Match Report

A goal by Will Randall nine minutes from time continued Sutton’s perfect start to the season after a fine performance from home goalkeeper Jack Bycroft had threatened to leave U’s frustrated. Bycroft, on loan at the Bob Lucas Stadium from Southampton, produced a string of saves to keep his side in the game, with Harry Beautyman left looking skywards twice after the keeper had denied him his 50th Sutton goal, but was finally beaten by Randall as U’s secured a deserved victory, Dean Bouzanis having as quiet an afternoon as his opponent’s was busy.

U’s made two changes from the side that had won the first two games, Isaac Olaofe returning to the starting line-up in place of the injured Omar Bugiel, while Kenny Davis started in place of Rob Milsom, but Jon Barden was fit to keep his place at right back and made a fine early intervention to prevent a cross from Alefe Santos from reaching Cameron Murray, but Sutton began to assert themselves and would have led at the interval but for Bycroft, whose best save was possibly his first as he kept out Beautyman’s powerful header from a free kick. Before half time the keeper did well to cut out a cross from David Ajiboye and held a low shot from the same player, and also tipped over a fierce Davis shot and keeping out a close range header from Tobi Sho-Silva.

Weymouth’s build up to the game had been disrupted by the need for four players to self-isolate under Covid regulations, but having started the half on the front foot they again found themselves indebted to their keeper, who tipped over Randall’s looping header and then, after Olaofe had dispossessed a home defender and raced in to the penalty area before being tackled, Bycroft managed to block Beautyman’s close range follow up.

U’s replaced Olaofe, whose pace had troubled the defence all afternoon, with Callum Kealy but were beginning to look as though they might have to settle for a point when the breakthrough finally came nine minutes from time. Bycroft was again involved, going down to push away Ajiboye’s low cross, but this time the ball ran out to Randall who drilled a well-controlled first time shot back past the helpless keeper to the corner of the net.

It was no more than U’s deserved, and although they had to see out over six minutes of stoppage time they managed to preserve their lead, the only scare coming right at the end when Bouzanis came a long way for a cross and didn’t gather it cleanly, but substitute Jack Hoey’s attempt to lift the ball back in to the net drifted over the bar.

Weymouth: J Bycroft, B Camp, O Harfield, J Wakefield, J Leslie-Smith, A Robinson, A Santos(sub J Hoey 71), T Whelan(sub J McCarthy 75), C Cooke, T Whelan, C Murray. Subs n/u G Benfield, M Anderson, H Burns. Booked: Harfield, Camp.

Referee: Scott Simpson.