Loan Watch: Goalscoring Start For Nadesan

As the 2025/26 season reaches its climax, a whole host of Sutton players continued to gain minutes across the country.

We run down each one in our March edition of Loan Watch.

Ashley Nadesan’s loan to Worthing couldn’t have got off to a better start, with the 31-year old taking just seven minutes to get off the mark for the Rebels.

Nadesan finished from close range from Joe Cook’s knock back to give Worthing the lead against Chelmsford City, with Adam Hinshelwood’s side sealing a 2-0 win that saw them return to winning ways and maintain a six-point gap from league leaders Dorking Wanderers.

The forward was then rewarded with a second successive start, with goals from Teddy Jenks and Wiktor Makowski sealing a 3-0 win over AFC Totton, a crucial result that lifted the Rebels up to second in the league, before playing 89 minutes in a 3-2 win over Weston-super-Mare and 87 minutes as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Enfield Town, maintaining a six-point gap to the summit in the process.

Siju Odelusi began his stint at Maidenhead United with a 20-minute cameo against AFC Totton, with the midfielder being followed off the bench by teammate Dillon De Silva seven minutes later.

The duo contributed to the Magpies seeing out a confident 2-0 win over the Hampshire-based side, before again being named on the bench as they defeated Maidstone United at the death; De Silva replacing Miles Welch-Hayes with 13 minutes remaining, before being a part of the move that led to Alfie Pendlebury being taken out in the box in stoppage time.

The Sri Lankan bombed down the right flank before sending in an inviting delivery that was controlled by Pendlebury, who made his way into the six-yard box before being fouled by TJ Bramble, giving Joshua Popoola the chance to steal all three points from the spot. Odelusi was an unused substitute, though he was awarded his first Magpies start ahead of a reunion with former First Team Coach, Jon Meeney, along with former and current Sutton teammates Harry Ransom and Ashley Nadesan, with the duo both starting as Maidenhead held Worthing to a goalless draw.

Odelusi followed this up with another start against Eastbourne Borough; De Silva being named on the bench, with the former being replaced seven minutes into the second half and the latter entering the fray with 15 minutes to go, before Odelusi’s replacement, Liam Dulson, scored an 89th minute winner in Steve King’s first match in charge of the Sports.

The duo subsequently started on the bench as Ebbsfleet United ended their brief unbeaten run, courtesy of goals from former U Josh Coley, together with Toby Edser and Kwesi Appiah. The winger nodded home a Ben Chapman cross from the middle of the area before turning provider when he drove down the left flank before teeing up Edser, with Appiah soon notching what turned out to be the winner after stoppage time goals from Dulson and Manny Onarise set up a tense finale. De Silva and Odelusi both played 20 minutes, coming on within two minutes of each other, before coming in from the start as Maidenhead returned to winning ways against Dorking Wanderers.

De Silva notched his first goal for the Magpies to set them on their way, with persistence from Dulson in the middle of the park being followed by a threaded ball through to the Sri Lankan who slotted under Harrison Foulkes; his first goal since striking for Tamworth back in October.

The 23-year old subsequently missed the Magpies’ 2-1 defeat to Weston-super-Mare and 3-0 win over Bath City due to international duty, while Odelusi played almost an hour in the former before being replaced by Pendlebury, ahead of a crucial victory over the Romans that lifted Maidenhead into the play-off places heading into the final month of the season, in which the on-loan Sutton midfielder featured for the final 17 minutes.

Over in the South-West, Will Tizzard started life under legendary manager Neil Warnock, who took on an additional role to his Football Advisor position at Torquay United, replacing Paul Wotton on a caretaker basis following the former Plymouth Argyle defender’s dismissal.

Tizzard was named in Warnock’s first starting XI since the Scottish quarter-final between Aberdeen and Kilmarnock in 2024, as well as his first Gulls’ team since 1993, playing the full 90 as goals from Sonny Blu Lo-Everton and Kieran Wilson rescued a late 2-2 draw against Farnborough, before starting for a second time as the Devon-based side lost 3-0 away to Ebbsfleet United, with former U Josh Coley featuring in the final six minutes for the hosts.

He subsequently made successive start for the Gulls in 2-1 wins over Salisbury and Chesham United, though his display against the latter came to a disappointing end, with the defender being booked twice in as many minutes to bring his afternoon to a premature close, though his teammates were able to see out a second consecutive victory that kept them just two points behind second.

