Match Report

Sutton came back from the long midweek trip to Halifax with a well-earned point, completing a fourth consecutive league game without conceding a goal. The better side in the first half, U’s might have been frustrated not to be in front at the break, and although Halifax proved more of a threat after half time, any saves Jack Sims had to make were of the routine variety and the game always looked likely to end goalless.

With Will Davies still suffering the effects of his facial injury against Ebbsfleet and Josh Coley also sidelined following the heavy, unpunished tackle he suffered near the end of the game on Saturday, Lewis Simper started a league game for the first time since October and Ryan Jackson his first since mid-September, while Ashley Nadesan returned after illness to replace Davies in attack. After just six minutes Nadesan could, and probably should, have given U’s the lead with what was probably their best chance of the game as Hayden Muller, like Tyler French restored to the starting line-up in defence, won a good tackle in the Halifax half, and Finley Barbrook found Nadesan, who created space for himself on the edge of the penalty area but pulled his shot wide.

The first period was played mainly in the Halifax half, but clear chances for U’s were few and far between, although goalkeeper Sam Johnson had to push away one shot from Simper and was fortunate that Adam Senior reached the rebound before Nadesan. A low Besart Topallaj cross was almost put in to his own net by Will Smith, but the goal that would have rounded off a good first 45 minutes proved elusive.

Apart from two dangerous crosses by Andrew Oluwabori and a shot from Angelo Cappello that went over the bar, Halifax had posed little threat during the first half, but Sutton had more defending to do after the break, and substitute Tom Pugh, whose replacement of Billy Waters had not been met with universal approval by the home crowd, went close with a diving header from a Cappello cross. Sims had to deal with shots from Senior and Jamie Cooke, both of which were straight at him, and Topallaj produced a fine block from Senior after Charlie Waller had cleared a cross to the edge of the penalty area, but the scoreline remained blank and, although previous games between the clubs at The Shay had produced decisive late goals on more than one occasion, there was no such drama this time.

Sutton: J Sims, R Jackson(sub J Sivi 74), C Waller, T French, H Muller, S Odelusi, J Wadham, L Simper (sub N Boateng 71), A Nadesan, F Barbrook, B Topallaj. Subs n/u C Okoli, H Ransom, D De Silva, E Vaz, S Roberts. Booked: Odelusi, Topallaj.

Halifax: S Johnson, J Cummings, J Jenkins(sub M Wright 71), W Smith, A Senior, J Evans, A Oluwabori, F Hoti, B Waters (sub T Pugh 53), J Cooke, A Cappello(sub R Galvin 78). Subs n/u N Ford, Z Emmerson, O Bray, A Adetoro. Booked: Evans, Wright.

Referee: James Bancroft

Attendance: 1,006(30 away)