Match Centre

Sutton and Aldershot were unable to find a goal to warm a chilly Boxing Day crowd at the VBS, both sides having to make do with a point that left Aldershot still in the Enterprise National League relegation zone, three points behind 18th-placed U’s. It was a game that was generally low on quality, and having had the majority of the meaningful possession Aldershot will have been disappointed not to have called Jack Sims in to more action, the Sutton keeper only forced in to one save that was anything beyond routine. Indeed it was Sutton who came closest to breaking the deadlock as Lewis Simper hit the bar just before half time and Davide Rodari saw a header cleared off the line moments later.

Despite limping off at Solihull, Hayden Muller was fit enough to take his place in the U’s back line, with Jack Taylor returning for the suspended Edon Pruti and Jake Taylor returning to midfield, and taking the captain’s armband, following his one match ban.

The first half hour saw U’s struggling to hold possession for long enough to cause Aldershot any problems, and although Josh Barrett impressed for Aldershot in the early stages there was little end product, the attacking midfielder sending one shot straight at Sims and another giving the goalkeeper more concern but pushed to safety as it threatened to curl inside the far post. Aldershot’s accuracy in the final third was exemplified by Matt Penney, who twice put the ball over the terrace in to the recreation ground as he tried his luck from just outside the penalty area.

Sutton had come close to contributing to their own downfall again, a loose pass by Sims to Will Tizzard being intercepted by Charlie Warren, and Tizzard surviving loud penalty appeals as Warren went over under what seemed a risky challenge as the defender tried to recover. However, having been well below the levels of some recent performances, Sutton then enjoyed their best spell of the game in the fifteen minutes before half time, and after David Ogbonna showed some fine control to evade two challenges and set Jayden Harris away on the left, the resulting low cross was met on the run by Simper whose right-footed shot came down off the underside of the crossbar.

Play switched to the other end and more uncertain defending left James Henry in behind the defence on the left, but with Barrett waiting for a pass that would have left him with a tap in Henry put too much weight on the ball and it rolled harmlessly away for a goal kick. Before the break there was still time for Sutton to go close again, Kai Jennings doing well to hook back a cross on the by-line that was met by Rodari’s head, but not with enough power to beat Christy Grogan on the goal-line, and Harris’s follow up header was straight at goalkeeper Coniah Bryce-Clark.

The finish to the first half raised hopes of more excitement in the second but it failed to materialise, Aldershot still having the majority of possession as Sutton often struggled to clear their lines or hold the ball up when it did go forward, but there was even less for Sims to do in the second half than there had been in the first as the final pass often went astray or a Sutton defender averted the danger before it got close to goal. In the end, Sims’ most anxious moment was when he had to tip over an inswinging corner from Ryan Jones. At the other end Bryce-Clark had to field a long range shot from Eduino Vaz, a half time substitute for Omari Mrisho, but was otherwise equally unemployed for much of the half. In the dying moments a promising late move for Sutton broke down and Aldershot countered at pace with Ryan Hill bursting clear on the right, but Jack Taylor was able to chase back and dispossess the Aldershot skipper with a fine piece of defending to make sure his team’s clean sheet was preserved as the points were shared for the third successive league meeting between the sides.

Sutton: J Sims, O Mrishu(sub E Vaz H-T), Jack Taylor, H Muller, W Tizzard, Jake Taylor(sub C Bell 81), K Jennings, L Simper, D Rodari, J Harris(sub B Njoku 60), D Ogbonna. Subs n/u A Jones, D Urpens, G Vorster, D Aziaya. Booked: Muller

Aldershot: C Bruce-Clark, C Grogan, M Penney, C Grogan, W Nightingale, T Widdrington, R Hill, D Tetek, C Warren, J Barrett(sub R Jones 76), J Henry(sub C Hargreaves 57). Subs n/u K Thomas, K Rai, H Ghandour, W Armitage, P Nash. Booked: Hill, Grogan.

Referee: Wayne Cartmel

Attendance: 3,153(533 away)