For the second time in four days Sutton were knocked out of a cup competition by Chatham, but U’s patched up side gave another good account of themselves against an in form team one tier higher in the FA Women’s Pyramid, with nine of the players who had featured in Sunday’s FA Cup tie starting the game on Wednesday.

With Tess Allen and Beth Humphrey both ruled out having been injured in the first half on Sunday,  and joined on the casualty list by Emily Oliver and Amy Warren, Sutton were forced in to playing central midfielders Phoebe Langley and Hannah Baptiste at right back and centre back respectively, and when Kerisha Iton sent a shot high in to Megan Taylor’s net after just four minutes U’s could have been forgiven for expecting a long evening. However, despite playing in to a strong wind in the first half they defended superbly, Zoe Walters’ headed goal-line clearance from Amelia Woodgate the highlight, while when they did breach U’s back line Chatham’s final pass or shot was often wasteful.

Playing with the wind on their backs in the second half Sutton had more of the ball but were guilty of the same errors as Chatham had been in the first half and for all their possession U’s failed to trouble goalkeeper Abby Baravik, several times the ball bouncing around the penalty area but being cleared by the Chatham defence. In a second half of few chances it was Chatham who came closest to a goal when Taylor made an outstanding double save from Madison Woodgate and Lottie Sharp, but the early goal from Iton proved sufficient to see Chatham in to the semi finals of the Isthmian Women’s Cup.

Sutton: M Taylor, P Langley, M Heavingham-Ford, Z Walters, H Baptiste, M German , C Chase(sub S Chapman 73), G Williams(sub T Ciccardini 87), M Cutler(sub B Olumodeji 66), B Gilbert-Lawal(sub E Spear 87), E Clark(sub E Meehan 66). Booked: Langley

Chatham: A Boravik, C Hynes, E Perkins, E Jeffkins, C O’Shea, M Wright, K Iton(sub L Sharp 16), A Woodgate(sub J Auguste 60), L Jones, M Woodgate, J King. Subs n/u O Charles, S Sareen, S Wiffen.

Referee: Rosie Scott