Tizzard went on to serve his one-match ban as Torquay lost 1-0 to Dagenham & Redbridge, newly led by Andy Carroll on an interim basis, while the Gulls are now headed up by Jimmy Ball who replaced Warnock on a permanent basis.

The defender returned to action as they prepared to host league leaders Dorking, holding the Wanderers to a 2-2 draw and he subsequently extended his loan on the English Riviera until the end of the 2025/26 campaign and continued his run of starts in a 2-0 win over Horsham, keeping his first clean sheet since making the move to Plainmoor in his seventh appearance for the club.

Nana Boateng continued his impressive resurgence into first team football alongside Eduino Vaz, with the duo contributing to a positive opening to March.

The former notched his second goal of the season when he opened the scoring with a powerful effort into the top corner against Enfield Town, though this wasn’t enough to secure all three points as a second half strike from Henry Hawkins sealed a point for the Towners in North London.

The Beavers did triumph the following weekend though, defeating Dover Athletic at the Beveree Stadium thanks to goals from Ronan Silva and Reece Grego-Cox in the first half, with Vaz also going close to scoring on a handful of occasions, and the duo continued to appear together from the off as Hampton defeated Slough Town 3-1, before losing 2-0 at Weston-super-Mare ahead of another victory for the Beavers, with a debut double from Daniel Nkrumah sinking Horsham.

Hampton were unable to follow this up with a successive victory though, with a first half Stan Leech hat-trick condemning them to a 3-1 defeat to Dagenham & Redbridge, and leaves them two places above the drop zone heading into April, but with an eight-point gap.

In addition, the duo’s performances across March saw them both nominated for Hampton & Richmond’s Player of the Month award.

Over in Surrey, Liam Vincent’s Dorking Wanderers kicked off March with the high profile visit of Dagenham & Redbridge, now invested in by KSI, who has brought waves of exposure to the National League South as a result. The on-loan wing-back was an unused substitute as Dorking’s ten-game unbeaten run came to an end after a second half Aramide Oteh strike, before again being uninvolved as they were held to a 1-1 draw with Chelmsford City, with the gap to second dramatically dropping to just three points as a result.

Vincent subsequently made his first start for Dorking as they prepared to host Ebbsfleet United, completing 87 minutes as the Wanderers overturned a narrow deficit to win 2-1, and extend their lead at the top of the division to five points after Hornchurch were held to a 2-2 draw at Bath City, before making it successive starts as they defeated Enfield Town 4-2 after goals from Niall McManus, Brennan Camp, Charlie Carter and Alfie Rutherford secured a huge win on the road.

Dorking then took a slight blow to their comfortability at the top of the league, falling to a 2-0 defeat against Maidenhead United. Vincent completed the full match as the Wanderers fell to a second defeat in five games, though the gap at the top has extended to six points after Hemel Hempstead Town beat Hornchurch, though the Tudors themselves have become yet another team to enter the title conversation.

The wing-back has since continued his run of starts after breaking into the Wanderers side, starting in the 2-2 draw with Torquay, before defeating Hemel in a crucial top-of-the-table clash; Vincent playing 75 minutes as they maintained their six-point gap at the summit heading into the final month of the season, courtesy of a late Jason Prior penalty to complete the turnaround and take a huge step closer to the Enterprise National League South title.

Kane Crichlow’s Chelmsford City got off to a spectacular start to the month, kicking off March with a 7-1 win over Bath City. Crichlow was introduced at the Melbourne Stadium with a little over 20 minutes to go and with the score already at 6-0, marking his own involvement in the Clarets’ biggest league win since 2014.

The Bermudan continued to appear off the bench as Chelmsford visited high-flying Dorking, and played 11 minutes as they held the league leaders to a 1-1 draw, before returning to the starting XI in another important clash for the title race, with the Clarets falling to a 2-0 defeat at Worthing courtesy of goals from Ashley Nadesan and Teddy Jenks; Crichlow playing 53 minutes.

He subsequently returned to the bench against Dover Athletic, replacing Joe Grimwood at half time with the score already at 2-0, with a Lyle Taylor penalty giving them a glimmer of hope with 16 minutes to go, before coming on with a little over 15 minutes remaining as the Clarets made it two defeats in a row, falling to a 4-2 loss at Farnborough.

