Willkommen in der S.S..

Some of you may have seen earlier in the week, via our Twitter feed, that we the Conference South has been awarded a new sponser, the Skrill South. Yep thats right you are reading that correctly, the Skrill South. Not the Conference Skrill South, just the Skrill South. Apparently the marketing fella that came up with this name must have been smoking one of them Jamacian Woodbines or something. I mean come on, if you shorten it down, we are now part of the SS league! Hmm perhaps this wasnt given as much thought as one would have hoped for. Imagine those forthcoming conversations; "what league do you play in? The SS?"

Maybe the chaps at Conference H.Q should have allowed Dukey to come up with a more appealing name for the Conf South.

So enough of the worlds worst news, lets get back to todays Pre Season Fixture. This Saturdays home opponents are Cambridge United.

Might have to delay KO due the crowds.....oh.

Match report

Line up as follows: Lovelock, Nelson, Rents, Stuart, Downer, Fuseini, Riviere, Dundas, Slabber, Williams, Binns.  Subs: Telfer, Swaibu, Folkes, Beautyman, Badiali

A massive crowd of just over the 200 mark, donned their colours for this afternoons fixture. The earlier than normal 2PM kick off time, perhaps throwing a few people! I for one almost forgot myself until I received the reminder text from a la Duke! Sutton kicking off this afternoon, and as per the norm attacking the Collingwood end. The first free kick is awarded to Sutton, from just beyond the centre circle, which is delivered in via Rivs, towards the on running Binns, who loses his footing, and take a stumble. Cambridge are clearly running the first 10-15 mins of the game, as Sutton lack any real pace, and domination, and fail to get going from the off. Rents getting caught out down the left hand side, and not being forceful, or strong enough allowing the Cambridge winger to go past him down the channel.

Still, with both Cambridge and Sutton both cancelling each other out. Rivs, picks up a loose ball in the middle of the park, and begins his run forward, looking up to the left, and seeing Binns making his run down the left, Rivs lay the ball off onto Binns run. With Binns surging forward, he lays in a short pass into the box, but Slabber miss reads the lay off, and is left to run for a Cambridge goal kick- shame really, it was a nice move.

Something going on. Probably....

Clearly with 20 mins gone, the heat is starting to affect both sides, with the tempo slowing down. The 1st goal scoring attempt this afternoon, is from Jamie Stuart miss timing his clearance header, allowing Cambridge to attach, but Lovelock reads the miss judgement well, and comes off his line with pace, to save.

A further attack from Sutton, again Binns doing what he does best, attacking down the left, and with a couple of cheeky step overs, goes past the right back, and fires in a low cross into the box, but no connection from a Sutton shirt.

Cambridge not sitting back, again build to a further attack, from a throw in, the Cambridge winger turns up his pace, and goes burning down the stand side, and breaks past Sutton's back four, and lets loose a wild shot, which is fired high and wide. Cambridge again, keep pressing the ball, and are constantly winning possession, we on the other hand are clearly struggling in the hot and muggy conditions, are really don’t seem to have got going in the first half. Cambridge continue to press Sutton's back four, this time Delano York, going past Downer, leaving Downer puzzled. Lovelock, again has to come off his line to clear the shot away for a Cambridge corner.

The man in black clearly feeling the heat too decides to stop for a brief minute or two for a drinks break. Then back to the game; Cambridge deliver in a corner from the Collingwood Rec side, which is taken short, the ball then dinked into the box, and knocked across the 6 yard box, Dundo comes back to carry out his defencive duties, but somehow, the ball from what I could see, hits his back, and lands in the back of the net. Oops –I don’t think that was part of today’s plan, never mind tho! Sutton, with heads still high, begin to put together some better pass and movement techniques. Slabber holding the ball up well on the edge of the box, swings the ball across down the left channel, allowing Marv to burn up some turf, and chase the ball down, and with a small touch, turns and plays the ball back to the edge of the box, where Binns awaits. Binns plays the ball into the feet of Slabber, instead of having a crack himself. Sutton beginning to show themselves in the first 45, again further attacking sequences coming from Marv switching from left to right, laying in a cross allowing Slabber to get his head onto it-saved by the Cambridge keeper. A further corner coming in from Rents, this time Nelson getting his head to the ball, but going over the bar, this is better, much better. Nelson also coming back into the picture, taking a quick free kick, chipping the ball, onto Rivs run, Rivs on the turn has a go, by bringing the ball down off his chest, and hits a volley, to be safely cleared away.

Maybe some more stuff happening....

With the pitch covered by the clouds, and perhaps the temperature even dropping by a degree, Sutton start the 2nd 45 with better movement and a higher tempo. A well timed run, with pace down the left wing, sees Marv sending in a curled cross, into the 6 yard box, allowing Slabber at a tight angle getting his head to the ball, and slotting it into the back of the net. With the score now 1 apiece, Sutton continue to surge forward playing much better in the shade!

However, Cambridge are awarded a free kick about 8 yards, or so from the edge of Lovelocks area. The ball is curled around the Sutton 4 man wall, and lovelock at reach finger tips the ball over the bar. Sutton not standing on ceremony, continue further waves of attacks. Again Binns & Rents running the left channel, Binns again sending in a cross, which is cleared away to just outside the area, Beautyman unmarked, collects the clearance, and brings the ball onto his favourite right boot, and pulls back the trigger and lets fire a shot which hits the keeper, and deflects onto the bar. This we like, much, much better from Sutton! A couple of changes for Sutton, Faux coming on, and commanding the right wing –I must say I’ve been really impressed with Faux in the Pre Season games far. I can see Faux becoming a decent impact player in this year’s forthcoming season.

Beautyman again is commanding the midfield, looks up to see Faux hovering over on the right by-line, and swings the ball across to Faux. Faux controlling the ball well, makes his charge up the right channel, and lays the ball back to Fuseni. Fuseni with plenty of time and space sends in a low curling cross into the box, and Marv comes steaming in with a diving header- not something you see a lot of these days, very Jurgen Klinsmann esque! Sutton working at a higher rate, clearly the changes in the 2nd half, seem to have improved, and we are creating more chances, until disaster strikes. Nelson again with a poor back pass to the intended recipient Lovelock. Cambridge run onto the back pass, and well, with a little turn here and there, pop the ball pass Lovelock, and take the lead again. Well, that’s two poor back passes in two games from Nelson, really got to cut that out now Mr Nelson. We can’t afford to be making errors such as this in league games. Still, best to remove all errors in Pre-Season, rather than cost us potential points in league games.

With a few drops of rain falling from the sky, the Ref calls it time, and it finishes Sutton 1, Cambridge 2.

No winners. As per usual....

With the numbers light in the firm as Duke calls it. It was time to once more invest in further stocks and shares in the SUFC Bar. A few Bulmers poured, a bit of chit chat with a Cambridge Fan, and Duke doing what he does best, spraying Lynx body spray in his ears- what a wing nut! Not sure why he did this, clearly his ears must have been perspiring in the muggy conditions! Duke then advised me that a few years back for a laugh he snorted Deep Heat straight from the can, he does things like this, for shits and gigs!

Dukey & Williams, leave me in the bar to finish my pint, as they head off to meet Chalmers in the Grapes for a few more. With my glass empty, time for me to head off home, a quick glance outside, and a bleeding monsoon has hit Sutton, great, a bike ride home in the shitty rain!  A little thanks to Jamie Stuart for passing on his Man of the Match award to me last night, afternoon tea for two, at the Croydon Park Hotel. Sounds a little swanky for me, but I’m sure she’ll enjoy it...

Next up, Aldershot at home.

That’s all from the one they call Juan..