Sutton United 0-0 Barrow
Paul Doswell expressed his delight as Sutton United registered their first clean sheet since the start of October following a goalless draw with high-flying Barrow.
The stalemate extended the club’s unbeaten run to seven games but Sutton could quite easily have picked up all three points having dominated the first half.
Wingers Roarie Deacon and Ross Stearn were a constant threat with Deacon seeing an early shot blocked, before the latter narrowly fired over the crossbar.
Dan Fitchett forced Joel Dixon into a smart save midway through the first half with Stearn seeing his low effort cannon off the post from the resulting corner.
Barrow, on the back of a 15-match unbeaten run, couldn’t find a way past Sutton’s solid defence with Simon Downer’s superb block denying Ross Hannah with their best chance.
Doswell said: “We’re unbeaten in seven games now and that’s a big positive. But for me the biggest positive is the clean sheet because Barrow are a team who score goals and I thought we defended very well.
“Barrow are a difficult side to play against as you are constantly defending long throws and any set piece they send their centre-backs up.
“If you don’t stand up to what Barrow do, and they do it well, you will get beaten and beaten heavily.
“That’s why we picked the big back four today to cope with the pressure and they deserve a lot of credit for giving ourselves our first clean sheet in a few weeks.”
United have now drawn their past four games and they will be hoping to start converting one point into three with the club one point off the top half.
Sutton face some big games in the coming weeks and Doswell is hoping a win away at bottom club North Ferriby next weekend can kick start a huge month for the club – culminating in an FA Cup second round tie at home to Cheltenham Town or Crewe Alexandra on December 3.
“We need to get that away win, like we did against Dartford, and we’ll go there with a positive frame of mind,” added Doswell.
“We’re just going to look forward to what’s happening at this club over the next two or three weeks because we’re into the second round of the FA Cup and we’ve a cemented a good position for us in this league.
“The crowds at home just keep going up and up and the whole club is in a really good place at the moment.”
