On the back of four consecutive defeats, Tuesday night's Surrey Senior Cup tie at Stompond Lane looked a testing engagement for Sutton.

However, a fluent performance saw them come through with a scoreline that didn't do justice to their superiority, particularly in the second half when Walton were kept in the game by debutant goalkeeper Nick Gindre.

In the first half hour there was little to warm the spectators except for a couple of lively runs by Matt Gray.

United then took control with two goals in three minutes.

The first goal came as Mark Watson combined with Danny Bolt on the right of the penalty area before firing in a low cross that was turned in at the near post by Matt Fowler.

The second was a superb effort, as Watson again unsettled the defence before finding Bolt on the left and setting off towards the far post.

Bolt's cross came in as if guided by radar, and Watson, dived full length to head powerfully past Gindre.

Sutton were deflated five minutes later, though, when Hollands crumpled in obvious agony after a heavy challenge from behind by Garfield Blackman, and while the Walton midfielder escaped with a yellow card Hollands was carried off and taken to hospital with a suspected broken and dislocated ankle.

Understandably given their team mate's visible discomfort United completed the half in fairly low-key fashion, and then conceded a goal within two minutes of the restart as Scott Edgar ran on to a through ball and shrugged off a challenge before placing a shot beyond Jamie Ribolla.

The response was impressive as Nick Bailey flashed a shot just wide to herald a spell in which United penned their hosts in their own half for about 20 minutes but found Gindre in inspired form as he kept out a low Gray volley and then rushed out to deny Fowler after a long pass from midfield had put him through.

Fowler had his revenge, though, meeting Bolt's resulting corner with a header that restored U's two goal advantage.

Gindre made another good stop when Eddie Akuamoah met Watson's chip with a fierce low volley, but had luck on his side 18 minutes from time when he again rushed out to meet Fowler and this time seemed to make the save a good yard outside his area, but the assistant referee kept his flag down.

It didn't matter to the outcome, and Gindre survived to make another fine save from Gray as U's eased to victory.

Sutton: Ribolla, Gray, Hollands (Akuamoah 38), Drew, Beale, Bailey, Bolt, Honey, Fowler, Watson, Gonsalves.

Attendance: 110

l Sutton will be at home to Carshalton Athletic in the quarter finals.

l Sutton's reserves picked up three good points on Saturday away to Berkhamsted side with second half goals from Ivan Daniels and Chad Heuston.

l United manager John Rains was among the former Sutton favourites who enjoyed an impressive win in the Surrey Veterans' Cup on Sunday. He scored one of the goals in the 6-1 victory over Van Dyke, but the goalscoring honours, went to the club's record marksman Paul McKinnon, who scored four. Micky Stephens got the other goal.

January 31, 2003 12:30