A goal by Mehmet Halim fifteen minutes from time gave Sutton a narrow win at Greenwich University, moving U’s back in to the top six in the National League Football Academy South and keeping the pressure on the teams above, who have all played at least two games more.
Welling shaded the first half in a tight game, and went close to an early lead after seven minutes with a free kick that came back off the crossbar with Klevis Muca beaten. The better chances continued to fall to the home side, with Muca saving well at his near post after Adam Reeves had left a back pass short, and a close range header going over the bar from a left wing cross. Sutton’s best moment came when Halim turned on to a Dan Urpens throw but saw his shot blocked at the near post.
The second half saw Sutton in the ascendancy, and apart from one smart save low to his right after a poor clearance had been seized on, Muca had much less to do and it was at the other end that the chances came. Urpens clipped the top of the crossbar with a header from a corner, and Halim should have scored when he was put through by Charlie Bell’s pass, but although his shot beat the advancing keeper it went the wrong side of the post.
Halim wasn’t to be denied, though, and minutes later rounded off a fine move as Tito Salaam’s excellent pass released substitute Callum Lee on the right, and his low cross was turned in by Halim under pressure from a defender for what proved to be the only goal of the game as Sutton saw out the remaining fifteen minutes relatively comfortably.
Sutton: K Muca, D Urpens, G Katana, R Ruiz, T Salaam, A Reeves, O Bello, C Bell, M Halim(sub K McKenzie 78), J Keteku(sub C Lee H-T), R Drysdale(sub B Sheargold H-T). Subs n/u J Oberotimi, L Ginger.
The Division F side failed to build on a second minute goal by Josh Jenkins away to Woking, and went down to a 2-1 defeat, the equaliser coming late in the first half and the winner at the start of the second.
The academy team finish their 2025 schedule on Saturday morning at home to Gillingham in the EFL Youth Alliance, at the David Weir Centre. Kick off is a bit earlier than usual at 10.30am.
