Honey sickens Magpies (19.03.05)

A LATE equaliser by Paul Honey saw Sutton claw back a two-goal deficit to deny 10-man Magpies a vital win on Saturday.
With Dennis Greene opting for an attacking 4-3-3 formation, the tone was set for an open game of many chances.
The first few fell to Sutton, with Adam Federici saving long shots well from Honey and Matt Gray early on, but only managing to palm a high cross on 12 minutes as far as Jeff Vansittart who, with the goal at his mercy, could only manage a weak shot which was gratefully collected by the Aussie keeper.
As the half drew on, the Magpies began to gain the upper hand, and Craig O’Connor’s deft lob beat U’s keeper Phil Wilson before being cleared off the line by a scrambling Tony Quinton on 25 minutes.
O’Connor again went close a minute later when his shot was blocked by Wilson.
On 32 minutes, an Andre Fashanu effort was scrambled behind and from the resulting corner Lee Kersey’s header was palmed away by Wilson.
With half-time looming, Kelvin McIntosh and Quinton came close to breaking the deadlock at either end, but it was predictably the nuisance O’Connor who put the Magpies ahead two minutes before the break, albeit in highly controversial circumstances.
Receiving a long ball, O’Connor clearly controlled the ball with his hand but, with the defenders waiting for the whistle, the striker fired home from a tight angle.
The referee then gave the goal without hesitation, sparking vociferous protests from Sutton.
As the half entered injury-time, Dean Clark was dismissed for receiving his second caution.
The second period saw a fired-up Sutton team, seething with injustice, pour forward in search of an equaliser but, aside from a close range miss on the hour from Eddie Akuamoah which seemed easier to score, it was the Magpies who looked more dangerous.
A Jamie Cook cross led to a Fashanu shot being tipped over from close range on 57 minutes, then 10 minutes later the tricky winger forced a corner and delivered the place kick onto the head of O’Connor whose effort was cleared off the line.
The rebound was then smashed into the back of the net by the striker to make it two for him and the Magpies.
Sutton’s extra man finally told in the final 15 minutes when a deep free-kick from the right-hand touchline by Gray was headed in at the far post from close range by Lewis Gonsalves.
Then, as the game entered injury-time, a Sutton corner was cleared off the line by O’Connor only for Honey to force the loose ball home to grab a point.

HAPPY DAYS: Craig O’Connor celebrates one of his two goals with teammate Lee Kersey.