Sutton United 0 Aldershot Town 1 (Tolaj 23)
Sutton's pre-season campaign ended with a second consecutive defeat against National League opposition as LAurent Tolaj's goal midway through the first half was enough to give Aldershot victory. The visitors will feel they deserved the success, with Jack Rose making several good saves in the first half to prevent further damage for U's.
Omar Sowunmi returned to action after missing several games, lining up alongside academy graduate Jack Taylor in central defence, while there was a debut in Sutton colours for Omari Patrick, who showed several good moments on the left before being one of several changes just after the hour mark.
Another recent addition to the squad, Scott Kashket, might have scored for Sutton inside the first five minutes when he created good space inside the penalty area but sliced his shot wide, but it was Aldershot who had the better chances inside the first fifteen minutes as Rose saved well from Jack Barham with his legs, and Barham then smacked a shot against the post with Rose making a fine instinctive stop from Tolaj's rebound effort.
Rose then turned over a long range effort from Tolaj, but the striker wasn't to be denied and midway through the half he collected a pass on the left of the penalty area and whipped a shot across Rose inside the far post, and Rose had to make another good save when he tipped over a Barham header that was dipping under the crossbar. It wasn't all one way traffic, though, with Kashket dragging a shot just wide immediately after Aldershot's goal, and then denied by goalkeeper Jordi van Stappershoef from an acrobatic close range volley(above).
Barham continued to have chances after the break, screwing a shot wide from Tolaj's pass and then shooting high over the bar after cutting in from the left, but again there were chances at the other end, with Harry Smith heading just wide of the far post as Kashket tried to reach the ball. Multiple substitutions on both sides, with Craig Clay seeing shots blocked, but U's were unable to fashion the clear chance that would have produced an equaliser as Aldershot held on for the win.
Sutton: J Rose, J Kizzi (sub O Khinda 77), R Milsom, O Sowunmi (sub C N'Guessan 62), J Taylor, C Eastmond, (sub C Dundas 72), J Coley (sub H Kasimu 77), S Kashket (sub T Fadahunsi 62) H Smith(sub L Angol 77), H Beautyman, O Patrick(sub C Clay 62)