Last-minute penalty rescues worthy draw (17.07.04)

CRAIG O’Connor scored from the spot in the 90th minute to rescue a hard-earned point at York Road on Tuesday night.
It was a controversial and rather unlikely end to a game in which United totally dominated for long periods of play.
In a very one-sided first half, Sutton hardly got a touch of the ball for almost 40 minutes, as United patiently passed the ball around, before surging forward in fast, sweeping attacks.
However, the Magpies failed to cash in on their territorial advantage and only had one goal to show for their efforts at half-time – a 20th minute point-blank header from O’Connor.
Steve Hale created the goal with a superb looping header, which had Phil Wilson back pedalling before tipping the ball onto the bar.
O’Connor stood patiently on the line waiting for the ball to drop, then nodded it into an empty net.
Sutton were thoroughly rattled and had no answer to United’s slick passing and movement, while their own possession rarely lasted more than a single pass – usually an aimless hoof up the field – as the Magpies hunted them down in packs.
Having been totally out-gunned in first half, Sutton packed the midfield after the break in an attempt to reduce the Magpies’ time on the ball.
The tactic was only a partial success and it took a set piece to finally unlock United’s defence, Scott Corbett converting Peter Fear’s pin-point free-kick with a bullet header on 54 minutes.
To their credit, the Magpies stuck to their game plan and continued to try and pass their way through a congested midfield, with the inspirational Kelvin McIntosh leading the line.
Unfortunately, they were caught on the hop by a quick breakaway down the right, which ended with Paul Honey rifling a sublime shot past Nick Hart from the edge of the box on 70 minutes.
A defeat would have been exceedingly unfair on the Magpies, but that is just where the game appeared be heading.
In an attempt to save the day, manager John Dreyer threw Brendan Gallen, Phil Gray and Daryl Elford into the fray, but to little effect.
However, with just one minute left on the clock United’s luck finally changed, when the linesman spotted Bradley Thomas holding onto O’Connor in the box.
The Sutton players mobbed the referee but after a brief consultation with his assistant the spot-kick was awarded and O’Connor swept the ball past Wilson to rescue the draw.
It was a fitting end to a breathless contest, although United should perhaps have wrapped this game up well before the break.