Merstham 0 Sutton United 3 (Taylor 8, Olabiyi 20, McNally 77)

The youngsters who Sutton hope will be the stars of the future produced a highly impressive performance on Monday to knock Isthmian League Merstham out of the Surrey Senior Cup.

Fielding the majority of the side that had beaten Brentford in the EFL Youth Alliance on Saturday morning, U's dominated their more senior opponents and after going two up inside twenty minutes were rarely threatened, and could have added more goals before Jordan McNally put the seal on the game with just over ten minutes to go.

Showing that it's not just the first team that has injury issues, U's were forced in to a change before kick off when Kai Tanner suffered an ankle injury in the warm-up, but that didn't deter U's young side, who were quick and energetic from the start and Merstham, not having the best of seasons in the South Central Division of the Isthmian League, were soon under pressure. It took just eight minutes for U's to capitalise on the bright start as a free kick was cleared to the edge of the area and returned in to the roof of the net by a sweetly struck half volley from centre back Jack Taylor.

Twelve minutes later U's had doubled their lead as George Costello was scythed down near the left corner flag, and from the free kick Josh Nunes glanced the ball goalwards and Daniel Olabiyi provided the finishing touch, referee Shaun Farrer waving away Merstham appeals that he had used his hand.

Merstham only rarely looked as though they would get back in to the game before half time although Filip Chalupniczak was forced in to one good low save from Charlie Greenwood's low shot from outside the penalty area, and although they enjoyed a better spell early in the second half they spurned their best chance to reduce the arrears when Ore Bello headed over from close range.

As the game went on it was Sutton who were the stronger side, and Nunes was unlucky when his acrobatic overhead kick following a corner rebounded off the post. Nunes then set up Cameron Grant following another corner, but again the frame of the goal came to the home side's rescue as Grant's shot came back off the bar. U's weren't to be denied a third, though, and it was Olabiyi who was the provider, cutting in from the right and playing the ball across goal to give McNally a simple chance which was gleefully accepted.

Sutton: F Chalupniczak, R Charles-Cook, C Sullivan(sub C Morgan 81), O Khinda, J Nunes, J Taylor, J McNally, J Throp, G Costello(sub G Forster 81), D Olabiyi(sub L Traore 77) C Grant. Subs n/u S Morgan, O Williams. Booked: Sullivan, Grant, Traore.

Merstham: J Olds, P Williams, J Abubakari, L Barker Bateman(sub L Lewis 64), M Kamara(sub R Dacosta 73), A Sankoh, M Morris, C Greenwood, C Alexiou, D Duval(sub O Bello 64), A Diallo. Sub n/u C Sisarello.

Referee: Shaun Farrer

Attendance: 199