Loan Watch: Nzuzi Scores In Carshalton Defeat

A whopping 15 Sutton players have continued to gain crucial minutes in their legs throughout the non-league pyramid, with a whole host of loanees from both the first team and academy in action during the opening month of 2026.

Eduino Vaz began life out on loan on the bench as Hampton & Richmond Borough prepared to face Dorking Wanderers. Having completed the move on the eve of their home clash with Marc White’s side, the Guinea Bissaun was introduced for the first time as a Beaver with an hour played, replacing player-assistant manager Max Kretzschmar, though he was unable to prevent Alan Dowson’s men from defeat, having come on with the score at 2-0.

He subsequently made his first start the following week, playing the first hour as they were defeated by Chesham United, before making way for Sutton teammate Nana Boateng with 12 minutes to go in a 1-1 draw with a Salisbury side that contained Mo Dabre, with three Sutton players involved in the clash at the Beveree Stadium, and followed it up by playing the full 90 minutes in Hampton’s stunning 1-0 win over league leaders Worthing.

As for Boateng, the former Millwall man joined Vaz in TW12 after missing out on Hemel Hempstead Town’s opening two games of the year, with his loan spell in Hertfordshire concluding shortly before his switch to Hampton. He was left out of Dowson’s side though in the opening couple of games, but finally made his debut when he replaced Vaz with a late throw of the dice as the trailing Beavers looked to rescue a point, something which came to fruition when Reece Grego-Cox headed home Sam Deadfield’s cross with three minutes left.

Moving down the divisions, Alex Woodyard made his debut for Folkestone Invicta with his first set of minutes since November, having last featured in Sutton’s 2-2 draw with Morecambe, while this was notably his first start since August, having last began a match in the U’s second game of the season against Solihull Moors.

Coming straight into the side, the midfielder was a part of the Seasiders’ side who swept past Wingate & Finchley, with Donell Thomas opening the scoring inside the first minute, before Jake Hutchinson doubled the lead before the game had even reached the tenth. It was soon three when ex-U Adam Lovett added his name to the scoresheet, before Montel McKenzie added a fourth before the half-hour mark, with Woodyard playing the opening 15 minutes of the second half before being replaced by Mikey Berry, and saw the Stripes see out a comfortable second half to extend their stay at the top of the Isthmian League Premier Division, as well as increasing their gap to 14 points after Brentford Town lost to Dulwich Hamlet.

Incivta then continued their impressive run of form by beating Welling United; Woodyard playing 77 minutes as goals from Donell Thomas and Liam Smith secured a crucial three points in their pursuit of the championship.

Kane Crichlow got off to a delayed start to 2026, with Chelmsford’s opening three games against Maidstone United, Slough Town and Farnborough all being postponed. The Clarets finally got the new year underway with the visit of Weston-super-Mare, with the Bermuda international playing an hour before being replaced by Ricky Holmes, before Lyle Taylor notched the winning penalty late on to kick-off the year with three points, more than two weeks into the month.

This was followed by another start for the midfielder against Horsham, who came close to doubling the Clarets’ narrow lead in the latter stages of the first half, before being replaced by Taylor with 22 minutes to go as Angelo Harrop aimed to restore their advantage, having been pegged back by Shamir Fenelon’s strike moments earlier.

This then led to a chaotic finale, with the Hornets briefly taking the lead themselves through James Hammond’s penalty with nine minutes remaining, but would be a moment that preceded unfortunate events for the hosts, who were soon condemned to the most dramatic defeat when Harry Barbrook – twin brother to former U’s loanee, Finley – levelled things up just five minutes after going behind, before James Odegah dealt the deadly blow shortly before stoppage time, and soon proved enough to seal the three points in Sussex.

The Bermudan followed it up by going close to an opener against Slough Town, slamming a shot into the box that brought cries for a handball, before being replaced at half time with the ten-men Clarets down 3-0; the Essex-side going on to fall to a 5-0 defeat at Arbour Park.

