What always looked likely to be Sutton’s toughest pre-season friendly proved to be just that as Millwall, who narrowly missed out on the Championship play-offs last season, produced a pacy attacking performance. Despite the scoreline it wasn’t as messy as U’s fans might have feared when Macaulay Langstaff compiled a ten minute hat-trick in the first quarter of the game, as the remainder of the contest was an entertaining battle with chances at both ends, and Ashley Nadesan continued his hot run of pre-season form with two more goals to take his tally to seven.
Sutton didn’t help themselves with some of the goals that Millwall scored, but they could do little about the first when a lightning break down the left saw Aidomo Emakhu put Langstaff clear to shoot past the advancing Jack Sims. Four minutes later Langstaff doubled his tally with a smart finish on the turn from the corner of the six yard box after Jake Cooper, a threat at every set piece, had headed down a corner, and the former Notts County striker soon had his hat trick, Aaron Jones getting in to trouble in his own penalty area and leaving Langstaff with the easiest of chances to slot the ball past Sims.
Sutton’s response was immediate as Kane Crichlow dispossessed Wes Harding and sent Nadesan through to beat a defender and lift the ball over Steven Benda, and for the rest of the half it was an entertaining and even contest. Nadesan saw a shot deflected across goal after a neat passing movement, and when Liam Vincent’s resulting long throw was cleared to the edge of the penalty area Lewis Simper’s volley brought a fine save out of Benda. At the other end Sims denied Femi Azeez with his legs, the lively Emakhu shot just wide after a good run, and when Sims delivered a clearance straight to Billy Mitchell midway inside the Sutton half, the keeper redeemed himself with an unorthodox though impressive save with his legs as Mitchell returned the ball towards the vacant net.
Early in the second half Sutton were unlucky not to have another goal back when David Ogbonna’s fine run across the penalty area ended with a shot that came back off the post (above), but Millwall had soon restored their three goal advantage as Emakhu got the better of Will Tizzard and went through on the left to beat the advancing Sims. Sutton replied again on the hour, Nadesan scoring from close range after a long Vincent throw in had been flicked on, and both sides then made several substitutions for the last half hour. Two replacements were immediately involved, Millwall’s Ben Drake tripping Henry Sandat and earning the evening’s only booking, but Millwall cleared the resulting free kick and with twenty minutes to go had their fifth. Again U’s were complicit, Simper this time misdirecting a pass which was collected by Emakhu, but he still had plenty to do as he cut in from the left and sent a skidding low shot beyond Sims in to the far corner.
Sandat missed a golden chance to record his first Sutton goal, heading wide from a superb Vincent cross, but was then left trailing in Kamarl Grant’s wake as the defender stormed forward from the back before playing Josh Coburn through to round Sims and complete the scoring.
Sutton: J Sims, A Jones, L Vincent, W Tizzard(sub H Phipps 62), J Taylor(sub J Eccleston 80), E Pruti, D Ogbonna(sub J White 62), L Simper, K Crichlow(sub D De Silva 62), A Nadesan(sub H Sandat 62), A Woodyard(sub S Odelusi 76).
Millwall: S Benda, J Cooper(sub A Mayor 62), B Mitchell(sub R Lamptey H-T), F Azeez(sub C Neghli H-T), A Doughty(sub B Drake 62), M Langstaff(sub J Coburn 62), M Luongo, A Emakhu(sub J Howland 76), K Grant, R Bangura-Williams(sub A Matthews 62), W Harding.
Referee: Harrison Blair
Attendance: 1,860(785 away)
Photo Credit: Paul Loughlin
