Yeovil started the match playing with a strong end to end wind, and grabbed the game territorially early on. But ominously, like the Sutton fixture at Huish Park, and the recent game at Hednesford, the Glovers made poor use of the wind, with their play frequently being broken up due to a mixture of offsides, throw-ins and goalkicks.

It may have been poor stuff to watch, but it was clear that Yeovil held the edge. Matt Hayfield produced Yeovil's first real chance when he flicked on a through ball from Paul Tisdale. His header was made in a clear offside position, but the linesman's flag stayed down and Sutton goalkeeper Gareth Howells was fortunate to catch the ball with a single sweep of his right hand. Ben Smith got the ball into the net on 10 minutes, but his deliberate handball was too blatant for words and the yellow card that followed was inevitable.

Ben was followed into the book on 28 minutes when Terry Skiverton committed a clumsy foul on Sutton striker Mark Watson. But Yeovil still showed far more creativity than Sutton's pressure ever could, and Ben Smith's 25 yard snatch shot was evidence of a warning for the home side.

Yeovil had passed poorly during the first half hour, with goalkicks and off-sides becoming a predictable part of the Glovers' game. And Sutton's Gwynne Berry seemed to have a full time job taking throw-ins under the main stand, such was Yeovil's struggle to provide an accurate through ball as the wind whipped the ball through quickly.

None of that mattered on 38 minutes when Paul Tisdale split the Sutton defence with a cross field pass that left Warren Patmore in acres of space on the right wing. His low cross was met by Matt Hayfield, whose first time touch was parried by Howells in the Sutton goal. Ben SMITH met the rebound, and although Howells again got his hands to the nudge, the ball crept past his right hand post.

Second half proceedings started a little more brightly, although Sutton had the first shot of the half when Andy Riley sent an angled shot screaming out of the ground when he should have hit the target. Matt Hayfield then reminded Sutton of their need to defend when he accepted a lofted cross-field ball, semi-trapped the pass, then sent a bullet of a shot agonisingly against the cross-bar. Warren Patmore received the rebound, but was closed down too quickly by the Sutton defence to take advantage.

This was Yeovil's best spell of the game, and they quickly followed up with a well struck Rob Cousins shot that was turned around Howells' right hand post. But eventually this phase of attacking from Yeovil fizzled out and the game only really livened up with ten minutes to go.

This phase of the game brought a flurry of substitutions as both sides tried to reshape with Sutton making two substitutions and Yeovil one. The latter was the replacement of Matt Hayfield by David Norton, as Warren Patmore was left up front on his own, occasionally aided by Ben Smith. This period brought Yeovil's only true scare of the game, when David Piper had to clear the ball off the line from a close range shot in a crowded area. The referee seemed to use the increased tension and anxiety from both teams as an excuse to wave several unnecessary yellow cards, with David Piper and Kevan Brown, for Yeovil, and Richard Skelly for Sutton all carded for minor fouls.

It was difficult conditions out there, and I thought the team showed a little bit of character. I thought we thoroughly deserved to win. We created all the best chances. They had one chance where David Piper had to clear one off the line. That was a close call, but other than that I don't think they really worried us in the whole game. The players are working so hard for each other at the moment, and are really proving how much of a team game football is, and that's really pleasing me. If we are going to win the league, then hard work has got to be the main ingredient we need for it.

I think things are promising at the moment. You can't really judge things over a few games, but the signs are there and they're promising.

MATCH RATING 5.5 (out of 10).