Football - Lormor nets on Snipes debut

FORMER Mansfield striker Tony Lormor crowned his Sutton Town debut with a superb headed goal as the Snipes got their promotion push back on track at Huthwaite Road on Saturday.

Lormor opened his and Snipes' account on the hour, to cancel out Ben Deans' spectacular opener for promotion rivals Dinnington.

And although they again fell behind and had Jason Pascoe sent off, Sutton hit back with two late goals to claim the points.

It was a sweet return to action for Lormor, signed from Telford United.

He told Chad: "Having not played for the past six weeks, I needed a little time to get back in to it. I struggled a little bit towards the end, but I was pleased to get onto the score sheet.

"It's nice to score whatever the level of football, and my thanks go to manager Les McJanett for having the faith in me."

McJannet certainly rang the changes after last week's sorry affair.

Along with Lormor, Stuart Ashford was back in the starting line up after an absence stretching back to mid-October, playing superbly at centre half.

With Dinnington's midfield trio of Clarke, Coomber and Toulson controlling the play, Sutton were penned deep into their own territory for the majority of the first half.

Dinnington came close to opening their account after just three minutes. Ben Rosser latched onto a through ball down Sutton's left and cleverly jinked past two defenders before releasing the ball inside to Fogarty, who sent a shot whistling inches past the right hand upright.

They thought they had snatched the lead on 37 minutes, when Rosser had the ball in the net after picking up Johnson's parry from Toulson's initial shot. However referee Roger Evans adjudged the effort offside.

Sutton's resilience finally broke down on 40 minutes. Deans broke from the half way down Sutton's right and, from fully 40 yards, blasted the ball into the far top corner.

The score was almost doubled right on half time, but Jason Johnson pulled off a top draw save to deny Cartledge's 18-yard effort.

Sutton started the second half with renewed vigor, almost leveling the scores just a minute in. Lormor split the Dinnington defence with a perfectly timed ball through to fellow ex-Stag Lee Wilson, who shrugged off two defenders, only to be denied by a brilliant reflex save from Phil Rhodes.

Wilson again came close minutes later, his shot screaming inches over the crossbar from the edge of the box.

Johnson certainly earned his man of the match accolade, keeping Sutton in the game with a tremendous save from Toulson three minutes later.

Lormor pulled Sutton level on the hour, and deservedly so, heading home Stefan Wilcockson's cross from the left.

Dinnington regained the lead on 73 minutes, when Cartledge fired home from the spot after being hauled down by Johnson, for his 46th goal of the season.

More drama was to come, Pascoe being dismissed after aiming a fist at Toulson, who had gone in on him with a clumsy two-footed challenge.

This hardly seemed a setback as Sutton still held the upper hand. Nicky Thorpe turned the Dinnington defence with a superb burst of pace on 81 minutes, but Rhodes magnificently saved his shot.

On 86 minutes Sutton's 10 men were back on level terms. With the Dinnington defence failing to clear the danger, Wilson picked up a loose ball to rifle home another 40-yard shot.

Sutton's contingent of fans behind Rhodes' goal were in raptures when Nicky Thorpe fired home the winner with just one minute remaining.

Sutton: Johnson, Pascoe, Hollingworth, Marrows, Ashford, Mitchell, Elliott (N. Thorpe 80), Wilson, Short, Lormor (Dillon 80), D. Thorpe (Wilcockson 54).

Dinnington: Rhodes, Ntiedu, Sykes, Deans (O'Leary 76), Coomber, Rosser, Thompson, Toulson, Clarke, Cartledge, Fogarty. Subs not used Smith, Ashmore.

REFEREE: Roger Evans of Dronfield Woodhouse.

MAN OF THE MATCH: Jason Johnson.

Snipes' trip to Arnold Town in the Notts Senior Cup quarter-final was postponed on Tuesday night due to a frozen pitch.

The winners of the tie, when it is eventually played, are due to face Hucknall Town away.