Match Report

Sutton’s FA Trophy hopes ended late on a disappointing evening in East London as they went out to Dagenham after extra time. As on Saturday there wasn’t much between the sides, as on Saturday Dagenham led early in the second half only for U’s to come back and level through Harry Beautyman’s penalty, and as on Saturday U’s came within inches of winning the tie in the last seconds of the 90 minutes, Louis John’s header hitting the bar, but after Omar Bugiel, who made an impact after being introduced along with Tommy Wright on the hour, had edged U’s in front late in the first period of extra time, Dagenham scored twice in the first five minutes after the turn-round, Joan luque .

With Jon Barden and Kenny Davis unavailable through illness and Aaron Jarvis and Craig Eastmond injured, there was an unfamiliar look to U’s formation, if not the personnel, with a hectic christmas holiday schedule also playing a part in selection, so Craig Dundas and David Ajiboye joined forces up front, Rob Milsom was in midfield as Ben Wyatt returned at left back, and there was a start for Tom Bolarinwa at right back. Ajiboye had U’s best effort in the first half, cutting in from the left and forcing Harry Seaden in to a save at his near post, but otherwise wasn’t given a great deal to work with, U’s final pass often overhit, and it was Dagenham who came closest to a goal, Ben House shooting just wide early on and Ben Goodliffe producing a fine clearance to deny House what looked a certain goal from Will Wright’s cross.

After starting brightly, U’s had faded towards the interval and that trend continued in to the second half, with Dagenham seizing the initiative as a clearance was returned to Luque, who turned in from the left and sent a superb curling effort past Nik Tzanev. It wasn’t long before U’s abandoned the Dundas/Ajiboye forward partnership, Ajiboye moving back to the wing as Will Randall made way, and within two minutes Bugiel had been heavily involved in the equaliser, first pressurising Wright and Seaden in to a mix-up that conceded a throw-in, and then brought down by Kenny Clark as he collected Wyatt’s pass. Referee Carl Brook awarded the penalty and Harry Beautyman sent Seaden the wrong way from the spot.

It was Beautyman’s 200th appearance and he had a mixed night, booked previously for a foul and then forced off feeling his hamstring with twenty minutes to go, with Jamie Collins coming on in midfield, and U’s lost their momentum a little. Tzanev made a smart save as he stuck up a hand to turn over Toby Stevenson’s powerful shot, and Mitch Brundle had a 25-yard shot deflected just wide, but it was Sutton who almost snatched it when Collins headed back a deep corner and John’s header went over via the crossbar.

Nevertheless it was Sutton who gained the upper hand in the first period of extra time, and with three minutes to go before the interval Kyel Reid ended an incisive run with a low shot which Seaden could only push out, and Bugiel lifted the rebound over the fallen keeper, Ajiboye following in to make sure but the ball appearing to be already over the line.

Briefly it looked as though U’s were on their way to a second visit of the season to Meadow Lane, but no sooner had the teams turned round than the game had as well. James Dobson, who had come on at the beginning of extra time, collected a crossfield pass on the right after a Tom Bolarinwa clearance had been blocked, and crossed low for Luque to bundle in at the far post. Three minutes later another substitute, Bagasan Graham, burst through the middle before finding Luque on the left, and when his shot was pushed out by Tzanev Wyatt did brilliantly to block the first follow up but could do nothing to prevent Brundle sweeping home at the second time of asking.

With only goalkeeper Ben Dudzinzki left on the bench U’s couldn’t take advantage of being able to use a fourth substitute during extra time, and though they kept pushing for an equaliser it wouldn’t come as Dagenham claimed their place in the next round.

Dagenham & R: H Seaden, W Wright, T Stevenson(sub M Onariase 99), L Croll, K Clark, A McQueen, M Brundle, C Kandi (sub B Graham 74), J Quigley(sub J Dobson 91), B House(sub R Grant 74), J Luque. Subs n/u E Justham, W Wood. Booked: Stevenson, Brundle.

Referee: Carl Brook