Match Report

Sutton scored twice in the first half to claim a first win of the pre-season campaign at Coles Lane. One of a number of triallists put U’s ahead in teh 12th minute, and Tobi Sho-Silva was off the mark in Sutton colours two minutes before half time, and rarely did U’s look likely to lose the advantage against their Isthmian League opponents.

The game was arranged as part of the deal that brought Coby Rowe to Sutton in January and it was his new team that grabbed the initiative as Sho-Silva glanced on Wayne Brown’s 12th minute corner for the triallist to nod home at the far post. Wearing the new away strip of jade green, U’s continued to threaten, with Dean Bouzanis twice setting up attacks with quick clearances downfield after collecting the ball, but although he had to make one smart early save he was rarely threatened by the home attack.

David Ajiboye, who had won the corner from which U’s scored, almost added a second goal with a deflected shot that came back off the foot of the post, and also saw a fierce shot turned away by the home goalkeeper, but U’s did double their lead before the break, another Brown dead-ball delivery, this time a free kick, headed across goal by Louis John and scrambled in by Sho-Silva.

The intention was that U’s line-up would change after an hour, but an injury to Kenny Davis saw Craig Eastmond appear at the interval before the remainder of the side changed as planned on the hour. The triallist replacement goalkeeper didn’t have the chance to impress that Eastbourne’s Charlie Walker’s free kick had given him on Tuesday, and it was still U’s who looked the likeliest to add to the score, Will Randall twice getting in to good positions but unable to find the necessary final pass. Harry Beautyman had a low free kick pushed away, but the best chance of a third goal came in stoppage time when Callum Kealy broke in to the penalty area on the right and his shot was pushed out by the keeper in to the path of a triallist striker, who was probably grateful for the anonymity as he put the ball over the gaping goal.

Sutton (first hour): D Bouzanis, J Barden, B Wyatt, Triallist, C Rowe, L John, D Ajiboye, K Davis(sub C Eastmond H-T), Triallist, T Sho-Silva, W Brown.

Last half hour: Triallist, Triallist (J Hoosang-Robinson 86), J Mason, C Dundas, Triallist, C Eastmond, Triallist, C Kealy, Triallist, H Beautyman, W Randall.