Sutton v Forest Green preview

31 August 2023

Sutton will be looking to transfer Carabao Cup form to Sky Bet League Two on Saturday when Forest Green Rovers visit the VBS Community Stadium.

Tuesday's excellent win at League One Wycombe to earn a third round place for the first time came on the back of a run of four consecutive league defeats, but U's will hope that Tuesday's form can continue in to the game against the 2021-22 League Two champions who were relegated back from League One after just one season. The meetings two seasons ago included U's first ever EFL game, which Forest Green won 2-1 with a stoppage time winner, while the game at Sutton finished 1-1 with Kenny Davis scoring his only EFL goal.

Under the management of David Horseman, who took over in July having previously coached at Southampton, Bristol City and Watford, Forest Green have like Sutton won one of their five games so far, a 1-0 success at Harrogate, with a draw at AFC Wimbledon last Saturday maintaining their unbeaten away record, although they have lost all three home games against Newport, Swindon and Salford. A notable recent arrival at the New Lawn is Troy Deeney, the former Birmingham and Watford striker who was a colleague of David Horseman's at Vicarage Road, and he wasted no time in appearing on the scoresheet with the equaliser at Wimbledon.

Sutton have seen several players return from injury over the past week, but skipper Craig Eastmond and defender Sam Hart are still likely to be sidelined along with goalkeeper Steve Arnold, although his hip injury is not thought to be as bad as first feared.

Saturday's referee is Scott Simpson, in his first season as an EFL referee and making his first visit to Sutton, although he took charge of games at Maidenhead and Weymouth in U's National League championship season.

Tickets are still available to book on line here, priced £21 for adults, £15 for concessions (age 60+/full time students) and £7 for ages 12-18. Tickets for under 12s are free if bought in conjunction with an adult or concession ticket. Seat prices rise by £4 in all cases. Tickets will also be on sale on the day from the ticket kiosk, but prices for tickets bought in person on the day rise by £2, an increase that doesn't apply to on line purchases, even on Saturday. A programme can also be ordered on line to be delivered after the game by clicking here.

Supporters should note that due to the rail strike there are no trains through West Sutton on Saturday, and while trains are running from Victoria to Sutton and Epsom Downs, there are no trains south of Sutton to Epsom, and the last train to London after the game is at 17.51.

Supporters using their cars on Saturday are reminded that the ground, and the whole Borough of Sutton, is now in the London ULEZ zone. For further information click here.

The home fan zone opens at 12 noon, with chinese noodles on the food menu in addition to the usual selection of drinks. Sutton supporter Johnnie Lowery will also be in the fan zone from 12 noon with copies of his second book, 'Match Fit', a book inspired by a desire to raise awareness of mental health through football.

Match Fit.jpg

Tickets will be on sale at the ground for our forthcoming games at Swindon and Accrington. Click here for price details or to buy on line.

Supporters not able to get to the game can listen to a full audio commentary through our iFollow service, and overseas supporters can watch the game live. For the audio commentary in the UK, passes can be bought for £2.50, but monthly passes are available for £4.49 and season passes for £45, both excellent value. Overseas supporters can watch every game, with a match pass costing £10. Again, great value monthly and season passes are available. Click here for full details and to purchase a pass.

Match Previews

Match Reports

Match report for Sutton United 0 Forest Green Rovers 1

2 September 2023

Sutton United 0 Forest Green Rovers 1(Bunker 63)

Sutton were unable to translate Tuesday's Carabao Cup form in to league success as a goal by Harvey Bunker just after the hour condemned U's to a fifth consecutive league defeat and maintained Forest Green's unbeaten away record. It was disappointing for U's, who had gone in to the game in confident mood but failed to match Tuesday's performance and until the later stages of the game, when there were a few skirmishes in the Forest Green area, struggled to create chances while the visitors were thwarted on several occasions by several fine saves from Jack Rose.

U's made two changes from the side that won at Wycombe, Joe Kizzi and Harry Beautyman returning in place of Ryan Jackson and Christian N'Guessan, but it was Forest Green's recent recruit as player-coach Troy Deeney who was involved in the first noteworthy incident as he was booked in only the third minute for kicking the ball away after he had been penalised for a foul. A scrappy first half saw Rose called in to action as he beat away a shot from Matty Taylor, while U's best moment, when Omari Patrick's ferocious volley was tipped on to the bar by Luke Daniels, counted for nothing as Aiden O'Brien was flagged offside as he nodded the ball in to Patrick's path. O'Brien shot just wide after Harry Smith had flicked on a long clearance, and Craig Clay was off target from outside the penalty area, but it was Forest Green who finished the half strongly as a neat passing movement saw Charlie McCann skip away from Harry Beautyman's challenge and run through before firing in a low shot which was well saved by Rose, who also produced a good stop from Taylor's volley when McCann kept the attack going with a right wing cross.

Rose continued to be the busier goalkeeper in the second half, saving from Deeney after McCann had dispossessed Louis John, and while Sutton produced one fine move of quick passing Joe Kizzi was unable to hit the target from 25 yards after Josh Coley had laid the ball in to his path. Rose made another good save to deny Kyle McAllister, but he was eventually beaten when McAllister set up Bunker on the edge of the penalty area and he shot low in to the corner of the net.

Sutton rang the changes in an attempt to salvage a point, and Patrick's low shot was saved by Daniels, and substitute Scott Kashket and Kizzi both has shots blocked in goalmouth scrambles. When Daniels did have to react sharply, again it was academic as Lee Angol had attempted to turn Coley's cross in with his hand, picking up Sutton's only yellow card, and a frustrating afternoon for U's might have been worse had Matty Stevens not shot narrowly wide in stoppage time after cutting in from the left as Forest Green took advantage of Sutton pushing players forward.

Sutton: J Rose, J Kizzi, R Milsom, C Clay, B Goodliffe, L John, J Coley(sub O Sowunmi 90+2), A O'Brien(sub S Kashket 75), H Smith(sub L Angol 75), H Beautyman(sub C N'Guessan 75), O Patrick(sub D Mellor 85). Subs n/u D Bouzanis, R Jackson. Booked: Angol.

Forest Green: L Daniels, R Welch, D Barnard, H Bunker, R Inniss, J Robson, K McAllister, C McCann (sub D Johnson 89), T Deeney(sub T Jenks 76), M Taylor(sub M Stevens 76), N Holland (sub T Omotoye 42). Subs n/u J Searle, A Bendell, R Brown. Booked: Deeney, Bunker

Referee: Scott Simpson

Attendance: 2,546 (180 away)