Sutton United manager Paul Doswell is hoping his side’s recent turn in form can be the springboard towards a strong second half of the season.
Second-half goals from Bedsente Gomis and Jamie White gave the Conference South outfit a comfortable win over lowly Farnborough in a game of few clear-cut chances.
The victory is the U’s third in their last four and Doswell is pleased with his side’s newly discovered match confidence.
“We’ve turned a corner definitely,” he said.
“Earlier in the season, we would have probably drawn that game, but since the new year, there’s a confidence throughout the team knowing that the goal will come.”
After a dour first-half, the home side edged in front as Senegalese midfielder Gomis pounced to prod home after penalty-box pinball.
“He [Gomis] deserved that goal. Whenever he got on the ball, it looked as if something was going to happen,” said Doswell about the former Southend player.
Farnborough rallied after conceding but in their late search for an equaliser, the hosts broke and Jamie White doubled their lead in the 90th minute.
The win takes Sutton to 12th in the league, mired in a heavily congested section of table, with eighth and 15th separated by just five points.
But Doswell has eyes on the upper reaches of the league with just fourteen games remaining.
“It’s up to the players now,” said the 48-year old, “as a group, we want to finish as high as we can, but they need to go out and perform each week.”
In the division below, it was a tough day for the three Ryman Premier sides, all of whom suffered narrow defeats.
At Kingsmeadow, a first-half strike from high-flying Maidstone United’s Alex Brown sunk Kingstonian as the hosts lost 1-0 – their third league loss of the new year.
Hampton & Richmond Borough were defeated 2-0 at Leiston, ending the game with only 10 as the Beavers’ Matt Drage was dismissed with 18 minutes remaining.
Elsewhere Met Police were two minutes away from a point at Enfield but a late Darnell Wynter goal arrested Jim Cooper’s hopes of achieving promotion.
In the Ryman South, Tooting & Mitcham lost narrowly 2-1 against table-toppers Burgess Hill Town with Danny Summers’ goal on half-time not being enough for the hosts.
Walton Casuals came from behind to win at Worthing 2-1, as second-half goals from Scott Day and a 90th minute winner from Nassim Dulaki gave them three valuable points.
Harry Mills gave Walton & Hersham a fourth-minute lead against Folkstone Invicta, but the Stompond Lane side ended up losing 6-2, with Anthony Oaks adding a late consolation.
Carshalton Athletic and Corinthian Casuals’ derby fell foul of the weather, as did the Combined Counties game between Farnham Town and Raynes Park Vale – both matches succumbing to waterlogged pitches
Meanwhile, Colliers Wood United lost 4-1 at Ashford Town (Middlesex) despite going in at half-time at 1-1 with their more illustrious opponents.
