As we reach the turn of the year and the midway point in the 2025/26 season, six senior Sutton players, along with two in the academy, continued to rack up minutes away on loan across the non-league pyramid.
Kane Crichlow got off to a goalscoring start to life back at Chelmsford City, having returned to Essex until the end of the season.
After notching an impressive 13 goals last term for the Clarets, the Bermuda international continued where he left off by keeping his cool and producing a composed finish to add a third goal against Enfield Town, having got on the end of an unselfish Lyle Taylor pass, and proved to be a key contribution as a brace from Taylor, either side of goals from Archie Tamplin and Crichlow, secured a comfortable 4-0 win over the Towners.
After coming back with a bang in his 76-minute spell on Boxing Day, the midfielder followed it up with a less successful outing to end 2025, facing off against Sutton teammate Dillon De Silva and Dagenham & Redbridge. Evidently a key part of Angelo Harrop’s plans, Crichlow made it two starts in a row before the turn of the year, but he was unable to prevent his side from falling to a disappointing 4-1 defeat at the hands of their rivals.
He notably had one key moment in the lead-up to the Clarets’ equaliser, picking up the ball before weaving in and out of the home defence and laying it to Jason Adigun, who dragged his effort wide, but was followed by the 23-year old making amends just a minute later to see Chelmsford enter half time on level terms. However, Dagenham restored their advantage midway through the second half and led to Crichlow before being replaced by Louie Kudiabor with ten minutes to go with a final roll of the dice in an attempt to salvage something from the game at 2-1 down, but it wasn’t to be as two stoppage time goals sealed the win for the Daggers.
Photo Credit: Chelmsford City Football Club
In the South-West, having confirmed his loan move to Salisbury on the eve of their clash with Farnborough, Mo Dabre made his debut for the Whites in a 1-0 defeat to the Yellows, playing 77 minutes on his maiden appearance for the club, and he followed this up with a 12-minute cameo in their 2-0 defeat to Bath City the following week.
The Italian midfielder then received a host of plaudits for his work rate and energy into the centre of the park on Boxing Day, adding a second start to his Salisbury tally as he played a crucial role in the Whites’ 3-1 win over AFC Totton, notably notching an assist for the opener. After Josh Sommerton was able to drive with the ball into the middle of the field, he chipped a pass over the top of the Totton defence and into the path of Dabre who kept the ball under his spell excellently, squaring the ball to Josh Hedges who tapped the ball home to draw first blood in the local derby. This proved to be the cherry on top of a Man of the Match-worthy display from the midfielder, winning plaudits from manager Brian Dutton who described him as the epitome of what they were looking for – hard work, effort and quality.
He then closed out the year with another start, playing 86 minutes as the Whites lost 1-0 to Weston-super-Mare.
Photo Credit: George Nash
Moving back East, after being named as an unused substitute in their 0-0 draw with Slough Town in the league, Dillon De Silva made his first competitive club appearance in over month when he came straight in to the team Dagenham & Redbridge team for their Isuzu FA Trophy win over Hanwell Town, playing 90 minutes as the Daggers secured their place in Round Four with a 1-0 win.
The Sri Lanka, who had spent time on loan at Tamworth prior to his switch to Victoria Riad, was selected from the start once more the following week, playing 87 minutes in a 2-2 draw with Tonbridge Angels in which he was booked towards the end of the first half, before starting again and playing 90 minutes in a dramatic 3-2 defeat to Hornchurch. Former U Henry Sandat notched his third goal in two games to give the highflying Urchens a 2-0 lead at the break, and despite drawing level with a minute to spare, six added minutes gave Hornchurch the opportunity to steal the win when former Dagger Josh Rees got the better of his old club with a 90+6th minute winner.
The East London side quickly bounced back though, and De Silva played a little under half-an-hour as Lee Bradbury’s side brushed past rivals Chelmsford City to close out the year. Going head-to-head with Sutton teammate Kane Crichlow, who played his second game for the Clarets since returning on loan, Stan Leech notched his third goal in as many games since signing from Newmarket Town before Harvey Broad added a second minutes before De Silva’s introduction, and was followed by stoppage goals from Dylan Stephenson and Broad to seal a 4-1 win, with the Sutton winger going close to making the win safe himself with an effort with five minutes to go.
Just as De Silva had done to kick-start what has so far been a far more fruitful loan spell compared to his previous one, Jaiden White was able to utilise the FA Trophy in order to get some crucial minutes in his legs, scoring the decisive penalty in the shootout following a 1-1 draw with Radcliffe.
Having played 17 minutes in the Bulls’ 2-0 win over Peterborough Sports, White was rewarded with a start as his side got all the way to penalties against Radcliffe, seeing a couple of attempts go amiss after they had gone behind early on, before a penalty at the start of the second half saw the Bulls draw level and send the game to penalties.
With three converted and one saved, the on-loan Sutton man stepped up with Hereford’s fifth and final spot-kick, making no mistake from 12 yards to send his side to the Fourth Round after Theo Richardson had saved a second Radcliffe penalty moments before, with the Bulls now set to face AFC Fylde.
White then followed this up with a second successive start, playing 69 minutes as they lost 4-1 to Chorley, and was followed by a late substitute appearance as they lost again against his old side, Kidderminster Harriers, on Boxing Day before ending 2025 in more positive circumstances.
