Aaron Jones spoke about the sense of anticipation that’s been growing ever since the start of Sutton’s FA Cup campaign, and discussed how the players have handled the wait while staying focused on league duties in recent weeks.
With a big occasion approaching in the FA Cup Second Round, the Club Captain reflected on how the squad has been feeling, with the atmosphere building around the training ground leading into the match
“Really excited, and I think the whole group’s really excited for the game.”
“It’s obviously been looming for quite a while now after we won in the first round. We knew this game was coming, but there’s been a lot of league games we’ve had to focus on, and it’s finally here and there’s a real buzz around the camp at the minute for sure.”
Jones also discussed the importance of keeping momentum, something they maintained with victory over AFC Croydon Athletic during the week, with the Surrey Senior Cup match giving valuable minutes to a number of players, and, on a personal level, bringing his first goal for the club.
“I obviously haven’t had as many minutes lately, so it was a good game for me to get some minutes and great to get my first goal for the club and hopefully I can get a few more.”
“I should have had a few more this season, so it’s good to get some minutes and just keep the momentum going. Another win on the board and football is all about momentum, so it’s great.”
Reflecting on the ‘magic of the cup’, he spoke from experience about the unpredictability of knockout football and the opportunities it presents for lower-league sides, with Sutton set to host League Two opposition on the weekend.
Drawing on past experiences, most notably his FA Trophy triumph as captain of Aldershot Town last term, he highlighted how belief and intensity can bridge any gap between divisions.
Comparisons to that victory at the home of English football saw him describe it as an experience that has shaped him, and has shown the power of a strong cup run in building unity and long-lasting memories.
“I’ve played in the FA Cup many times and I think obviously you have to respect every opposition you come up against, but league form and kind of the differences in between the leagues on the day can get chucked out the window if you’re at it and a team, you know, relaxes in their mindset.”
“It can kind of be a leveller and, you know, played against Swindon away, played against Stockport away and won both times from lower leagues. So I think if there’s a good feeling in the group and you really get after the opposition, then you have a good chance.”
“It was an unbelievable experience last season, arguably one of the best moments of my career. I think for the boys to feel that, whether it’s in the FA Cup or the FA Trophy this year, is such a special feeling and really brought our group together last year.”
“I would hope that we could do a similar thing this year; cup competitions always bring a real togetherness within a group, the excitement of who you could potentially draw if we are fortunate enough to get through the next round.”
“For example, if we were to make it in the third round potential of bringing out one of the big boys, so yeah, it brings everyone together, and football is all about creating memories, so you can create really create memories in this competition.”
With two consecutive cup fixtures coming off the back of an unbeaten November in the league, Jones also insisted Sutton’s momentum remains intact regardless of the competition, crediting Chris Agutter and his staff for establishing a strong mentality built around consistency and a single, simple aim: win the next match.
“The gaffer’s big on just win, win the next football match.”
“Every game we go into, whether it’s Croydon or whether it’s Shrewsbury, the approach is exactly the same. Some of our players who have been starting every week in the league were rested on Tuesday night, but the messages internally from myself, from people like Will Tizzard, who’s played quite a few games in the league, were exactly the same.”
“Nothing changes – we want to win the next match. I think the manager and his staff have done a really good job in creating like a winning mentality where we go into every game and the importance is exactly the same level.”
Photo Credit: Paul Loughlin
