Sutton are now unbeaten in five games in the EFL Youth Alliance South after a win at home to Swindon, with both goals scored by Swindon players but Sutton fully deserving a victory that should have been assured before the second own goal of the game with fifteen minutes left finally gave U’s some breathing space.
Rashaad Drysdale was a threat on the right for Sutton early on, but having twice worked himself in to shooting positions he dragged one shot across the face of goal and sent the second in to the side netting. However when he again attacked on the right just before the half hour mark his low cross found Omolotani Bello, who drove the ball firmly back in to the six yard box where it cannoned in off a Swindon defender.
U’s came close to adding to their lead as Charlie Bell shot over the bar and Adam Reeves glanced a long Dan Urpens cross just wide, while Mehmet Halim was forced off at half time with a shoulder injury after having replaced James Fennelow fifteen minutes earlier.
The fragility of a single goal advantage was highlighted early in the second half when Swindon missed a golden chance to equalise, a low cross from the left being turned wide from inside the six yard box when it looked easier to score, and with Sutton still failing to kill the game off there was another scare when a shot from outside the penalty area went just past the post, but Sutton’s enterprising football yielded more chances, notably when Drysdale again burst through on the right but was dispossessed by the goalkeeper as he tried to go round him with Bello waiting for a pull back in front of an open goal. The second goal finally came with fifteen minutes left as Bello collected a long pass from the back and shrugged off a challenge from a defender, and although his shot was saved by the keeper a retreating defender was unable to avoid sending the rebound in to his own net.
Bello had another shot saved before the end, while in stoppage time Swindon almost grabbed a consolation goal when a low shot came back off the post, but Sutton saw out another impressive victory and now quickly revert to the National League Under 19 Alliance with a home game against Dagenham & Redbridge on Monday at the David Weir Centre, kick off 1.15pm.
Sutton: K Muca, B San Norton, A Reeves, C Bell, D Urpens, N Muwana, R Drysdale, B Sheargold, J Fennelow(sub M Halim 30)(sub M N’Zi H-T), O Bello, G Ketana. Subs n/u T Boon, J Jenkins, H Boateng-Asante.
