Head Coach Chris Agutter praised his side’s character and adaptability after their hard-fought 2–2 draw away at FC Halifax Town.
The visitors took the lead during a strong opening spell which was rewarded with a brilliant Lewis Simper strike, before Halifax responded with two strikes either side of the break, which was only quashed by a Brandon Njoku goal minutes after the U’s had gone behind.
“It was incredibly competitive. Two good teams going toe-to-toe,” said Agutter.
“I thought we were very good in the opening exchanges and deservedly took the lead. They were a threat on the counter-attack, as we said pre-match – always a threat.”
Halifax’s change of shape midway through the first half notably swung the momentum, with Cody Johnson notching a superb equaliser moments after Adam Lakeland’s tactical reshuffle.
Adapting to that in-game switch proved challenging at first, but but Sutton’s boss felt his own tactical tweaks eventually restored control, and said that his side grew into the contest once adjustments were made.
“Credit to their manager and coaching staff. That shifted momentum back in their favour and they went 2–1 up,” he said.
“We then changed shape again – we’d already changed shape at half-time and then tweaked it again – and I thought that put us back in control. We deservedly got the equaliser.”
“Whenever we’ve seen Halifax they’ve consistently been a 4-2-3-1. That’s the first time I’ve seen them change shape, which I think is a credit to how we started the game – we were so good.
“Then it was a case of trying to match them up, or get as close as possible to matching them up from a defensive perspective, while still trying to retain our best bits from an attacking perspective.
“So we had one eye on possession and one eye on stopping possession. I think it worked.”
The manager reserved special praise for his substitutes, particularly 18-year-old academy product Charlie Bell, whose impact helped the visitors finish strongly.
“I thought the subs were very good and made a really good impact, in particular Charlie Bell,” he added.
“Another brilliant product from the academy. The boy’s 18 and I thought he was excellent when he came on. Jayden Harris was very good as well.
“Two standout performances and I thought they were key to us finishing the game by far the stronger. If anyone was going to win it at the end, I think it would have been us.”
With Jake Taylor absent with concussion, Agutter opted for a different starting shape, which brought a switch to a back four and the introduction of Osman Foyo, who made his first start since returning on loan from AFC Wimbledon, and was tailored to exploit perceived weaknesses in the opposition.
Foyo’s performance brought plenty of encouragement, who marked his return to the starting XI with an assist from Njoku’s equaliser, while in all he proved to be a menace for the Shaymen’s backline on numerous occasions.
“It came from just looking at the opposition, looking at where we could expose them, whilst trying to get our best players in the best positions possible to really impact the game,” he explained. “That was the long and short of it.”
“I thought there were so many good performances today, the players’ response to the disappointment of Wednesday night has been brilliant. The message was pretty clear post-match and I thought our performance reflected that.”
“For some of the football today, it was the best football we’ve played since I’ve been here. I thought we were so good, which again makes Wednesday night even more frustrating.”
“When we play with that positive, front-foot, attacking mindset – with courage and bravery, taking the ball under pressure, dragging the opposition into areas they don’t want to go – it gives us opportunities to exploit space and run into gaps.”
“When we play that way, with that personnel, I think we’re a great watch. I’m really proud of it. I thought we played like that throughout today and deservedly took a point away from a team pushing for promotion.”
Agutter also addressed the “shift in mentality” he had called for earlier in the week, insisting the foundations have been in place despite a costly 20-minute spell against Yeovil.
“Before the game we were sixth in the form guide; it was just 20 minutes of absolute rubbish against Yeovil that gave them three points,” he said.
“So we’ve been playing with the right mentality and mindset. Obviously it can slip, there are moments in games where you deviate away from the direction you want to go in.”
“But in the main, we’ve been playing with a real attacking, front-foot personality. I thought we moved the opposition really well again today and we’ve done that a lot of late.”
“We’re on the right track. I think we’ve jumped up a place in the league as well. We have to keep picking up points, keep progressing, keep developing and we will continue to climb.”
He added that he believes the current approach is not only delivering results, but aiding the development of the squad’s younger players.
“I think we’re a great watch, and sometimes people forget there are a lot of people watching who want to be entertained.”
“From a development perspective, I think it’s the best way to improve players like Jack Taylor, Junior Eccleston, Kai Jennings on his loan and Charlie Bell.
“So it makes sense to keep going in the direction we’re going in. Most importantly, we keep picking up points, keep climbing and keep improving. We have to keep doubling down on that message and keep working incredibly hard.”
