time in the world to pick his spot... and though Ardley's misfiring team took a one goal lead into the interval, the warning signs were there, that Sutton weren't just here to make the numbers up.

Damien McCrory and Connell Rawlinson both went close to doubling County's lead in the second half, and both near misses were to prove costly in the final reckoning. Tommy Wright caused a fright in the hosts six yard box, but as he knocked the ball past Slocombe, Brindley had taken up a good position to cover his keeper's back and he hooked the ball away from on the line.

Given his immense input to this contest, it was fitting that when Sutton got their equaliser, it was Beautyman who squeezed the ball past Slocombe from a tight angle, having battled his way almost to the dead-ball line through a scrum of defenders, who had been too wary to put a tackle in, in case the visitors number ten went to ground.

While several County fans within earshot of me, lamented that it was a poor goal to concede defensively (which it was, given the odds of three on one in their teams favour), it needs putting on record, that it was also a smartly taken goal, from an acute angle.
Moments later, the visitors captain Craig Eastmond, made a surging run towards Slocombe's goal, through the left channel, having been afforded the luxury of a clear route by five pedestrian Notts players... and he was unlucky to see his left-footed strike skim inches wide of the right hand post.

205 Sutton United fans in the Derek Pavis Stand

Regan Booty (twice) and the 'Pies skipper Michael Doyle went close in the closing moments of the game, but Tsanev did well to claw away a free kick from the former, while the latter was thwarted by the same player when the got to the rebound first.

FT: Notts County 1 v Sutton United 1

Sutton dropped back into the National League's bottom four (relegation places) following today's draw, but three wins out of their previous four games prior to this afternoon, bodes well for them in their fight for survival.

County for their part, clocked up their fifth successive game without a win.

Twelfth placed Notts face two away games in the run up to Xmas, at Chesterfield in the FA Trophy next weekend and FC Halifax Town in the league, a week later.
Meanwhile, Sutton face a long away trip to Fylde on Tuesday night, followed by back to back home games at Gander Green Lane, against Dagenham & Redbridge in the FA Trophy and Wrexham in the league. Incidentally, Wrexham's 2-0 win over high-flying Solihull Moors today, saw them leapfrog over Sutton the the table (by virtue of goals scored) to move into twentieth place.

Who played well for Notts County today? You may well (not) be asking.

I'd have to say, after considering the few options that there were. that it was the Trombone player, who I happened upon strutting his stuff, during a rousing version of "Good King Wenceslas" by the band who were playing Carols outside the main entrance to the ground prior to the game.

Maybe Neal Ardley should have sent him on at half-time?