Sutton United 3 Walton and Hersham 2
AET - Score 1-1 at 90 minutes
With so many fixtures left to fit in this season Sutton played their second game of the week against Walton and Hersham in the Surrey Cup Semi Final and had yet another tough tie. Jordan Bird scored another spectacular goal from close to the corner flag before the U’s were made to pay for not taking chances when a late equaliser took the tie to extra time, followed by a free kick 25 yards out giving Walton the lead before James Page’s unstoppable strike and a Bajrush Halili clincher sealed victory in the second half of extra time.
With an even first half, Walton’s Chas Goodchild stood out for the away side with some impressive free-kicks that were given away around the edge of the box, though Sutton were more dominant in the first half, Halili showed good strength to get a ball to Bird at the back post and his clean strike took a deflection before hitting the bar. In a bizarre incident Walton’s Steven Betancourt struck a good shot just wide of his own goal in a congested penalty area following a corner! Joe Wornham was quick to react to intercept a stray pass from the Walton back line, running clear and attempting to chip the goalkeeper, only to see it go over the bar. There was some good Sutton pressure late on in the half but no goals to show for their efforts.
Bird scored the first goal of the game early in the second half, claiming the ball on the left wing, beating the full back before his cross/shot looped over Harry Church in the Walton goal and nestling in the net off of the back post. Both sides traded chances before Ope Fashoro, on as a substitute used his pace to scare the away defence, first putting Halili through on goal only for him to shoot wide, before out-muscling a centre back and also shooting just wide. Not taking the chances to finish off the game came back to haunt Sutton when a corner cleared to the edge of the box was played back in to a melee and Kano Hiroyuki prodded past Ben Clarke to take the tie to extra time.
George Harrowell struck another good free kick around a Sutton wall early in extra time to take the lead before another succession of dangerously positioned free kicks weren’t able to be converted by Walton. The second period was all Sutton though, James Page came on in extra time to give some added oomph up front and almost had an instant impact when a free header was off target from a Chris Sessegnon cross, but he came up trumps soon after when striking home from 20 yards giving Church no chance following a cleared corner. Hiroyuki was stopped in his tracks well by James Young and Fashoro and Bird both had chances to seal victory, but as penalties loomed Halili finished off the tie with only minutes to go when his strike from inside the penalty area went under the goalkeeper's dive to send the jubilant home side through to the final to face local rivals Carshalton Athletic in the final at Walton Casuals on 21st April.
Sutton: Ben Clarke, Elliot Tomkins, Robbie Drewett (James Page 105), Dan Faulkner, James Young, Kien Millington, Chris Sessegnon, Josh Gallagher, Bajrush Halili, Joe Wornham (Ope Fashoro 63), Jordan Bird Subs N/U: Lewis Wilson, Lewis Lovelock, Ryan Donachie.Goals: Bird 49, Page 109, Halili 118. Cautions Halili
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