A frustrating afternoon in front of goal left Sutton having to settle for a point as some wayward finishing, and dogged Solihull defending, led to a blank scoreline. Sutton played some good attacking football, but despite carving out nine shooting opportunities only two of those were on target and neither seriously inconvenienced Solihull goalkeeper Laurie Walker, and ultimately it was a former U, Tyler French, who came closest to scoring for Sutton when his misdirected header was cleared off the line.
There was an unfamiliar name in the U’s squad, academy goalkeeper Klevis Muca on the bench due to an injury to David Aziaya while Jack Sims took his place back between the sticks, and Sims was grateful to his defence for two blocks early on, one from a French effort, following one of many long throws from Brad Nicholson, whose missiles from just about anywhere in the Sutton half caused as much of a threat as they had done at Boston in March.
Generally U’s defended them well, though, and for much of the first half the threat came at the other end. There was almost a spectacular first Sutton goal for Alex Woodyard, whose 25 yard piledriver just cleared the crossbar and hit the stanchion behind the goal after Kane Crichlow, Liam Vincent and Jayden Harris had all tried to work an opening, and a characteristic run and low shot from Lewis Simper was held by Walker. Liam Vincent also went close, perhaps unintentionally, when his cross from the left clattered against the outside of Walker’s post.
The second half followed a similar pattern, and after Nicholson’s long throws in the first half it was from a Vincent throw that U’s almost went in front, the ball being cleared back to the left wing-back, whose deep cross saw French lose his bearings and send a header goalwards. Walker managed to get a hand to it, and skipper Alex Whitmore completed the clearance from underneath the crossbar. Moments later the goalline clearance was at the other end as Whitmore met a left wing corner with a towering header, but Ashley Nadesan was well placed to head clear.
Sutton made changes to the forward line, with Crichlow and Harris replaced by Brandon Njoku and David Ogbonna, and they might have made a quick impact when Njoku broke through on the left but with Ogbonna in support he opted to cut in and go alone and shot just past the post. Njoku saw another shot saved by Walker, while Nadesan was denied by a fine block from Cameron Green after being found by a quick Aaron Jones free kick.
Simper volleyed wildly over from a left wing cross, being replaced by Jack Wadham soon afterwards, and it was Wadham who had possibly U’s best chance when another Vincent throw fell to him on the edge of the penalty area, but having scored the only goal of the corresponding fixture last season he was unable to repeat the act as he pulled his shot wide.
The decisive goal proved elusive, though, and Solihull, who had failed to test Sims, came away with what manager Matt Taylor described as a hard-earned point.
Sutton: J Sims; W Tizzard, H Phipps, E Pruti; A Jones, A Woodyard(sub S Odelusi 67), L Simper(sub J Wadham 79), L Vincent; J Harris(sub D Ogbonna 63), K Crichlow(sub B Njoku 66); A Nadesan. Subs n/u K Muca, J Taylor, J Eccleston. Booked: Phipps, Tizzard, Njoku.
Solihull: L Walker; T French, A Whitmore, B Nicholson; O Rutherford, O Tipton(sub J Osborne 85), J Clarke, B Worman, C Green; D Creaney(sub C Wilkinson 80), C McFarlane (sub B Stevenson 52). Subs n/u R Brown, S Bowen, K Ryley, S Whyte-Hall. Booked: Clarke, Tipton, Nicholson.
Referee: Aaron Farmer
Attendance: 1,939(105 away)
Photo Credit: Paul Loughlin
