Sutton United Football Club are delighted to announce that Head Coach Chris Agutter has been nominated for the Enterprise National League Manager of the Month award for November, together with Lewis Simper, who has been nominated for the Player of the Month award.

The recognition for the U’s duo stems from an unbeaten month with Agutter guiding the club to four wins out of five in the league, with the only team to take points off Sutton being Morecambe, who saw all three stolen from the grasp after a dramatic comeback draw at the Mazuma Mobile Stadium.

Agutter’s men began November with a 2-1 win over Eastleigh in the league, before following it up with that aforementioned draw on the Lancashire Coast.

FC Halifax Town were the next victims at the VBS Community Stadium, who were also the first team since Agutter’s first game in charge to draw a blank against the U’s, with goals from Junior Eccleston and Brandon Njoku seeing Sutton pick up an impressive 2-0 success.

They then closed out the month with high-scoring wins over Truro City and Gateshead as Sutton at long last rose out the relegation places, while three points over the latter saw the U’s enter December with a 100% record at home during November, as well as moving to within 13 points off the play-offs, a remarkable feat given he took over with the club 22nd in the league and five points from safety.

In addition to their league form, Sutton also remained unbeaten in cup competition, defeating AFC Telford United in the Emirates FA Cup First Round to kick-start their successful month, as well as picking up their first win in the National League Cup this season with a 4-1 victory against Southampton, which saw Sutton end their campaign off the bottom of their group.

A key part of that success has also been the form of talisman Lewis Simper, who has been nominated alongside his boss for the Player of the Month award.

Simper scored four goals as his side rose out the relegation zone, including one in the National League Cup, but maintained a streak of outstanding displays at the heart of Sutton’s midfield.

After playing his part in the opening game against Telford, Simper got off the mark for November with a stunning second goal – the eventual winner at that – by driving into the Eastleigh half after a crunching Edon Pruti tackle to win back possession, before playing a neat one-two with Ashley Nadesan before curling a wonderful first-time shot into the bottom corner to extend Sutton’s advantage to two, after David Ogbonna’s opener earlier on the half.

He then made it two in two from the penalty spot at Morecambe, halving the deficit minutes before getting the crucial assist for Nadesan’s equaliser when he put a delightful cross on a plate for the former Gillingham man to head home, having come ever so close to scoring the leveller himself moments before.

The Sutton number eight continued his fine level of displays against Halifax and Truro, including another assist against the latter when he teed up Kai Jennings for his outstanding rocket into the top corner to extend Sutton’s lead, before returning to the scoresheet against Southampton with a low drive shot early on, paving the way for a 4-1 win over the Saints.

Simper then went on to finish the month with a Man of the Match performance against Gateshead, a display topped off by arguably the pick of his goals this season, arrowing a pinpoint, curling effort from outside the box past Tiernan Brooks to overturn the score and give Sutton the lead, before further goals from Jayden Harris and Jack Taylor made an impressive win over the Heed safe.

Beyond just his goals though, with Simper ranking top of the Sutton goalscoring charts with ten in all competitions, his driving runs through midfield, superb eye for a pass and wicked striking ability have all culminated in his reputation as hot property in the Sutton midfield, while his Player of the Month nomination displays some deserved recognition for the 23-year old.

Congratulations, both!

The Nominees:

Manager of the Month

  • Stuart Maynard – York City
  • Robbie Savage – Forest Green Rovers
  • Chris Agutter – Sutton United
  • Mark Hughes – Carlisle United

Player of the Month

  • Ollie Pearce – York City
  • Lewis Simper – Sutton United
  • Kyle McAllister – Forest Green Rovers
  • Chinwike Okoli – Woking