Dillon De Silva began the year on the bench for Dagenham & Redbridge, but was one of a triple change with 20 minutes to go as the Daggers fell to defeat against Hemel Hempstead Town, before coming on as a late change the following week against former club Wealdstone, who knocked De Silva’s side out of the Isuzu FA Trophy.

He was subsequently named in the starting XI as Dagenham took on Salisbury, being given the chance to face off against Sutton teammate Mo Dabre, and notably flashed a half volley wide of the goal midway through the first half. He went on to play 81 minutes before being replaced, with the ten men Daggers going to fall to a third defeat in a row when Nathan Odokonyero struck moments earlier, having being given a man advantage when Stan Leech was sent off shortly before half time.

The Sri Lanka international was later dropped to the bench against Dover Athletic, with Lee Bradbury’s side securing a narrow win to end their run of defeats, before missing out all together as they prepared to visit an Ebbsfleet United side that contains former U Josh Coley, with Josh Wright’s side going on to seal a narrow win over the Daggers.

This subsequently brought an end to his January, with a downpour of rain causing the Daggers’ clash with Farnborough to be postponed late on.

Speaking of Dabre, the Italian midfielder got off to a delayed start to the year, just as Crichlow did, with Salisbury’s clash with Hornchurch being postponed due to a frozen pitch. However, he subsequently extended his loan deal until the end of the season and marked his extension with a start against highflying Worthing, reuniting with former First Team Coach Jon Meeney at Woodside Park.

It was Dabre who had the Whites’ first chance of the half as he picked up the ball on his left foot before curling an effort towards the far corner, forcing Joshua Jeffries into a fingertip stop. He continued his fine form with an outstanding run that began deep in his own half as he chased an over-the-top pass, latching onto the ball before seeing his effort saved, and completed the full 90 minutes as Salisbury shocked the league leaders with a dramatic 5-4 win, with Josh Hedges scoring at the death after a thrilling contest.

Already becoming a firm fans’ favourite during his brief stay so far at The Raymond McEnhill Stadium, Dabre continued to make use of his more advanced position under Brian Dutton, going close to opening the scoring the following week against De Silva’s Dagenham & Redbridge when some tidy touches in and around the box led to a chance for the midfielder, who struck his shot agonisingly wide, before being replaced on the hour-mark.

The Italian then reunited with another couple of Sutton players, going toe to toe with Eduino Vaz’s and Nana Boateng’s Hampton & Richmond Borough, with the midfielder twice going close to scoring in each half before being replaced in stoppage time, with the Whites being held to a 1-1 draw thanks to a late strike from Reece Grego-Cox which cancelled out Josh Sommerton’s opener.

This was followed by a defeat to Dorking Wanderers, with Dabre going close to pulling a goal back moments into the second half, before being booked three minutes into stoppage time as they fell to a 3-0 loss.

Moving up north, Jaiden White was another player who suffered from the cold temperature with Hereford’s clash with Alfreton Town being postponed to cause yet another delayed start to 2026, before suffering the same fate ahead of their visit to Scarborough Athletic. The delay was then almost extended to three games, but despite a pitch inspection ahead of their clash with AFC Fylde, the pitch at Edgar Street was deemed fit for action, and allowed the on-loan Sutton man to begin the year with a start, playing 180 minutes in their Isuzu FA Trophy clash in which he came close to opening the scoring early on, producing a tricky run on the left flank before firing over the crossbar.

An end-to-end affair subsequently led to a four-goal thriller, with the Bulls coming from 2-0 down to draw level thanks to second half strikes from Lawson D’Ath and Lewis Hudson, and sent the tie to a penalty shootout in which White produced his final contribution in a white shirt, keeping his cool to successfully dink the penultimate spot-kick down the middle and keep Hereford in it, though this wasn’t enough to secure the victory as two misses saw Fylde go through to the next round. He has since returned to Sutton following the conclusion of his loan, along with Siju Odelusi following his spell at Dover Athletic, who is yet to feature this year due to injury.

