Match Centre

A stoppage time equaliser from substitute Brandon Njoku rescued a point for Sutton in this crucial bottom of the table clash after it appeared that a mad two minutes early in the second half, which saw Charlie Bell sent off for a rash challenge and Lewis Walker head Braintree in front, would leave U’s in the relegation zone. Following the red card and the goal Sutton had struggled to turn an increasing amount of possession in to clear chances, but with the game entering the fourth additional minute Lewis Simper’s pass forward was cleverly allowed to run by Hayden Muller through to Jayden Harris on the edge of the penalty area, and his clever backheel set up Njoku, who had come on with ten minutes left, to fire high in to the top corner of the net. In a frenetic finish U’s might even have won as Njoku almost capitalised on a bad back pass only to slip on the rain sodden surface as he tried to go round the goalkeeper, and David Ogbonna’s shot was cleared off the line.

Sutton brought Charlie Bell and Kwaku Donkor in to the starting line-up, David Ogbonna and Kai Jennings dropping to the bench as U’s started with a back four, with Hayden Muller alongside Jake Taylor in front of them and Bell pushed up alongside Lewis Simper and Jermaine Francis.

The chances that did come in the first half fell to U’s as Jack Sims enjoyed a quiet half against his former club. The first opening came as U’s defence survived a heart in mouth moment, almost conceding possession inside their own penalty area, to launch a flowing move that ended with Donkor’s cross being diverted for a corner, and Edon Pruti met Simper’s corner with a powerful header (below) that was pushed away by Mason Terry.

The Braintree keeper also had to keep out low shots to his left from Bell and Besart Topallaj, pushing both away with his defenders reacting quickest to the rebound, while a Donkor cross flashed across goal with no Sutton player able to apply a crucial touch.

The game seemed to have turned decisively in Braintree’s favour in the first seven minutes of the second half as Bell, who had to that point more than justified his inclusion in the starting line-up and had just put Ashley Nadesan through to send a lob across the face of goal, launched himself in to a challenge on George Langston and was sent off by referee Aaron Jackson, with Simper and Braintree’s Chay Cooper booked following a scuffle in the aftermath, and within two minutes Walker glanced Jacob Pinnington’s cross in to the net. A similar move almost brought a second as Cooper crossed low and Sims made a close range save from Sahid Kamara.

A double substitution for U’s saw Harris and Ogbonna brought on for Nadesan and Donkor, leaving Sutton without a recognised striker on the pitch as Harris filled the central striker’s role, and although it sparked a spell of pressure and several corners there were few clear chances apart from when Simper’s low shot was well saved by Terry.

Indeed Braintree might have sewn things up when Sims kept out a 20-yard shot from Ben Drake and Zavier Massish-Edwards’ goalbound follow up effort was diverted wide by Junior Eccleston. The visitors squandered several other breakway opportunities by running offside or giving the ball away, and they were made to pay when Njoku’s fine finish brought U’s level. It set up a frantic end to the game, as  Njoku looked as though he might grab a winner until the slippery surface intervened, and then Ogbonna’s shot was cleared off the line in a goalmouth scramble with U’s appealing for a penalty as Simper went down under a challenge, but in the end the points were shared leaving U’s still above Braintree on goal difference.

Sutton: J Sims, K Donkor (sub D Ogbonna 64), B Topallaj, J Eccleston, E Pruti, H Muller, J Taylor(sub K Jennings 81), L Simper, C Bell, A Nadesan(sub J Harris 64), J Francis(sub B Njoku 81). Subs n/u D Rodari, D Eze, C Haigh. Booked: Simper, Pruti. Muller, Topallaj. Sent Off: Bell.

Braintree: M Terry, A Francis-Clarke, B Drake (sub G Babic 90+3), G Langston, E Thorpe, J Vennings, J Pinnington, T Harris(sub R Clampin 87) L Walker, S Kamara(sub Z Massiah-Edwards 73), C Cooper. Subs n/u E Omrore, J Akinde. Booked: Cooper, Drake

Referee: Aaron Jackson

Attendance: 1,819(69 away)

Photo Credit: Paul Loughlin