Match Report

Sutton’s first defeat of the season came in agonising fashion when, in time added on for an injury in stoppage time, a poor clearance by Dean Bouzanis allowed Notts County to launch one last attack and although U’s keeper almost redeemed himself by saving from Notts County substitute Jimmy Knowles, Kyle Wootton continued his fine start to the season by turning in the loose ball. It was tough on Sutton, who had struggled to find their most fluent form but had battled hard and defended well enough to reduce the visitors to aimless balls forward as the game went on, and when Wootton headed over from Jim O’Brien’s free kick the game seemed set to end goalless, only for the striker to have one last chance which he took.

Rob Milsom came back in to the starting line up in place of Kenny Davis in U’s only change from Saturday’s win at Weymouth, and in the first half U’s struggled to make any impression on a Notts County side, and might have been behind in the first couple of minutes as Dion Kelly-Evans’ low cross ran through to Jake Reeves, who should have done better than to send his shot high over the bar. The closest to a goal came when a corner fell to Enzio Boldewijn in the penalty area and his shot clipped the crossbar on its way over.

Apart from a scare when Bouzanis dropped a cross from the left and had to scramble to reach the loose ball before Wootton Sutton were otherwise fairly untroubled, although they struggled to create any attacking openings apart from one fine cross from David Ajiboye which was well cleared by Connell Rawlinson under pressure from Tobi Sho-Silva.

U’s looked more of a threat in the second half, and Ajiboye came close to turning the ball in after Sam Slocombe had failed to gather a cross under pressure from Sho-Silva, who also hooked a shot disappointingly across goal after being put in on the right and miscued a half chance when the ball fell to him around the penalty spot. Omar Bugiel replaced Isaac Olaofe and might have broken the deadlock when he was just unable to reach a cross from the left, while at the other end Alex Lacey headed over from a corner after Ben Wyatt’s superb challenge had prevented Boldewijn reaching a through ball.

Bouzanis made one good save from Wootton at his near post before Craig Dundas replaced Sho-Silva, moving to fifth place in the all time appearances list for Sutton on 553, and he was in the middle of a goalmouth scramble soon afterwards following a free kick when the ball finally ran through to Slocombe. However Craig Eastmond needed treatment following that incident, so when the last of the three minutes of additional time ended as Wootton headed O’Brien’s free kick over, rather than the full time whistle blowing when Bouzanis took the goal kick, play went on, and moments later, as Jon Barden played the ball back to him, U’s keeper, not for the first time in the evening, hit an underpowered clearance which was returned first time in to the path of Knowles. Bouzanis blocked his shot with his legs, but Wootton was on hand to force the ball past Eastmond on the line, and although Harry Beautyman sent the kick off flying towards the County net, Slocombe was alert enough to keep it out and make sure his side had the points.

Notts County: S Slocombe, R Brindley, D Kelly-Evans, J Reeves, A Lacey, C Rawlinson, R Rodrigues(sub C Roberts 70), M Doyle, K Wootton, J O’Brien, E Boldewijn(sub J Knowles 76). Subs n/u S Graham, D McCrory, L Pilling.

Referee: Matthew Russell