Matt Gray hopes home run can help Sutton’s promotion push

Posted Sunday, December 19, 2021 by PA

Delighted Sutton boss Matt Gray wants his side to use the 1-0 win against Harrogate as a catalyst for a concerted promotion push.

Donovan Wilson scored the only goal of the game as the U’s took full advantage of the Covid-19 surge to move third.

Sutton goalkeeper Dean Bouzanis produced a string of fine saves to ensure all three points for the hosts at Gander Green Lane.

And with three of their next four games at home, Gray is desperate for more.

“I’m really pleased with the win,” beamed Gray. “It wasn’t a great spectacle but there are many ways to win a football match and today we had to roll our sleeves up and defend that lead, which I’m really pleased that we did.

“It’s important to get back to winning ways because we had a difficult period for us in terms of injuries and I feel we’re just coming out the other side of that.

“The past month has probably been my worst spate of injuries since becoming a manager.

“To bounce back at home with a win, I’m really pleased.

“We’ve got a nice little run at home now and hopefully we can just keep that going.

“It was certainly a tough game. They are a good side, play with good energy and a good tempo, just like we do.

“I was pleased to take the lead after edging the first half. They edged the second half and had a couple of chances. We defended well and saw it out.”

Omar Bugiel slipped in Wilson to calmly slot home the winner after 30 minutes.

Bouzanis beat away Alex Pattison’s near-post strike and tipped substitute Jack Muldoon’s header onto the crossbar right at the end.

But Town boss Simon Weaver refused to criticise his side and said: “We didn’t create as many chances as we should have done.

“We were short in the final third and we’re not usually short.

“It would have been a very good away point against a team who are now third in the league.

“It wasn’t to be, but we can take a lot of positives from the game.

“The defence was a lot tighter. Unfortunately we didn’t have that moment to create a breakthrough.

“You can’t always criticise your back line because they have conceded a goal. It was a moment of quality from them.

“They did well to execute the pass and the finish. Other than that they didn’t create that much against us.

“Today we didn’t cause our own problems, like we have done in other games. But we didn’t have that ruthless edge in the final third that we usually have.

“On another day that header for Jack Muldoon goes in.”