Match Centre

A brilliant goal from substitute Dubem Eze with six minutes to go enabled Sutton to come away from the long trip to Gateshead with a hard earned point. After a bright start, Sutton were knocked back by an equally good goal from the home team’s Harry Chapman just before the half hour, and then by the loss of influential midfielder Jake Taylor to a hamstring injury in the closing stages of the first half, and for spells of the second half struggled to make much impact on the Gateshead defence. However the introduction of Eze, still to start a National League game for U’s, and David Ogbonna with just over a quarter of an hour to go gave them fresh attacking impetus, and Eze’s run and rasping low shot from the edge of the penalty area made sure their efforts were rewarded.

Sutton were without Besart Topallaj, on paternity leave, with Charlie Bell playing at left back and Lewis Simper recalled to the starting line up, and after Hayden Muller had been forced in to a fine early intervention to prevent Billy Chadwick’s low cross reaching Ash Boatswain, U’s were the better side for the first quarter of the game. Jayden Harris saw a shot from the edge of the penalty area tipped wide by goalkeeper Adam Desbois, and Kenton Richardson was fortunate to escape without a card of any colour when he hauled Jermaine Francis down as the pair contested a long pass over the top, referee Paul Marsden awarding just a free kick.

However against the run of play it was Gateshead who went in front when a Sutton move broke down and Keaton Ward advanced through the U’s half before playing the ball to his left for Chapman, who cut in and curled a right foot shot beyond Jack Sims in to the far corner of the net.

Sutton had the chance to level when Osman Foyo was put through on the left, but he delayed his shot long enough to allow Richardson to get back and prevent him getting a shot away. U’s then lost Taylor two minutes from the break, Dan Urpens (below) being rewarded for his consistency in the academy team with a league debut as substitute, albeit in an unfamiliar left back role as Bell moved in to midfield, but there was little sign of inexperience or nerves as he put in an assured performance for the rest of the game as well as giving Gateshead something to think about with his long throws.

The home side had a long throw expert of their own, Brad Nicholson having caused U’s problems playing for Boston and Solihull in the past, but it was nearly half time before he had the chance to threaten and U’s dealt well with the danger then and throughout the second half.

Sutton were unable to cause Gateshead any major problems in the early stages of the second half and Simper was booked for a heavy challenge which brought sufficient protests from the Gateshead bench for one of the coaching staff also to be booked, with Simper’s tenth yellow card of the season coming in the game after the cut off for a two match suspension. Sims made a good low save from Ward, and Boatswain had the ball in the net only to be ruled narrowly offside, while the only worry for Desbois was an inswinging corner from Kai Jennings which he needed to tip away from the far post. Eze and Ogbonna refreshed U’s attack with seventeen minutes left, and six minutes from time Eze had his moment as he collected the ball from Jennings following a quick free kick, ran from just inside the centre circle and fired a low shot from the corner of the penalty area that found the corner of the net.

Sutton did have an escape when Boatswain headed against the bar from a free kick, but for the second game in a row they might have grabbed maximum points deep in to stoppage time when, after an Urpens throw had been cleared for a corner, Edon Pruti met Jennings’ flag kick with a firm header straight in to the hands of Desbois.

Sutton: J Sims, K Donkor, C Bell, H Muller, E Pruti, J Taylor(sub D Urpens 43), K Jennings, L Simper(sub D Eze 73), O Foyo(sub D Ogbonna 73), J Harris(sub B Njoku 63), J Francis. Subs n/u D Rodari, A Reeves, C Haigh. Booked: Donkor, Simper.

Gateshead: A Desbois, B Radcliffe, L Storey, F John(sub J Home 87), K Richardson, B Nicholson, K Ward, S Bowen(sub J Anifowose 64), A Boatswain(sub E Moore 87), B Chadwick(sub L Amantchi 75), H Chapman(sub Z Gilsenan 64). Subs n/u D Ferguson, J Butterfield. Booked: Boatswain.

Referee: Paul Marsden

Attendance: 689(64 away)

Photo Credit: Paul Loughlin