Match Centre

With other teams at the bottom of the table picking up important victories Sutton and Brackley produced a result that did neither any great favours, but neither could claim to have done enough to grab all three points in a game that will not live long in the memory once the season is finished. Sutton emerged from a nightmare first twenty minutes with only one goal conceded, and that an equaliser after Ashley Nadesan had put U’s ahead from their first attack, and for the rest of the first half seemed the likelier side to go on and win, but after the break chances at both ends were scarce and a draw a suitable outcome.

U’s gave a debut to new signing Jermaine Francis, while Nadesan returned to the starting line-up for the first time in a league game since early November, Jayden Harris and Brandon Njoku dropping to the bench. It was soon clear that Brackley, who had seen their manager Gavin Cowan depart for Shrewsbury on Thursday, had done their homework on U’s preference for playing out from the back, and in the first five minutes Sutton conceded possession in a dangerous position on more than one occasion. Jack Sims made one smart save from an angled Danny Newton volley, but having struggled to get out of their own half U’s sprung forward in the 9th minute as this time a move that started with Will Tizzard in the Sutton half carried on in to the opponents’ half. Kai Jennings crossed from the right by-line and although Francis was unable to convert the chance himself at the far post, he recovered well to roll the ball back across goal and give Nadesan a tap in.

Sutton continued to play a high risk game in their own penalty area, and escaped when Byron Pendelton pounced on an errant pass and set up Ben Wodskou to thump a shot against the foot of the post. The fortune couldn’t last, though, and when an attempted pass from Sims presented the ball to Scott Pollock soon afterwards the Brackley player had the simplest of tasks to run through and shoot past the keeper.

To U’s credit they recovered from this self-inflicted blow and for the remainder of the first half were the better side. Visiting goalkeeper Cameron Gregory was tested by headers from Nadesan and Hayden Muller, and also denied the lively Nadesan with his feet after the striker capitalised on a good tackle by Lewis Simper to go through on the left and hit a shot that was going in at the near post until Gregory intervened.

There was an early scare for Sutton in the second half when a cross from the left was met beyond the far post by Matt Lowe, and Sims had to get down quickly at his near post to keep the header out, but apart from Newton having an effort ruled out for offside and sending another shot straight at Sims there was little from the opposition to trouble a U’s defence that caused itself fewer problems in the second half. Similarly at the other end Gregory had little to do, with substitute Harris and Lewis Simper both off target with shots from outside the penalty area. The best move involved two of the other substitutes as Davide Rodari made a fine run to receive Njoku’s through pass, but then pulled his shot wide of the far post, after which a lack of urgency from either side to go for the winner saw the game peter out to a draw.

Sutton: J Sims, J Eccleston, B Topallaj, W Tizzard(sub K Donkor 70), H Muller, J Taylor, K Jennings(sub B Njoku 75), L Simper, J Francis, A Nadesan(sub D Rodari 75), D Ogbonna(sub J Harris 53). Subs n/u E Pruti, C Bell, C Haigh. Booked: Simper, Topallaj, Harris.

Brackley: C Gregory, T Little, B Pendleton, S Byrne, K Morrison, M Nottingham, S Pollock(sub J Price 80), Z Brown, D Newton, B Wodskou(sub M Roberts 67), M Lowe. Subs n/u Z Lilly, Y Bamba, C Hall, R Haynes, A Worby. Booked: Nottingham, Pollock

Referee: Callum Jones

Attendance: 2,219(74 away)