Sutton Overcome Disruptions to Down Dudley.

Sutton third team welcomed longstanding opposition Dudley Kingswinford to Walmley Road for a league game and as the only home game pretty deserted it was too!! The usual curate’s egg of a performance by the home team led to a 48-17 victory with 8 tries of differing variety being scored. Considering the depleted nature of the team, with at one point a bare 15 available, any victory was good and hard earned.
For the second week running Sutton made a composed start scoring a well worked try with the ball passing along the line from composed stand off Laurie Harries, who had a fine mature game, before reaching Josh Gorman on the wing who touched down for a well constructed try. With the pack dominating the set piece, especially the scrum with the Anglo-French, referendum anybody! front row of Armand, Q and Andy Duckworth causing havoc in the DK ranks, points came at regular intervals. Making the choice to run the ball at the DK backs, Sutton ran in a further 4 well made tries by half time.
Sutton’s second try came on the opposite wing by winger Josh Pugh who picked up a loose ball 25 metres out and he proceeded to skip around the outside to score in the corner 10-0. Ian Wilson was the next to benefit from Harries’ composure as he gratefully received a bullet pass to crash over from about 10 metres out. Harries successful conversion meant a comfortable 17 point lead for the men in green. Vaughan Brown continued his fine recent form as he plunged over from a Sutton catch and drive from deep in the DK 22. Sutton then took their foot off the pedal and the game wandered along aimlessly for a while until back row youngster Jonah Falconer ran half the length of the pitch fending off desperate defenders before crossing for a good individual try and a 29-0 lead. That should have been it for the half but some Sutton ill discipline led to a bout of handbags on the half time whistle. Honest comments are welcomed amongst team mates but not when they cause a total disruption goaded on by the opposition!!
The second half was a bit of an anti climax as Sutton’s mistakes proliferated throughout the team as DK scored 3 tries by dint of picking up the ball and running straight, sending out invitations to tackle which were politely declined by too many men attired in green!!!
Sutton stirred themselves enough to score another 3 tries with Dave Sandford scoring a first try for several seasons as a try was scored again from good work in the lineout and a direct run to the line. A very similar try was scored by replacement Glenn Gorkin who crashed through the Dudley rearguard.
Finally Mark McEvoy who in truth had been starved of the ball completed the scoring by receiving the ball on the wing before pushing aside several defenders before reaching the line and strolling around to touch down beneath the sticks. A final conversion from Harries would have racked up the 50 points but he hit the post so 48-17 it finished.
So a good win, some solid performances, on a disrupted day, by Stu MacGarragle, Scott Toy and Tom Foulsham and Sutton have completed more wins than any other season in Midland Reserve League 3.
Credit too, to DK who as ever battled away to the end.