Football is a very cruel game and the eye opening defeat to the U’s on Thursday evening was a testament to this fact. In a game that was dominated by the team in amber & chocolate, Sutton succumbed to a 31^st minute goal which was to be the only difference between the two sides.

The game couldn’t have started better for Wayeto who won a corner kick in the 3^rd minute of play but couldn’t make the best of it and soon had to be defending to keep in the game as Lamin Sanyang was fouled around the edge of the 18yrd area and the wonder boy stepped up for it. He took a deep swirling one but just went wide. The U’s could have been in front as soon as the 16^th minute when Banu was set clear from a Lama pass but the youngster’s immaturity showed as he just blazed over the crossbar. A minute later Banu was again in action as he showed great spacing and was clear with only the goalkeeper to beat but for the linesman to rule offside to the dismay of the on looking spectators as he had let action roll for a few couple of seconds before waving.

By now the Sutton team had settled in well and it was a one way game as they pilled up pressure on the Wayeto defence, U’s won a free kick in a dangerous position but Alagie could not just connect properly sending the ball way out of target and they were almost made to pay for their lack lustre style as Wayeto had probably the greatest chance of the game when an aerial ball which Lamin Bayo alias TOLDO had failed to catch, fell at the feet of their striker but he hurriedly took a dive to connect with the ball and made a very rare miss to the delight of the Sutton players. However Wayeto were to lead minutes later after the Sutton defence failed to clear a bouncing ball off their own half, the ball fell to ‘Screw’ who took possession just to give it away to the opponents as he tried to connect with the Sutton midfield but was intercepted and the ball was played out wide to Wayeto’s wide left midfielder who let in fly a low shot which went past the diving Toldo and settled into the left hand corner of the goal… one nil to Wayeto. The U’s restarted the game with determination to level the score before the break and could have been rewarded in the 41^st minute after Ousman Jarju took on three defenders with some dazzling footwork and then sent in a cross in from the left finding Banu who hesitated in the box and was clamped down and the ball cleared off safety marking the end of the first half.

If the previous half was frustrating for Sutton in front of goal, then second half was even worse. The U’s were out on business as soon as the 8^th minute into the second half after Sulayman Sanyang dispossessed an opponent and then lead a counter attack but ended up mis-hitting the ball after Ousman Jarjou found some clever little run on the right. Five minutes later Mansali Janko flew in screamer from around 20meters but the brilliant goalie for Wayeto tipped the ball over the bar for a corner, which again posed a big scare for Wayeto as the ever combating Mansali sprung highest but could not direct his header which lead to a goal mouth scramble only for the ball to be cleared away by Wayeto. No sooner had the U’s built hope for a cameo comeback into the game than a split second of adrenaline rush sent 16 year old Lamin Ceesay packing for a second bookable offense after committing in a dangerous tackle from behind… and the face of the game was to change becoming more and more evident of the difficult and frustrating task that lay ahead for the players. Ousman Jarjou was in action again after he got a clever chip from the Lamin Sanyang in the 23^rd minute after playing a dummy one-touch but his volley was out of target. The U’s came knocking in the 25^th minute again despite being one man down and again the youthfulness and immaturity in the team paid dividends once more as Banu just panicked in front of goal after been set up by probably Sutton’s man of the match and skipper for the day Sulayman Sanyang who was by far one of the un-tiring & energizing players on the evening for the team.

It was beginning to show on the fans reactions that it just was JUST not their night for the Sutton team but four minutes before the end it could have been a different story, Banu whipped in a cross from the right after combining his pace and huge body to slip away from his marker and the on-rushing Ous raised to connect with the goal bound ball but he had another thing in mind; as he leapt he decided to do ‘a Diego Maradona’ by using his hand which sent the ball to the opposite direction and the rebound fell off to Mansali who was clamped down upon by the half of the entire Wayeto squad! In the end as the U’s were about to throw in the towel an equalizer came in at long last in the 2^nd minute of added time. Mansali Janko sent in a long ball in an effort to salvage a point and luckily enough found Banu from 7rds out who tapped in the ball over the onrushing goalkeeper to send the Sutton fans into ballistic but the ‘referee’ disallowed the goal after the linesman raised alarm for an offside which quite honestly never really was. 1 – 0 the final score at the Sanna Jatta’s Memorial pitch as the U’s felt sour and cheated of a point and a goal