As for the academy, a host of players have continued to gain experience out on loan throughout non-league.

George Vorster has returned to Burgess Hill Town on loan after spending the first half of the campaign at Leylands Park on a dual-registration deal, and saw him briefly rise into Sutton’s first team to make his senior league debut against Gateshead.

Initially taking his place on the bench in their first encounter of the year against Lewes, the young winger entered the action just before the hour mark, replacing Ben Pope, and instantly became a threat down the left with a dangerous combination of pace and creativity. He would quickly get the home crowd on their feet as he benefitted from some set piece madness to tap in the winner from only a yard out in the 80^th minute, and continued where he left off the following week with a crucial contribution in his first start following his return to Sussex.

After Hashtag United had taken the lead early on, Luke Gambin levelled the score soon after as Vorster skinned his full-back before playing a looping cross to be tapped in at the back post, but this was all the Hillians could muster as they gifted the Tags two more goals before the half was out, being unable to take advantage of their extra man after Jermaine Anderson had been sent off shortly after their opener, and was followed by a further three goals conceded in the second half to fall to a 5-1 defeat.

This was followed by a lacklustre second half from Gary Mansell’s and Jay Lovett’s side against Billericay Town, who, despite controlling the opening 45 minutes, fell to a 2-1 defeat at home to the Essex-based side. The game had looked more positive once Vorster was released in behind to the byline to play a fantastic cross for Max Fiddes to tap in after 14 minutes, with the former grabbing his third goal contribution in three games since his return to the club, but their work would be undone shortly before half time as Ben Pope dragged down Callum Watts to give away a needless penalty, which was cooly dispatched by Alfie Cerulli, and the tables turned in the second half as Billericay dominated the rest of the game before finding the winner through Cerulli’s second of the afternoon. Despite this, Vorster was rewarded for his display by being named Man of the Match, and was recognised again the following week with an outstanding performance against Dartford,

The winger stepped up and calmly converted a penalty in the 20^th minute to continue his run of fine form, before rising highest to get a flick on Kieran Rowe’s cross and restore his side’s advantage with his second goal of the day shortly before the hour-mark. This was then followed by a stellar defensive performance to help his side seal a narrow win, having previously conceded when Denzelle Olopade picked up the ball in space and lashed a 35-yard thunderbolt past Roco Rees in first half injury time, with Vorster again rewarded Man of the Match for his efforts.

The Hillians followed this up with an outstanding display against Hashtag United, with Vorster once again playing a crucial role on the flank. Despite going down after 15 minutes, the West Sussex-based side levelled just after the half-hour mark and went ahead soon after, with Vorster twisting and turning to skin his man and whip a perfect cross into the box for Kaan Bennett who bulleted a header into the side of the net.

He continued to play an important role as Burgess Hill went 6-2 up courtesy of braces from Glen Rea and Kieran Rowe, with the on-loan Sutton man being replaced with five minutes to go.

After their opening game of 2026 against Welling United was postponed, Liam Moore’s Cray Valley (Paper Mills) kicked off the year with a disappointing 5-0 defeat against St. Albans City, with Moore playing 71 minutes, before missing out on the Millers’ 3-0 defeat to Aveley and 3-3 draw with Cheshunt due to an LCL injury, with the midfielder set to be out for a couple of months.

Across Surrey, Mehmet Halim is also struggling with injury and will also miss two months with a shoulder tear, meaning he is yet to feature for Leatherhead in 2026.

A delayed start to the year, coming courtesy of two postponed clashes with Kingstonian and Raynes Park Vale, was followed by a historic day in Tanners history though as they turned their attention to FA Trophy action, hosting Horsham in their first ever Fourth Round appearance. Despite taking a 2-0 lead through first half goals from Nathan Hogan and Jordan Gallagher, Leatherhead were condemned to a 3-2 defeat at the hands of the National League South outfit, and were unable to bounce back with another postponed game against Moneyfields being followed by a thrilling 5-4 defeat against Binfield.

