Defensive frailties are exposed in league opener (13.08.05)

THE Magpies’ weakened defence was initially cut to ribbons on Saturday, ensuring that this opening day Conference South encounter was lost by half-time.
Sutton debutant Luke Cornwall was the grateful recipient, grabbing for himself an 11-minute hat-trick.
With Lee Kersey and Jason Cousins unavailable, Dennis Greene was forced to put full-backs Kamran Abassi and Bryan Smith in the middle of a makeshift back four, the starting 11 as a whole containing eight debutants.
However it was the Magpies who had the better start when on four minutes a Michael Barima through ball putting Robert Traynor clear only for his shot to go narrowly wide.
Sutton took the lead on seven minutes with a stunning shot from 30 yards from Cornwall which gave keeper Jody Wainwright no chance.
Within a minute Cornwall doubled the lead. Skipper Smith slipped on the greasy surface on the right wing allowing Craig Watkins to pull the ball back to Cornwall in the box who made no mistake from close range.
Three minutes later Cornwall should have had his hat-trick when a Matt Gray cross gave him a free header which he put wide.
Despite purposeful forward play from the Magpies, with Solomon Taiwo having a good effort on the quarter-hour mark, Sutton smelt blood and went in for the kill.
Cornwall made it three for him and his team on 18 minutes when he converted another Watkins cross in a replica of the second goal.
On 29 minutes Cornwall spurned perhaps his easiest chance when he was waltzed through the defence to go clear only for Wainwright to save well with his feet.
The ball then went loose and was picked up by Watkins on the edge of the box, his precision shot being tipped round the post by Wainwright who recovered well from his first save.
The second half saw the Magpies bravely take the game to their hosts – a bold move which in truth created enough opportunities to level the score.
Kelvin McIntosh spurned a couple of close range chances early on in the half, and target-man Stephen Hughes then brought the best out of former Colchester keeper Carl Emberson who tipped Hughes’ snapshot over the bar on 68 minutes.
Hughes was not to be denied six minutes later when he pounced on a loose ball in the centre of the park and stormed through the defence before unleashing an unstoppable shot past Emberson.
Revived by the goal the Magpies surged forward – Barima putting a great opportunity wide on 79 minutes.
A minute later though, it was game-over when Tony Quinton dispatched a sweet shot from 20 yards to put the result completely beyond doubt.