Match Report

Goals at the start of each half saw Sutton United secure their first victory in the National League Cup, with Lewis Simper and Shaun Williams dealing the crucial blow on Tottenham Hotspur’s Academy.

Simper opened the scoring after just eight minutes when the ball fell to him just inside the box, calmly striking home to mark his return from injury with a goal, and a number of excellent saves from Steve Arnold kept Spurs at bay for the remainder of the first half with Damola Ajayi and Yusuf Akhmarich going closest.

Similarly to the first half, the U’s would breach the last line of Spurs’ defence early on, and it was Simper’s midfield partner this time who got on the scoresheet when some brilliant work from Nana Boateng preceded an inch-perfect ball towards Triallist Williams, who made no mistake from a few yards out, before Harry Ransom made the win safe at the death.

An visiting XI entirely made of academy players would continue to put the pressure on in the second half, but the hosts – who would feature plenty of academy players of their own in Vinnie Tume, Junior Eccleston, Joden Trickett and Liam Moore – held firm late on to see out a fourth win in a row.

Victory over Spurs sees the U’s get off the mark in the National League Cup, and will be looking to make it five wins on the bounce with another cup competition to play on Saturday, with Ebbsfleet United coming to town in the FA Trophy Third Round.

Repping the third kit for the first time this season, Steve Morison made a number of changes to the side which beat AFC Fylde on the weekend as he looked to keep his squad fresh whilst simultaneously keeping momentum going. Tume made his first senior start up front, while there were returns to the starting XI for Arnold, captain Chin Okoli, Ransom, Ryan Jackson, Simper, Boateng, Eduino Vaz, Charlie Waller and Dillon De Silva, along with former Millwall midfielder Williams trialling.

It was the U’s who came out the blocks quickest with Simper giving the hosts the lead inside the first ten minutes, with the midfielder calmly striking past Luca Gunter after the ball was deflected into his path.

Prior to the game, Morison had commented on how their opponents would be filled with technically gifted players, and this was on show early on when Ajayi broke down the right flank and played a low ball across towards Akhamrich, who struck a powerful effort down the throat of Arnold who did very well to hold it.

This would be followed by another excellent chance for the visitors, with Rio Kyerematen picking out Ajayi with a perfectly weighted ball, forcing Arnold into a stunning reaction save to keep it out.

The U’s would maintain control of large portions of proceedings, and went close to a second shortly before the break when Williams played a free kick into the middle, which Waller threw a leg at in an attempt to poke home before the offside flag went up.

Arnold would keep the score as it was going into the break when he produced a point blank save to deny Akhamrich’s header, moments before punching away a dangerous free kick in stoppage time, allowing the U’s to breathe as they went into the interval ahead.

The second half would mirror first, and saw the U’s double their advantage just seven minutes after the restart. Boateng showed some neat skill to superbly get beyond the Spurs defence before picking out Williams in the middle, who calmly tapped home on his first appearance for the club.

Chances would be few and far throughout the second half, with Tyrese Hall going closest for the visitors when he struck over from the edge of the box.

This would be followed by a couple of good chances for Vaz with 20 minutes to go, bending an effort towards goal that Gunter was equal to before sending a stinging volley into a Spurs defender minutes later.

In search for a route back into the game late on, Spurs continued to push with some neat combinations on the edge of the box being halted by Ransom and Okoli, before Alfie Dorrington struck an effort into the heavens.

And there was just enough time for another goal, with Ransom popping up at the back post in stoppage time to add a third for the U’s, and closing out proceedings with a comfortable victory being secured.

Sutton United: S Arnold; H Ransom, C Okoli, C Waller (sub H Muller 62); R Jackson (sub J Eccleston 62),S Williams (sub J Trickett 62), L Simper (sub S Odelusi 32), D De Silva; N Boateng, E Vaz; V Tume (sub L Moore 62). Subs n/u J Sivi, S Roberts. Booked Ransom.

Tottenham Hotspur: L Gunter; T Ashcroft (sub M McKnight 66), M King, D Cassanova (sub R Elliott-Parris 66), A Dorrington, R Kyerematen (sub O Irow 74), D Ajayi (sub W Andiyapan 85),M Robson, T Hall, C Olusesi (sub M Adewole 66), Y Akhamrich. Sub n/u A Maguire.

Referee: Stephen Parkinson

Attendance: 1,092