The Essex side bounced back before the month was out though. Crichlow was an unused substitute in a 1-0 win over Chippenham Town and a 1-1 draw with AFC Totton as Chelmsford maintained touching distance on a play-off spot heading into April.

Moving up north, Jaiden White struggled for minutes during March as Chester lost just once.

The winger was uninvolved in their dramatic 2-1 win over Darlington, with Finley Shrimpson scoring a 90+8th minute winner in Connell Rawlinson’s first match in interim charge of the Seals, before being an unused substitute in a second successive last gasp win, this time with Dylan Mottley-Henry scoring in the 90+7th minute to steal the points from the grasp of promotion-chasing Merthyr Town, who had former U’s midfielder Jay Williams in their ranks.

He then remained as an unused substitute as Chester drew 1-1 with White’s former club Kidderminster Harriers, before being uninvolved as they lost 2-1 to Southport and beat Curzon Ashton by the same scoreline.

Down in the Isthmian League, Alex Woodyard started and completed the full match as Folkestone Invicta returned to winning ways after Billericay Town had ended their seven-game unbeaten run at the end of February. A second half double from Jake Hutchinson overturned Nana Kyei’s opener to seal victory over Potters Bar Town, before Invicta secured their play-off spot with a 2-2 draw against Dartford, edging ever closer to the title in the process, a feat which was aided by a 2-0 win over Brentwood Town the following week.

Folkestone did take a minor blow when they went 3-1 down to Carshalton Athletic, but managed to complete a superb turnaround and draw 3-3, maintaining a 14-point gap to second-placed Aveley; Woodyard playing 70 minutes before being replaced by Ryan Kingsford, having been cautioned nine minutes earlier.

In the academy, George Vorster got on the scoresheet for the 11th time this season with the winner against Wingate & Finchley, converting from the spot after Bobby Price had been fouled in the box following a corner.

The Hillians then followed this up with a dramatic 2-1 win over Welling United, overturning Sam Smith’s second half opener with two goals in stoppage time to make it four wins in a row, with Vorster soon returning to the scoresheet with a double against Ramsgate.

First, a brilliant second saw Hill switch the play, with Vorster cutting inside and smashing an effort in via a Ramsgate hand, before breaking through Kaan Bennett who squared it for the 0n-loan Sutton man, who took a touch before almost breaking the net with a powerful, unstoppable finish, contributing to a 4-2 triumph and Burgess Hill’s fifth win in a row.

The Hillians’ good streak soon came to an end though as they fell to a 3-0 defeat at home to Chatham Town and a 4-0 defeat away at Billericay Town; Vorster playing the full game in both.

Across the borough, Noah Nzuzi played the first half in Carshalton Athletic’s 3-1 win over Canvey Island, before being uninvolved in their 1-0 win over Cheshunt and 4-1 win over Wingate & Finchley, as well as we their 3-3 draw with league leaders Folkestone Invicta.

Ned Hepburn played the full 90 as Grays Athletic lost 1-0 to Witham Town, before coming off the bench as they drew with Newmarket Town the following weekend.

He later returned to the starting XI against Maldon & Tiptree, again completing the full match as the Blues were defeated 2-0, before repeating that feat in Grays’ 1-0 defeat to Downham Town, and later played 85 minutes in a 3-1 defeat to Mildenhall Town.

As for those missing, Mehmet Halim and Liam Moore remained on the sidelines for Leatherhead and Cray Valley (PM), with the duo recovering from their respective injuries.

Leatherhead won every game during March despite Halim’s absence, going 11 points clear at the top of the Isthmian League South Central Division with the league title and promotion in their sights, while Cray Valley (PM) went the other way, losing all but their final game against St. Albans City, with defeats against Welling United, Billericay Town, Wingate & Finchley and Chichester City.

The Millers, who were led by former Sutton player Steve McKimm until his resignation last month, sit a point away from safety, now under Kevin Lisbie, and head into the final few games aiming to leapfrog Hashtag United following their decision to voluntary suffer relegation, as well as overtake Welling to jump out of the bottom four.

In addition, Tito Salaam missed Hastings United’s defeats to Beckenham Town, Margate and Sevenoaks Town, as well as their 1-0 win over VCD United, with concussion.