Match Report

Omar Bugiel scored Sutton’s first National League (or equivalent) hat trick since September 1990 as U’s produced the best performance of the season and convincingly beat a Wrexham side who have taken just one point from four league visits to Sutton. Manager Matt Gray felt that it was as well as U’s had played in his time at the club, with his first appearance on the touchline coming at Halifax exactly a year ago, and few would have argued as some pacy, attacking football reaped the rewards it deserved, with Wrexham’s late consolation the only blemish on an afternoon that sent U’s supporters off to enjoy their Christmases in good cheer.

Given the ultimately fruitless exertions on Tuesday night at Dagenham, and the aftermath with the car accident involving Jamie Collins and Harry Beautyman on the way home from the game, U’s supporters may well have felt anxious going in to the game against a side looking for a third consecutive league win, but Jon Barden and Kenny Davis were able to return from illness and Craig Eastmond from injury, and on another day any of the three would have merited inclusion in the Man of the Match discussions, although the accolade ultimately went to the player whose swashbuckling performance produced the decisive goals.

The tone was set after just three minutes when Bugiel shrugged off a challenge in his own half and stormed down the left before finding David Ajiboye with a crossfield pass. Ajiboye’s first shot was blocked, but the ball sat up nicely for him to hit a searing volley which was well saved by Rob Lainton. The opener wasn’t long in coming, though, as a brilliantly improvised exchange between Bugiel and Tommy Wright, including backheels from both of them, ended with Wright’s shot being diverted in to the path of Bugiel, who swept a first time shot beyond Lainton as Wrexham looked for a possible offside.

The Wrexham keeper was responsible for keeping his side in the game over the next ten minutes, blocking another Ajiboye shot with his legs and then also using his legs to clear a close range effort from Eastmond as U’s continued to dominate, and Wrexham rarely had a chance to threaten the home goal. When they did, nine minutes before half time, it led to a stunning Sutton goal as a right wing cross was cleared to Davis and then Barden, who came forward from the edge of his own penalty area, found Bugiel and then continued his run to collect the return pass. When he reached the Wrexham penalty area he laid the ball inside and Bugiel took a touch before rounding off a superb move with a precise finish to Lainton’s right.

U’s felt they should have had a chance for an even bigger half time lead as Ajiboye saw his claims for a penalty turned down as he seemed to be sandwiched between Jennings and Kieran Kennedy, but even so they seemed comfortable for most of the second half and a double Wrexham substitution early in the second half failed to check U’s momentum. Just before the midway point of the half, after another marauding run by Bugel had been ended illegally, Barden’s free kick was headed out as far as Louis John, and when he went over under Kennedy’s challenge referee Scott Jackson answered U’s pleas in the affirmative. With regular penalty taker Collins missing there seemed just for a moment to be some uncertainty as to who would assume the responsibilty, but the crowd reaction as Bugiel stepped forward suggested that the popular decision had been reached, and the striker didn’t disappoint, driving the ball past Lainton to register U’s first hat trick at this level since Robin Seagroatt in the 9-0 victory at Gateshead, and the first in any league game since Dan Fitchett against St Albans in January 2016, although Tommy Wright did score a treble against Molesey in the Surrey Senior Cup two seasons ago.

On a booking after a heavy first half challenge, Bugiel was substituted soon afterwards to a fine ovation and U’s saw out the remainder of the game quite comfortably, with Kyel Reid flashing one centre across the face of goal and Ajiboye just failing to make sufficient contact with another left wing cross. In the last of the ninety minutes Jennings turned in Luke Summerfield’s low pass from close range to give the visiting supporters something to cheer, but it did little to change the mood in the ground as U;s supporters celebrated a fine win.

Wrexham: R Lainton, M Carrington, J Lawlor, S Pearson, K Kennedy, J Jennings; D Redmond (sub L Summerfield 58), L Young, P Rutherford; O Patrick(sub M Harris 67), B Grant(sub JJ Hooper 58). Subs n/u C Dibble, T Reid.

Referee: Scott Jackson