You don't need points to be winners.

I looked forward to the champions coming to Hatton Road for the first time this season, wondering what gave them the ability to roll every team they've played over so far this season.

I was hoping it would be the sheer quality of the football they served up, and there would be a lot for us to learn from them.

Unfortunately, as I write I'm disappointed, disappointed that its the age old physical presence and darker side to the game that seems to prevail.

However it served as a lesson to the boys. A lesson which they showed they could learn pretty quickly.

Don't get me wrong, they could play, they had decent players all over the pitch, it's just a shame that they didn't really trust it enough to use it as their primary way of winning games, well this one at least.

It wasn't until the latter reaches of this game, with our 5th player off with injury that they made any inroads into us, after we'd taken the lead.

Us taking the lead seemed to have that effect on them, heavier tackles etc more surly attitude...... Not the most enjoyable to watch.

However, a valuable lesson, one that we should thank them for. For this is football perhaps from yesteryear, but it's not going anywhere in a hurry so we need to adapt to face it.

Noisy, over active crowd, foul language, over celebrating, pretty much everything that modern football asks our game not to be, certainly not at u11's. I would say we tried to give what we got, may be came up short in the dark arts, but tried, and as it's an alien style of play for us, I think we did pretty well.

We set up differently today, our pace was at the back, to nullify Suttons, which worked brilliantly, Joe and Asa we're fantastic, swept up alongside Andy who also had a good difficult game.

We never changed any of our back four throughout the match and perhaps it was a tall order, to leave them there as we had been stretched but coped many times. Pace is something only a few truly possess and the two fullbacks today did us proud with their energy and enthusiasm.

Nassim and James also had brilliant games, battling away constantly, trying to turn defense into attack, and with Elliott and Reece grafting the wings wonderfully we looked a match for anyone.

Yusuf, had a really difficult game, one that challenged him more than most, two defenders happy to get physical and a little sweeper in front of him stopping any ball getting to him. The little guy had a very good game. Yusuf was the first of ours to come off injured, after just 10 minutes, and Frankie stepped in. Full of focus, and worked so hard to keep Sutton on their toes.

I have to say Shay was looking at his imperious best at the back, loud and commanding. Strong and quick to make decisions.

Luca and Aiden came on after 25 and carried on where Elliott and Reece left off.

Half time came and we spoke about the style of play from Sutton, the fact it was nothing the boys had encountered.

"Welcome to real football boys" they were told, not what we'd like to see, theres nothing like this in any coaching manual, but football all the same.

We decided to go and really give it anther go.

Frankie was next down with a blow o the head, Then James left the pitch, after a heavy kick, Nassim went with a hefty blow, and Asa was taken down with a nasty foul, and told he was going to get it again.

Elliott scored his first league goal of the season which put the cat amongst the pigeons, and looked for a few minutes quite comfy.

Then a couple of lapses for the first time in defence and Sutton had the lead, and just for a minute I thought they'd won the FA Cup.

Coaches on the pitch, crowd going mad. It's under 11's football. You have already won the league, is vanity such a driving force that you lose all sense of perspective?

The game finished with us pushing for an equaliser however it wasn't to come.

Man of the match was James Levy

For a few weeks now, James has been learning a new position and today was trusted to start in one of the most difficult games of the season. He excelled, with tactical control he attacked every ball, covered other players and drove the team on from the centre of midfield.
I felt there were many players who did really well today, but for me James was top boy.

Well done smiler, we now know it's not all about the beautiful game.