M3 deploy rope-a-dope to down Sils with sucker punch

M3 travelled to play Old Sils M2 with a bare 11 and a young side, so it was going to need a special performance to get a result.

How the first half finished goalless is inexplicable, Old Sils had about 7 short corners and umpteen open play chances, 1 on 1s and even an open goal. Sutton defended heroically and captain Bill Heywood made some vital saves to keep the team alive in the match, although the best save of the half was by Simon Willis on the line at a short corner. Sutton did make chances at the other end, with Lee Medlicott unlucky to pull a golden chance wide with the keeper beaten.

Sutton made some tactical changes at half time, with Ed Bisconti moving up front and Medlicott taking his place in central midfield. This worked to the extent that Sutton came into the game more, however it could not stop Sils finally scoring after Heywood got down to a shot but the rebound fell kindly for a Sils player who scooped it in.

Sutton responded almost immediately with Olly Gray-Nimmo (OGN) combining well with Bisconti in the D, he committed the keeper and then shot over the keeper only to see the ball blocked by a leaping defender. Simon Willis coolly dispatched the penalty stroke to level the game.

Old Sils took the lead again after Sutton failed to clear a scrappy ball in the D and suddenly M3 looked down and out. With no subs to call on the only options were more tactical changes, Jason Mak swapped central defence for central midfield and OGN went up front with Harvey Kang taking on right midfield duties.

Old Sils could not cope with the new challenges Sutton were posing them, but the second equaliser came from an unlikely source - Arjun Malhi getting the final touch after a scramble in the D. Lightning struck again when Malhi got his second goal of the season to put Sutton 3-2 ahead, a short corner strike came down off the bar and he jabbed it home.

With Sils chasing the game Sutton could now pick them off on the break and OGN gave M3 a 2 goal cushion with a poke under the goalkeeper. Sils went to a kicking back and threw everyone forward, which backfired when a clearance found Bisconti up against the last man on the half way line, who he beat and then outpaced to complete Sutton’s come from behind win - 5-2.

3 points away keeps Sutton in contention for mid table obscurity and comfortably clear of the relegation scrap.