Match Report

The Guild's abysmal away record continues as twenty minutes of defensive madness inflicts our fourth defeat of the season.

In conditions perfect for football the Guild kicked off this game with 3 players different from the previous week’s excellent performance. Holidays and injuries meant that Slade and Stevens were drafted in to the bench and Davis replaced Small in the starting line up.

The first seven minutes started well for the Guild who confidently knocked the ball around probing the Athletic defence. On seven minutes a freak error by Davis gifted Wisdom the easiest tap in he will ever get. A bizarre error that signaled a dramatic collapse when it should have encouraged a dramatic response. Minutes later Athletic were two up when a forward raced through with a suspicion of offside and squared for Wisdom for another tap in. 10 minutes later a third was scored when the pacey Newman raced through leaving our defence for dead and finishing past a hapless Hawkes in the Guild goal. 3 nil down and only 25 minutes gone.

Five minutes from the half Perkins gave the Guild hope with a wonderful twenty five yard strike which blazed into the roof of the net, the lift we needed before the half.

At the half we were not pleased with a lacklustre performance with any heart. However, we tended to concentrate on the second half and stressed the importance of us getting an early goal to make this match interesting.

However, two minutes into the half we conceded a reckless penalty which Shelvin dispatched into the corner. Changes were made in both formation and personnel and Graham and Eales were replaced by Stevens and Slade and we switched to a more attacking 3-4-3 formation.

To be fair, in the second half we did huff and puff but we did not blow Sutton down. We did hit both the crossbar and the post and Slade had a one-on-one saved by the feet of Athletic's no. 1 before Cooke converted a penalty right on the final whistle.

It finished 4-2 and the Guild was left bitterly disappointed and knew that the shocking start had cost them dearly. The Guild now have the worst defensive record in the league, but the third best attacking record, so we know where our problems lie. What we have found out this season is quite easy – you make a mistake and you get punished. We do have goals in us, so cut out the defensive errors and the chances are that we will nick the game.

Where we also struggle is against the top sides in the league. We seem to beat and be comfortable about opposition below or around us, but we must raise the bar if we are going to compete with the likes of Sutton, Metrogas, Tonbridge, Tudor and Belvedere.

Perkins picked up the man of the match for a busy and whole hearted performance, a
great goal at an important time. Another performance of note was to Selmes who got
involved and amongst it, but must pick his moments to be critical.

Net week, we have Tonbridge at home where we have not lost a league game for about 11 months and we need all three points.

Farnborough: 1. Hawkes; 2. Warren; 3. Eales; 4. Davis; 5. Judge; 6. Abbott; 7. Cooke R; 8. Selmes; 9. Perkins; 10. Cooke, J; 11. Graham

Subs: 16. Stevens for 11. Graham; 14. Slade for 3.Eales and 12. Small for Cooke R

Sutton Athletic: 1. Mills; 7. Eldridge; 4. Shevlin; 6. May; 11. Millbank; 9. Numen; 22. Essen; 17. Hope; 22. James; 3. Weighall; Wisdom

Subs: 10. Young; 8 Devereaux; 16. Eldridge; 12. Pask; 5. Hulance