Sutton v Newport preview and information

29 July 2022

After nearly a month of pre-season friendlies, Sutton kick off an EFL season for the second time on Saturday when Newport County are the visitors to the VBS Community Stadium for the rarity of a League game played in July.

Newport were last at the stadium towards the end of last season when Rob Milsom's penalty divided the sides, a game that came in the middle of a poor run at the end of the season which cost Newport their play-off chance. They picked up just two wins in their last eight games, ironically away to two sides who did make the play-offs in Swindon and Port Vale, and finished 11th, seven points behind U's and eight short of the play-offs.

Two of last season's most influential performers for Newport will not feature for them, with League Two top scorer Dom Telford joining Crawley and midfielder Finn Azaz returning to Aston Villa after his loan spell, but experienced striker Omar Bogle is one of eight summer additions to the squad that will visit Sutton tomorrow. Defenders James Clarke and Priestly Farquharson will both miss the game through injury.

U's win in April meant that honours were shared last season from two tight games, Newport coming from 2-0 down at home to win 3-2 with a stoppage time penalty, and they will be relieved that David Ajiboye, who scored both U's goals in Wales, the first voted our Goal of the Season, and won the penalty at Sutton, will not be in the line-up having joined Peterborough. Manager Matt Gray will check on a couple of minor knocks from the Bromley game before finalising his line-up.

Referee Sam Purkiss is a familiar face to U's supporters, having taken charge of several National League and National League South games and he is now in his fourth season on the EFL list. His last Sutton game was the Papa Johns Trophy tie at home to Stevenage.

Sutton supporters are reminded that this season there will be a £2 supplement on tickets sold in person at the ticket office on the day of the game. This does not apply to any tickets bought on line, even on the day of the game, and you can buy a ticket on line here. On line prices are £20 for adults, £14 for concessions and £6 for juniors, with stand seats costing £5 more. The new Sutton fan zone will be open from 12 noon in the car park, with draught beer, lager and cider, and good food in a convivial atmosphere in the build-up to the 3pm kick off. There is a similar facility for Newport supporters which is situated in the concourse behind the visitors' terrace and which will open at 1.30pm.

Although there is a rail strike in parts of the country on Saturday it is not scheduled to affect Thameslink or Southern services, so trains through West Sutton and Sutton should run as normal.

If you can't get to the game you can follow an audio commentary on our i-Follow system, price £2.50 for the match although you can buy a monthly pass at £4.49 or a season pass for £45 for the best value. Overseas supporters (outside the UK and Republic of Ireland) can watch a live stream for £10, with a season pass currently on offer at an early bird price of £140 until the end of August. Click here to buy a pass.

You can also order a programme on line here, for £3 plus postage, or take out a subscription for the whole season to cover programmes for all home EFL, FA Cup, EFL Cup and Papa Johns Trophy games, plus the programme that covered our three home friendlies, for £65 plus postage here.

Match Previews

Match Reports

Match report for Sutton United 1 Newport County 1

30 July 2022

Sutton United 1 (Bugiel 24), Newport County 1 (Bogle 38)

Sutton started the EFL campaign with a hard fought draw at home to Newport which was just about a fair result for a game in which both sides had their moments but neither did quite enough to deserve maximum points. U's will feel satisfied with the point after having to make two changes in a first half which saw both physios called on regularly, the tone set after just ten seconds when Louis John needed treatment for a head injury after a clash with Omar Bogle, and eight minutes of stoppage time at the end.

U's outfield line-up consisted entirely of players that were with the club last season, and the first chance went to U's when Will Randall was tripped just outside the penalty area and Rob Milsom's powerful free kick as beaten away by Nick Townsend in the Newport goal. As the half continued in stop-start fashion Cameron Norman was booked for a challenge on goalkeeper Jack Rose as a cross came in from the left, with Ben Goodliffe also shown a yellow card for his reaction.

Donovan Wilson broke behind the defence to collect a Joe Kizzi pass but when he sent his cross in there was no Sutton player far enough forward to get a touch, and Enzio Boldewijn cut in from the right but slipped in shooting and sliced the ball wide. The breakthrough did come in the 24th minute, though, when good work by Ali Smith and Milsom allowed Randall to leave Declan Drysdale in his wake on the left before crossing for Wilson, whose thumping shot crashed down off the bar and Omar Bugiel skilfully volleyed in the rebound to score U's first goal of the season for the third year running.

Goodliffe's eventful half continued when he stretched to try and head clear a through ball but failed to prevent it reaching Bogle, John diving in with a superb challenge to divert the ball for a corner, and after requiring treatment Goodliffe was forced off six minutes later after a tussle with the dangerous Offrande Zanzala. Coby Rowe came on as U's defended a long throw, and for the only time in the game they failed to deal with Mickey Demetriou's missile which was headed in off the post by Bogle.

U's might have scored just before that, Bugiel's shot blocked after fine work by Boldewijn, but by half time there was another Sutton substitute on as Randall, so impressive in pre-season and in the first forty minutes here, picked up a dead leg and was replaced by Josh Neufville.

Bogle and Zanzala continued to keep U's defence fully occupied in the second half, Bogle shooting wide after a good run, and then pouncing as the ball ran loose from a challenge between John and Zanzala, but Rose produced a good stop and Aaron Wildig miscued the rebound wide.

At the otehr end Townsend was down to save from Wilson's crisply struck low snap shot, and Neufville came close to a debit goal when his header from Smith's cross clipped the top of the bar, but U's had to survive some anxious moments in the last five minutes, none more so than when Eastmond played the ball back to Rose from the halfway line and the keeper, convinced that there had been a deflection off Zanzala, eventually picked it up. Referee Sam Purkiss awarded the indirect free kick, but Matt Dolan was unable to beat U's wall, the ball deflecting wide for a corner. Substitute Robbie Willmott shot just over when U's failed to clear the corner, and after Rowe had picked up the afternoon's sixth and final booking for a foul on Zanzala, Rose dived to turn away Dolan's free kick and ensure the points were shared.

Sutton: J Rose, J Kizzi, R Milsom, C Eastmond, B Goodliffe(sub C Rowe 38), L John, E Boldewijn, A Smith, O Bugiel(sub H Beautyman 83) D Wilson(sub K Thomas 83, W Randall(sub J Neufville 45+3). Subs n/u B House, J Barden, K Kouassi. Booked: Goodliffe, Bugiel, Rowe

Newport: N Townsend, C Norman, D Drysdale, S Bowen (sub R Willmott 81), M Demetriou, S Bennett, A Wildig, M Dolan, O Bogle(sub L Collins 81), O Zanzala(sub C Zimba 90+5), W Evans. Subs n/u J Day, J Waite, Aaron Lewis, Adam Lewis. Booked: Norman, Bowen, Bennett

Referee: Sam Purkiss

Attendance: 3,169 (483 away)