Late Wright Strike Secures Point For Paul Doswell's Men
- Johnnie Lowery
- Oct 23, 2017
- 2 min read
The latest of late drama left Sutton United with a well deserved point on Saturday, Tommy Wright striking in the 99th minute after a serious injury to Craig Eastmond led to a large amount of stoppage time.
It was Paul Doswell’s men who started the better of the two teams, Nicky Bailey seeing a freekick fix just wide of the far post early on. 5 minutes later it was Josh Taylor who went close, a volley from inside the box parried away by Scott Loach. The same player came close again halfway through the first half, being put in by Lafayette but once again seeing Loach deny him. However despite their dominance U’s fell behind before half time, Butler only able to push a Devante Rodney shot straight into the path of Rhys Oates, who had a tap in. There was still another opportunity for Sutton for the break, a long Jamie Butler clearing swirling in the wind and causing trouble for the home side’s keeper who dropped the ball, giving Cadogan the chance for a shot on goal though his effort was deflected behind for a corner which came to nothing.
The first real chance of the second half fell to Hartlepool who really should have doubled their lead with Butler only able to parry a first shot once again, though this time Rodney somehow put his effort into the side netting from 2 yards out with nobody around him in a yellow shirt. On the hour mark it was Sutton’s turn to miss a golden opportunity, this time Josh Taylor the culprit. An initial Louis John header was cleared off the line before the ball was laid back to Taylor 10 yards out, the Birmingham and Wigan target only able to fire wide. It was from set pieces that U’s continued to threaten, Jamie Collins too seeing an effort cleared off the line through a corner with Nicky Bailey’s 30 yard freekick saved well with 5 minutes to go. With time running out Butler did well to prevent Blair Adams from doubling the lead on a rare Hartlepool attack, the hosts sitting deeper and deeper. It looked like all was lost when Eastmond went off with a serious injury leaving U’s with 10 men but 9 minutes into stoppage time a deep cross was only half cleared, the ball falling to Tommy Wright to hammer home and send the away end into raptures.