The winger started and played 90 minutes as Hereford secured a dramatic draw against Merthyr Town, with Kyle Howkins notching a 90+4th minute leveller after going behind to a Martyrs side that contained former U Jay Williams, who had come off the bench with two minutes to go.
Photo Credit: Hereford Football Club
Back down South, Siju Odelusi added more starts into his legs as he continued a successful spell at Dover Athletic. The midfielder played 90 minutes as the Whites beat Chesham United in the National League South, with a single Luke Baptiste strike enough to secure all three points, and was also named as one of four nominees for the Man of the Match award following an impressive display in the centre of the park.
This was followed by a less successful start to their FA Trophy campaign, with Dover being eliminated at the first hurdle by league leaders Hornchurch, who breezed past Jake Leberl’s side after a 4-1 win which included a goal from former U Sandat, who produced a cracking drive from outside the box to put gloss on the scoreline with five minutes to go, though Odelusi got another important 90 minutes his legs in the process, and preceded 45 minutes in a 5-2 defeat against Eastbourne Borough; the on-loan Sutton midfielder being hooked halfway through with the score at 2-0 before being left out of the side in their Boxing Day defeat to Maidstone United.
Odelusi then started again in Dover’s final game of 2025, playing 79 minutes in a 2-1 defeat to Ebbsfleet United, facing off against former Sutton teammate Josh Coley in the process.
Photo Credit: Dover Athletic Football Club
Moving closer to the capital, Nana Boateng continued to enjoy a return to action for Hemel Hempstead Town, making it four appearances for the Tudors last month.
He started off by playing almost half-an-hour in a 4-0 defeat to highflying Hornchurch, and could have notched his first goal since Sutton’s 3-0 win over Manchester United in the National League Cup last term, if not for the offside flag, but nonetheless followed it up with an increased opportunity later in the week.
The forward replaced Finley Wilkinson after just half-an-hour against Salisbury due to injury and came close to scoring when he tested Will Buse midway through the second half, but couldn’t do enough to prevent Lee Allinson’s side from falling to defeat in the South-West.
However, Boateng was rewarded with his first start since last season’s National League Cup Final defeat against Leeds United, playing 68 minutes as the Tudors beat London Lions in the Herts Senior Cup, including contributing an assist for Mauro Vilhete’s opener, and the games continued to come thick and fast with another cameo appearance against Horsham in the FA Trophy, with the on-loan Sutton man playing seven minutes as Hemel lost 2-0.
He was then an unused substitute as they switched attention back to league action with a goalless draw against Maidenhead United, and was left out of the sides that lost to Chesham United on Boxing Day and beat Enfield Town in their final clash of the year.
Photo Credit: Jemma Sear // Hemel Hempstead Town Football Club
Down in the Academy, Liam Moore continued his return from injury with a start as Cray Valley (Paper Mills) fell to a 7-2 defeat to Queens Park Rangers in the London Senior Cup, before contributing to a 3-0 win over Chichester City as the Millers switched attention back to league action.
This was followed by a third successive start for the young midfielder, who notched two assists and a goal in a 4-1 win over Wingate & Finchley. Kicking things off with a pinpoint pass to set up Rowan Liburd’s opener, he followed this up by producing a precise corner that Cem Tumkaya headed home, before rounding things off by scoring the fourth and final goal at the death, slotting Ibby Akanbi’s cross from the right into the back of the net.
Moore was then involved again in more disappointing circumstances as the Millers fell to three defeats in a row despite battling performances on the south coast against Folkestone Invicta and Whitehawk, having the best chance of the first half, along with a couple more opportunities against the latter, before starting again as Steve McKimm’s side were condemned to a 5-0 loss against local rivals Cray Wanderers to finish off the year.
In more positive circumstances though, Mehmet Halim continued to write his name into the hearts of Leatherhead supporters with some blistering displays throughout December.
The former West Ham United man kicked off the month with the opener against Southall, burying home from close range after Cameron Black’s looping header bounced off the crossbar, though the Ealing-based side fought back from two down to draw level before the half was out. Halim was the man on everyone’s lips though, rescuing all three points with 15 minutes to go when Louie Paget raced down the right-hand side before seeing his cut-back deflect into Halim’s path, who smashed home his second to restore their advantage, and was followed by Kelvin Massango sealing the win with a fourth soon after.
Halim’s performance saw him named Man of the Match with over half of the vote, and he was subsequently rewarded with a call-up by his parent club for Sutton’s FA Trophy clash with Walton & Hersham, meaning he was unable to feature as Leatherhead beat Harrow Borough to make history in the same competition, reaching the Fourth Round for the first time.
He did however return to Tanners action in the Isthmian League Premier Division as they beat Bognor Regis Town 2-0, with the on-loan Sutton midfielder coming on at half time to go close to a third goal, before Nathan Hogan soon did notch what proved to be the winner with the Rocks scoring a late penalty to narrow the deficit to one goal.
It wasn’t long before Halim returned to the scoresheet though, scoring the opener in a 4-1 win away at Metropolitan Police with a beauty, as Kane Fitzgerald combined with Jacob Breckon to float the ball across to the midfielder who smashed home the opener on the volley. While the hosts did draw level on the stroke of half time, the Tanners soon put all three points beyond doubt with second half goals from Nathan Hogan (2) and Anas Igozouln sealing a comfortable triumph that sees Ian Selley’s men end 2025 at the top of the tree, with a four-point gap to second-placed Westfield in the Isthmian League South Central Division.
