Sutton Common Rovers picked up their first win in five attempts on Saturday when a Daryl Cooper-Smith strike was enough to see off Banstead Athletic in a scrappy encounter on Saturday, writes Gary Brigden.
With both sides not in particularly good form, although Banstead had won their last league outing, it was a fairly nervy start to the game, with neither side putting a foot on the ball, and all to often possession was gifted to their opponents.
Banstead had the first opportunity, when a free kick on ten minutes by Billy Frost beat the SCR wall but was gathered comfortably by recalled keeper Ollie Ellaway.
The game continued in its scrappy manner, but SCR after the early scare were holding the upper hand.
Asa Rixon-Nicholls should have scored from close range from a Liam Holden corner but poked his effort wide, and Matt Ferdinando failed to make a good connection on a low Cooper-Smith cross late in the half.
Jordan Gallagher was denied by a great recovery challenge by Olawadi Tunde on the stroke of half time, and you got THAT feeling again.
Banstead started the second half brightly, but again, aside from a couple of corners that were well dealt with by the SCR backline, there was little to trouble the home side.
Going forward and SCR were getting more joy, and the introduction of Matt Auletta, for the hard-working Gallagher seemed to swing the game more in SCR's favour.
With just over twelve minutes remaining the decisive moment game.
Skipper Aaron Bogle and Auletta played a couple of neat passes on the right, and although the final ball looked overhit, Bogle reached it and delivered a telling low cross, which Cooper-Smith slammed beyond Sam Freeman-Johnson for 1-0.
The game should have been safe three minutes later, but Cooper-Smith saw his penalty, after a handball in the area, brilliantly saved by Freeman-Johnson.
Fortunately SCR were not made to pay for the miss, and picked up a vital three points.
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