A brace for Nadia Sabania wasn’t to be enough for Sutton United Women as AFC Wimbledon Women’s second-half comeback dumped the U’s out of the Capital Senior Cup.

The quarter-final derby saw Lucy Clark’s side make the short trip to Imperial Field, the home of the Don’s, who currently sit 11th in the Women’s National League Premier Division – two tiers above Sutton. However, it was the travelling side who created the first chance of the game, Emma Spear pouncing on a mistake at the back from Wimbledon, but the winger couldn’t quite capitalise on the opportunity, squaring it with no one to tap it in.

Despite this, Wimbledon was the team that saw most of the ball in the opening 20 minutes, dominating possession, and causing a lot of issues, and on the 30th minute, they were gifted a free header just outside the 6-yard box, but couldn’t convert, heading just wide.

Sutton then immediately struck back with a chance of their own. It started through Milly Cutler, whose flick put Spear through on goal but with only the goalkeeper to beat, Spear took one too many touches, which took her wide, narrowing her shooting angle to shoot, which gave the goalkeeper an easy save, pushing it wide for a corner.

It was from this that Sutton snatched the lead – Nadia Sabania’s looping header against her old club, which smacked against the post and went in.  Though it was nearly short-lived, as the dons went immediately down the other end, hitting the crossbar with another free header in the penalty area.

Then, with half time approaching, Sibani from outside the area, hit the cleanest, purest strike on the half volley, zinging it past the goalkeeper and onto the cross bar, satisfingly crashing down over the line to give the U’s a shock 2-0 lead heading into half time.

It was a lead the U’s thoroughly deserved, but 5 minutes into the second half, Wimbledon pegged a goal back through a cross, which somehow found its way onto the post and into the back of the net. It was this goal that lit a spark in the home side, as Buckingham was involved once again, feeding it through to Hincks, who took it around the goalkeeper and slotted it, coolly, into an empty net.

This brought the scores level and in a flash, the dons completed the turnaround, Hinks with her second of the games and a few moments later, three turned into four after a whipped ball in from the right found Taylor Bell, who volleyed it in, before four became five, this time from a corner.

However, Sutton didn’t let their heads drop and on the 72nd minute, substitute Eden Clark gave the U’S a glimpse of hope after her shot was spilled by the goalkeeper into her own net. Following this, Megan Taylor made a series of saves to keep the away side in it but Sutton just couldn’t get a foot in the game and this remained the same until the full-time whistle, as the dons progressed into the semi-final of the Capital Senior Cup.