Crewe v Sutton preview -ticket, travel and streaming information

14 August 2022

After picking up a first Sky Bet EFL League Two win of the season, Sutton hit the road this week with two new grounds for supporters to visit.

On Saturday it's a trip to Grimsby, promoted through the National League play-offs, but before that U's face a side who came in to League Two from the other direction at the end of last season, Crewe Alexandra having finished bottom of League One, eight points adrift of Doncaster in 23rd place. U's will be in all amber.

Alex Morris took over as manager from David Artell following relegation, and the first two games suggested that Crewe will be challenging for an immediate return, a 2-1 win at Rochdale followed by a convincing 3-0 home defeat of Harrogate, but the last week has seen fortunes at the other end of the scale, with a 4-0 Carabao Cup exit at Grimsby and a 3-0 reverse at Salford on Saturday in which Bassala Sambou was sent off, meaning that he will miss the first competitive meeting between the sides.

That defeat left Crewe in 7th place, but U's, who moved up to 12th with the 1-0 win against Barrow, would go above them with a victory at the Mornflake Stadium, previously known as Gresty Road, on Tuesday. U's will wait to see if Omar Bugiel has recovered from the knock that forced him off on Saturday, while Will Randall is close to a recall after being injured on the first day of the season.

Referee Thomas Parsons is in his first season as an EFL referee having been promoted in the summer - he has taken charge of several Sutton matches at National League level.

Supporters who can't make the trip to Crewe can still watch all the action, as midweek games are streamed live on iFollow. A match pass costs £10 and can be bought here, with Sutton United gaining the revenue from all passes sold through our iFollow service.

For those that are travelling, tickets prices are £25 for adults(age 17-64), £19 age 65+, £12 for age 12 to 16, £7.50 age 11 and under. Disabled tickets are price £19 with carer free of charge. Tickets are available on line through the tickets section of the Crewe website here, with Sutton supporters needing to purchase tickets in the North Stand. Admission is also available at the same prices on the night from the away ticket office behind the North Stand. There are more details for visiting supporters on the Crewe website here.

The Supporters' Coach leaves at 1.00pm, fare £35 return. Email johnparsons092@gmail.com or text 07989 261929 (please confirm your name) to reserve a seat.

Those driving should leave the M6 at Junction 16 and take the A500, then turning right at a roundabout on to the A5020. At the second roundabout take the second exit on to the A532 Weston Road. Parking for visiting supporters is in this road, in the street on the industrial estate on the right hand side. It's about a ten minute walk from the ground. To get to the ground carry on to the roundabout at the end, turn left to go past Crewe station, and then take the second left in to Gresty Road. There is a pay and display car park at the ground, price £3.50.

There are a number of trains from Euston to Crewe, with the ground just a five minute walk from the station, but Avanti West Coast have restricted ticket sales, and Avanti routes are also expensive, so the London North Western services at 15.46(arrive 17.53) or 16.46(arrive 19.01), while slower, may be easier and are considerably cheaper. The only return train after the game is an Avanti service at 22.01, arriving in Euston at 01.12 on Wednesday morning.

Match Previews

Match Reports

Match report for Crewe Alexandra 1 Sutton United 0

16 August 2022

Crewe Alexandra 1 (Baker-Richardson 12) Sutton United 0

Sutton endured a second frustrating away trip in Sky Bet League Two, returning empty handed from the Mornflake Stadium after a game in which U's started slowly and fell behind early on, but by the end the game was being played almost exclusively in the Crewe half and U's will wonder how at least one of the chances created wasn't converted to provide some reward.

With Omar Bugiel failing to recover from the injury that forced him off on Saturday, Kwame Thomas came in to the starting line-up, and it was U's who had the first clear chance when Enzio Boldewijn collected a cleared free kick and found Harry Beautyman in space on the left of the penalty area, but Beautyman sliced his shot wide.

Instead of being ahead, U's found themselves behind three minutes later when Dan Agyei, Crewe's best outfield player on the night, collected a crossfield pass from Conor Thomas and outpaced Jon Barden on the left before crossing low, and Courtney Baker-Richardson arrived to convert the cross with a powerful first time finish.

Sutton responded immediately as Donovan Wilson ran on to a Kwame Thomas header and Arthur Okonkwo was off his line quickly to save, and from the resulting corner Louis John headed just over. U's were then indebted to a fine block from Rob Milsom to deny Lachlan Brook following another low Agyei cross, U's temporarily a player short as John was down injured, but on the stroke of half time should have equalised when headers from Thomas and Josh Neufville again put Wilson through, but his attempted lob over Okonkwo lacked the required height and from the rebound Beautyman's shot clipped the top of the crossbar.

Sutton started the second half on the front foot and that would remain the pattern of the game as chances came but weren't taken. Apart from one cross-cum-shot from Agyei which Jack Rose had to tip over, U's keeper was restricted to fielding long range shots and it was Okonkwo who was by far the busier, enjoying a fine game as he stuck out a foot to divert John's close range effort wide following a Milsom free kick, and when the resulting corner saw John win a header on the edge of the penalty area and find Joe Kizzi in space, Okonkwo dived to his left to turn aside Kizzi's powerful volley.

Neufville was also denied by the keeper after cutting in from the left and shooting low, while referee Thomas Parsons turend away two penatly appeals, one when Wilson appeared to be pulled back by Conor Thomas as he tried to reach a ball at the near post, and then when substitute Kylian Kouassi felt he was pushed in the back, the referee adding insult to injury by penalising Kouassi for handball.

U's rang the changes in an effort to find the elusive equaliser, and one on the replacements, Luke Gambin, was denied a shooting opportunity on the edge of the penalty area by Tariq Uwakwe's foul for which the Crewe player was booked. Gambin's disappointing free kick hit the wall, but the ball rebounded to him and his cross was headed over by Kizzi as U's last chance went begging.

Crewe: A Okonkwo, K Mellor, B Sass-Davis, Z Williams, L Brook(sub K Leshabela 90+1), L Offord, T Uwakwe C Thomas, C Baker-Richardson, C Ainley(sub O Finney 89), D Agyei. Subs n/u T Booth, R Griffiths, C Finney, J Tabiner, C Evans. Booked: Uwakwe, Okonkwo

Sutton: J Rose, J Barden(sub A Smith 81) R Milsom, J Kizzi, C Eastmond, L John, E Boldewijn, D Wilson(sub T Fadahunsi 81), K Thomas(sub K Kouassi 63), H Beautyman, J Neufville (sub L Gambin 81). Subs n/u B House, C Dundas, M Ridley. Booked: Eastmond, Beautyman

Attendance: 3,452 (117 away)

Referee: Thomas Parsons