Dundas Fires Sutton To Win On The Wirral

Sutton United battled to a famous win away to the National League title favourites Tranmere Rovers, a win thoroughly deserved on the basis of the attacking start and subsequent solid defending once the lead was taken.

Three attackers in Lafayette, Dundas, and Wright started for Sutton and it was the young Tommy Wright troubling the side from the Wirral early on, Scott Davies having to tip his long range effort over the bar in the second minute. Tranmere though, attacking the huge Kop End in the first half, looked to get on top and perhaps should have taken the lead when Harris found himself with a clear sight of goal, but a combination of Collins and Beckwith cleared the ball off the line. Immediately Sutton countered and Wright squared the ball for Lafayette, but the ball was slightly behind him and the former Dover man could only fire over from 12 yards out. Andy Cook was the main goal threat for Tranmere and he had a good chance when a brilliant Liam Ridehalgh cross allowed him a free header, but it went wide of Butler’s post. It was Paul Doswell’s men who struck first though, Eastmond playing a delightful through ball first time to split the Tranmere defence, and Dundas made no mistake when through on goal, volleying through the keeper’s legs on 32 minutes. There were few further first half chances with U’s slightly less adventurous having taken the lead, the best of them falling to Eastmond who was unlucky to see his volley from the edge of the box fizz just wide of the post.

As expected, Tranmere went for an all-out attack approach in the second half with James Alabi coming on at half time to assist that aim. Cook did have one good opportunity early on when his header from a deep freekick crashed against the Sutton crossbar before being hastily hacked away before a white shirt could reach the ball and tap in. However apart from this there were few clear opportunities, Butler dealing with crosses into the box very well with a couple of long range efforts not particularly close to troubling the U’s keeper. Whilst Sutton were primarily operating on the counter they had the better of the chances, Tommy Wright firing just over late on after a good run and Lafayette just unable to beat the keeper and two defenders on the line after finding himself through on goal. As time ran out for Tranmere an innocuous defensive header from McEverley lobbed his own keeper and to the relief of the defender struck the post and rebounded out – there was to be no revival though for the home side with the full time whistle blown seconds after.

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