They soon returned to winning ways though with a 2-0 win over Harrow Borough, courtesy of first half strikes from Jacob Breckon and Cameron Black, before their clash with Egham Town was postponed due to a waterlogged pitch.

Down in the Isthmian League South East Division, Luke Ashburn has joined Merstham on loan, and began the year with a trip across the channel as the Moatsiders took on Jersey Bulls, losing 2-0 at Springfield before returning home to take on Faversham.

Making way for former U Ollie Kinda, Ashburn was an unused substitute at both Moatside and the subsequent away game at Ashford United, winning 2-1 in the latter after Ange Djadja scored a last minute goal to bounce back from defeat against the Lilywhites, before returning to action as a substitute in their 2-0 defeat to Herne Bay.

This was followed by a 5-0 defeat to Three Bridges, with Ashburn being replaced by Seanan Mckillop at half time.

Closer to home, Noah Nzuzi has spent the entirety of the campaign so far on loan at Carshalton Athletic and has continued to gain crucial experience with the Robins. The on-loan centre back got off to a fine start to the year when he headed his side in front against Chichester City, making amends for an earlier miss when he slotted home after a great passing move to notch his second goal of the season, but couldn’t a prevent a second half fightback from the the Lillywhites, who put two goals past former Sutton goalkeeper Matt Kerbey to secure a 2-1 win.

He subsequently missed their clash with highflying Folkestone Invicta, but returned to the side as they prepared to take on Cheshunt, with Nzuzi going close to an assist when his cross was headed goalward by Robins captain Tommy Bradford, forcing Aymen Azaze into a crucial stop. An end-t0-end affair soon ended with a point apiece at Colston Avenue with Bryan Ifeanyi’s brace being followed by a late equaliser from Josh Shonibare that sealed a 3-3 draw, before Nzuzi dropped to the bench as Carshalton fell to a 4-0 defeat against Chatham Town, though he returned to action as the Robins drew with Cray Wanderers the following week, with Nzuzi coming off the bench.

The defender then did so again against Whitehawk, replacing Mathias Bakare with 13 minutes to go as the Robins drew 2-2.

Moving down south, Tito Salaam begin his first temporary stint away from Sutton at Chris Agutter’s former club, Hastings United, making his debut from the start against VCD Athletic after their clash with Crowborough was postponed.

The U’s kicked off the year with a 3-0 win over the Vickers before falling to a 4-1 defeat against AFC Croydon Athletic, with Salaam completing 90 minutes in both, before playing the first half in their rearranged clash with Crowborough, making his home debut in a 2-1 defeat at The Pilot Field.

This was followed by a substitute appearance against AFC Whyteleafe, replacing Brad Barry four minutes before half time, and contributed to a solid defensive display as they were held to a goalless draw at home, before starting and playing the first half in a 5-1 defeat to Faversham Town, being replaced by Ezekiel Williams at half time with the U’s only trailing by a single goal.

Ned Hepburn has now made it 15 U’s to depart on loan after joining Grays Athletic less than two weeks ago. Sutton’s most recent temporary departure, embarking on his first professional loan, Hepburn made his debut from the start as the Gravelman fell to a 1-0 defeat to Stanway Rovers, George Okoyo’s shot being palmed back into the path of Okoyo, who put the ball back into the danger area and saw it somehow end up nestling in the far corner of the net. The on-loan Sutton man played 74 minutes before being replaced by Aron Gordon, being named on the bench as Grays prepared to take on Brantham Town.

The forward returned to action just after the hour-mark with his side 2-1 up, with goals from Manny Ogunrinde and Jordan Clark, either side of a Joshua Goodwin strike for the hosts, preceding Hepburn’s first professional goal. After Roan John Tucker produced a fine double save, keeping out shots from Guy Norton and Charlie Stimson, it was then left to the Blues’ youngest player to apply the final coup de grace, picking up the ball on the left, making ground, cutting into the penalty area and firing a shot across across the Branthan goalkeeper to put the game to bed.