Post by Amber Aleman on Jan 9, 2011 22:05:33 GMT
The weekend's defeat at Horsham was Sutton's 21st league match this season, so we're now halfway through our league fixtures.
Although there's despondency after that defeat, overall we've had a good season so far. We lead the table by four points, having only lost three league games. We remain undefeated at home in the league, are currently the division's second-highest scorers (after Cray Wanderers) and have the second-best defensive record (after Lowestoft).
Our biggest wins this season have all been away, 3-0 at Tooting, Croydon Athletic and Maidstone. It's just a pity that we didn't win at Horsham as victory there would have given us 45 points, exactly halfway to my suggested end-of-season target of 90. At the moment we're on course for a final total of 84 - which may or may not be enough to win the title. At the same stage last season we had 36 points, six fewer than we have now. But champions-elect Dartford had 52, so we're ten behind where they were.
It was last January that we began a great run that took us to runners-up spot. If you combine our results from the second half of 2009/10 with those from the first half of 2010/11 you get W25,D12,L5, a haul of 87 points. I'd settle for that at the end of April 2011.
We've not had much success in the Cups, going out in three of the four at the first hurdle to lower-level opposition. We did at least have a run to the first round of the Trophy where the 4-0 replay defeat to Eastleigh gave us an idea of what we'll be up against if we do get promoted.
The three teams to have beaten us in the league are among five we've already played twice: Harrow Borough, Kingstonian, Tooting & Mitcham, Horsham and Margate. Harrow and Horsham are now hitting form after a slow start, so it's good that we don't have to play them again! The five we've still to play twice are Hendon, AFC Hornchurch, Aveley, Canvey Island and Bury Town.
Our next seven fixtures are a mixed bag - four are at home, including two against bottom-four sides, but we also face two testing away games against the clubs just below us in the table, Bury Town and Cray. After that we've got some awkward-looking games through February and March including home v Lowestoft (I reckon still our most likely challengers) and trips to those havens of peace and harmony Tonbridge, Wealdstone and Hornchurch. If we can emerge from that bunch of games still top of the heap then the future really will look bright.
Although there's despondency after that defeat, overall we've had a good season so far. We lead the table by four points, having only lost three league games. We remain undefeated at home in the league, are currently the division's second-highest scorers (after Cray Wanderers) and have the second-best defensive record (after Lowestoft).
Our biggest wins this season have all been away, 3-0 at Tooting, Croydon Athletic and Maidstone. It's just a pity that we didn't win at Horsham as victory there would have given us 45 points, exactly halfway to my suggested end-of-season target of 90. At the moment we're on course for a final total of 84 - which may or may not be enough to win the title. At the same stage last season we had 36 points, six fewer than we have now. But champions-elect Dartford had 52, so we're ten behind where they were.
It was last January that we began a great run that took us to runners-up spot. If you combine our results from the second half of 2009/10 with those from the first half of 2010/11 you get W25,D12,L5, a haul of 87 points. I'd settle for that at the end of April 2011.
We've not had much success in the Cups, going out in three of the four at the first hurdle to lower-level opposition. We did at least have a run to the first round of the Trophy where the 4-0 replay defeat to Eastleigh gave us an idea of what we'll be up against if we do get promoted.
The three teams to have beaten us in the league are among five we've already played twice: Harrow Borough, Kingstonian, Tooting & Mitcham, Horsham and Margate. Harrow and Horsham are now hitting form after a slow start, so it's good that we don't have to play them again! The five we've still to play twice are Hendon, AFC Hornchurch, Aveley, Canvey Island and Bury Town.
Our next seven fixtures are a mixed bag - four are at home, including two against bottom-four sides, but we also face two testing away games against the clubs just below us in the table, Bury Town and Cray. After that we've got some awkward-looking games through February and March including home v Lowestoft (I reckon still our most likely challengers) and trips to those havens of peace and harmony Tonbridge, Wealdstone and Hornchurch. If we can emerge from that bunch of games still top of the heap then the future really will look bright.