Sutton’s decision to field a strong side in the Surrey Senior Cup had the desired, and probably expected, result as U’s convincingly reached the semi finals of the competition against a Horley side who could have been forgiven for fearing the worst as they went two down inside twenty minutes, but who battled well until U’s finally overpowered them in the last quarter of the game.

Despite the starting line-up showing seven changes from Saturday’s game against Brackley, U’s team was still one that could be named for a National League game, with Edon Pruti returning from injury as captain, and perhaps unsurprisingly Horley didn’t see a great deal of the ball in the early stages as Sutton knocked it around crisply on the rain-soaked surface, winning six corners in the first ten minutes. After Jermaine Francis and Davide Rodari had sent shots off target and Junior Eccleston had a header smothered the breakthrough came when a neat move on the left ended with Charlie Bell’s cut back being volleyed smartly in by Rodari. Three minutes later the attack was again down the left, this time Besart Topallaj breaking clear and firing in a low cross that evaded Rodari but was rattled in at the far post by Kwaku Donkor for his first Sutton goal. An almost identical situation five minutes later saw Topallaj again cross low, but this time Francis was unable to keep his shot down.

U’s weren’t able to maintain their early domination, although their first moment of danger just before the half hour mark was self inflicted, Jayden Harris on his heels to receive a pass out from Edon Pruti and Topallaj having to bring Lewis Pearch down on the edge of the penalty area to halt the attack. Chris Haigh passed his first test in Sutton colours with a good save from Aaron Moody’s free kick, and the rest of the half was relatively uneventful until an off the ball clash between Francis and Ben Dyson led to a brief outburst of hostilities between both teams, Francis and Dyson cautioned and Harris following them in to the book seconds later for a foul on the Horley defender.

Horley had been forced in to a change just before half time with Coby Acquaye replaced by Arlie Desanges, while Chris Agutter made a triple substitution at the break which included Liam Vincent’s return after his injury lay-off, and he sent in an early cross which wasn’t attacked as it might have been as it flashed across goal, not the last time that would happen in the second half.  Dubem Eze also fired a shot across goal, and as U’s remained in the ascendancy Sammy Saward in the Horley goal denied another substitute, Brandon Njoku, with his legs and Rodari had a goal ruled out for offside. The third goal did come midway through the second half when the third half time substitute Will Tizzard strode forward from the back and put Njoku through to slot the ball past the advancing keeper.

It was now that the game ran away from Horley, and after Joe Bell had been booked for a foul on Eze just outside the penalty area the recent signing from Bolton curled in a delightful free kick to join Donkor in scoring his first Sutton goal. Saward blocked another Eze shot, Rodari miscuing the rebound wide, and Eze saw another low cross pass a yard in front of goal needing just a touch, but Rodari then headed in after Saward had blocked Njoku’s shot, Vincent creating the chance with a strong run on the left.

Rodari should have had a hat trick soon afterwards, mis-hitting a volley after being set up by George Vorster, and then had a low shot saved by Saward at the near post, but in the end he had to make do with a brace and the Player of the Match award as U’s eased to victory.

Sutton: C Haigh, K Donkor, B Topallaj (sub L Vincent H-T) J Eccleston (sub W Tizzard H-T), E Pruti, C Bell, K Jennings, D Eze, D Rodari, J Harris(sub G Vorster 63), J Francis (sub B Njoku H-T). Sub n/u D Aziaya. Booked: Francis, Harris

Horley: S Saward, B Dyson(sub J Marney 61), A Moody, W Colman(sub S Mercer 78), J Bell, J Carrington, L Pearch, W Kendall(sub G Craig 78), C Acquaye (sub A Desanges 39), C Gyeabour, L Trevatt. Sub n/u A Bogle. Booked: Dyson, Bell

Referee: Patrick Nixon

Attendance: 277