Match Centre

A goal by Mehmet Halim fifteen minutes from time gave Sutton a narrow win at Greenwich University, moving U’s back in to the top six in the National League Football Academy South and keeping the pressure on the teams above, who have all played at least two games more.

Welling shaded the first half in a tight game, and went close to an early lead after seven minutes with a free kick that came back off the crossbar with Klevis Muca beaten. The better chances continued to fall to the home side, with Muca saving well at his near post after Adam Reeves had left a back pass short, and a close range header going over the bar from a left wing cross. Sutton’s best moment came when Halim turned on to a Dan Urpens throw but saw his shot blocked at the near post.

The second half saw Sutton in the ascendancy, and apart from one smart save low to his right after a poor clearance had been seized on, Muca had much less to do and it was at the other end that the chances came. Urpens clipped the top of the crossbar with a header from a corner, and Halim should have scored when he was put through by Charlie Bell’s pass, but although his shot beat the advancing keeper it went the wrong side of the post.

Halim wasn’t to be denied, though, and minutes later rounded off a fine move as Tito Salaam’s excellent pass released substitute Callum Lee on the right, and his low cross was turned in by Halim under pressure from a defender for what proved to be the only goal of the game as Sutton saw out the remaining fifteen minutes relatively comfortably.

Sutton: K Muca, D Urpens, G Katana, R Ruiz, T Salaam, A Reeves, O Bello, C Bell, M Halim(sub K McKenzie 78), J Keteku(sub C Lee H-T), R Drysdale(sub B Sheargold H-T). Subs n/u J Oberotimi, L Ginger.

The academy team finish their 2025 schedule on Saturday morning at home to Gillingham in the EFL Youth Alliance, at the David Weir Centre. Kick off is a bit earlier than usual at 10.30am.

The Division F side failed to build on a second minute goal by Josh Jenkins away to Woking, and went down to a 2-1 defeat, their fourth successive league defeat.

It took just two minutes for Sutton to break the deadlock.  Jenkins, making his return from injury, was played through by Ezekiel Yohannes to toe poke the ball past Jack Roles into the bottom right hand corner to earn to his sixth goal in this competition. Minutes later the referee spotted Yohannes without the presence of shin pads and his name was taken. Woking started to find their rhythm as chances scattered Sutton’s goal. A ball into the box fell to Frankie Bushby who saw his effort smash against the bar, with Zak Rhioui’s half volley follow up sailing over. Woking registered their first shot on target as William Ledbury’s driving run through the midfield saw his effort easily caught by Sutton’s keeper Ethan Van Den Berg. Woking were getting closer as a ball over top was mis-controlled by Markvan Stojanowski, sending Timothy Francis through who did the hard work of taking it around the keeper although his effort whizzed across the goal line. Six minutes from half time Woking’s pressure paid off, Ledbury’s free kick was spilled by Van Den Berg, putting it on a plate for Joel Jennison- Leppa to tap home from close range.

Despite the interval, Woking’s momentum was not interrupted and two minutes after the restar, it was their turn to strike early, as a ball from Ledbury was headed at the back post by Francis finding the top left corner. It was a half which saw Sutton barely create anything for the likes of Jenkins to pounce on, with Sid Dack proclaiming that “we have lost our edge”. As for Woking, they very nearly added an assurance goal with both Ledbury and Bushby striking the bar within the final 25 minutes. Sutton’s u19’s are next back in action in Division F in January against a Chatham side who have the best defence and currently sit two points off the summit.

Sutton: E Van Den Berg,  H De Tavares( sub I Pepram 85), A Ammet, B San-Norton, M Stojanowski, T Boon. M Nzi. (sub T Gebremeskel 70),   E Yohannes, J Jenkins(sub A Nako 79), A Dillon, R Bull.  Subs n/u: K. Eyers