Sutton United 2 Horsham 1

But it was the United defence and keeper Kevin Scriven who could take much of the credit for the victory which gave Sutton a five-point cushion over the teams outside the play-off places.

Sutton took a second-minute lead. Steve Perkins, restored to centre back after a two-game lay-off, launched a diagonal pass from left to right that seemed to have too much strength on it.

But the pace of Bradley Woods-Garness caused at first uncertainty, then chaos between goalkeeper Josh Pelling and defender Mark Knee on the edge of the penalty area.

As they dithered, Woods-Garness nipped in to take the ball round Pelling and run it in to the empty net.

There was less defensive culpability about the second goal, 10 minutes later, as Matt Hann beat Anthony Acheampong on the left and swung in a cross that was flicked on by Woods-Garness for Sam Gargan to knock a brave header over the line.

At that point Sutton seemed set for a surprisingly comfortable evening as Horsham looked uncertain as to how to deal with the pace of Sutton’s attack.

While their defence might have been playing as if only just introduced to each other, though, going forward Horsham were a different proposition, with Claude Seanla and Pat Harding the most prolific strike partnership in the division.

It took some fine goalkeeping from Scriven to ensure that Sutton’s early advantage wasn't lost.

In the 23rd minute, he blocked Alex Haddow's shot with his legs after Seanla had allowed Harding's cross from the right to run on.

Three minutes later, Scriven tipped over a dipping effort from Jack Page after the midfielder had seized on a misplaced pass from Francis Quarm.

Scriven also made a good stop from Seanla after he had burst through on the right, but it was United who came closest to another first-half goal on the stroke of the interval.

Horsham's defence again made a mess of clearing their lines on the edge of the penalty area and Gargan's low shot rattled back off the post.

Seconds earlier Gargan had been in the thick of the action for different reasons, his ugly challenge on Horsham skipper Sam Page sparking a confrontation between most of the players on the pitch.

Once the dust had settled he was joined in referee Adrian Gillett's book by the visitors' Acheampong and Ben Andrews as well as Alan Pouton, back in United’s line up for the first time since the win at Dartford.

Soon after half time, Pouton made way fro Danny Phillips, just after Hann had run on to a Woods-Garness pass and shot in to the side netting.

But there was still a threat from the visitors as Scriven first tipped away a volley on the turn from Seanla, and was then grateful that Jack Page was unable to get any power on a shot after a series of ricochets had enabled him to battle through the defence.

Quarm and Haddow were booked for fouls, and when substitute Steve Watts picked up the evening's final caution, for playing on after an offside decision, it took the number of players booked in the two league meetings between the sides this season to 18.

For much of the rest of the half, United were happy to defend the lead they had, and although Horsham had plenty of the ball Sutton defended well, with a solid back four helped out by an outstanding effort from Sonny Cobbs as he broke up several dangerous moves.

Charlie Taylor, played increasingly as a right midfielder after replacing Woods-Garness, provided United’s only shot of note when his effort was deflected wide, but as at Boreham Wood a week earlier they were set to face an anxious last 10 minutes when Harding slotted the ball past Scriven from close range after Haddow had laid the ball in to his path.

With time running out, Andrews missed a glorious chance to salvage a point, seeming to have beaten Scriven but in a crowded six yard box lifting his shot over the bar but it was U's who almost had the final word when Cobbs, again won the ball in midfield and this time burst through the Horsham defence only for Pelling to block his shot.

Sutton: K Scriven, K El-Salahi, A Bray, J Goodliffe, S Perkins, S Cobbs, M Hann, A Pouton (sub D Phillips 47), S Gargan (sub S Watts 68), F Quarm, B Woods-Garness (sub C Taylor 57). Subs n/u B Hawes, A Joseph. Goals: Woods-Garness(2), Gargan(12). Booked: Gargan (44-foul), Pouton (44-aggressive attitude), Quarm(55-foul), Watts (73-time wasting).

Horsham: J Pelling, J Page, M Knee, A Acheampong, S Page, B Andrews, C Riley, S Davies (sub S Tucknott 68), C Seanla, P Harding, A Haddow Subs n/u A Hutchings, T Nwuchukwu, I Payne, J Nicholls. Goal: Harding(81). Booked: Acheampong (44-aggressive attitude), Andrews (44-aggressive attitude), Haddow (62-foul)

Referee: A Gillett (Aylesbury)

Att 421