A goal by academy graduate Charlie Bell on his senior league debut, followed by a penalty save two minutes later from Jack Sims to deny former Sutton favourite Harry Beautyman, saw Sutton pick up their first point of September at the Laithwaite Community Stadium. Bell’s volley midway through the second half cancelled out Chin Okoli’s first half header and gave U’s a point that the second half performance fully deserved.

Bell, who had backed up some impressive academy performances with a solid showing against Brighton last week, took his place in central midfield, with Aaron Jones on the left of the midfield three and Junior Eccleston at right back in a 4-3-2-1 formation.

Woking included three former U’s in their starting line-up, with Okoli at centre back, Beautyman captaining the side from midfield and Aidan O’Brien in attack, and Beautyman and O’Brien almost combined to good effect after twenty minutes when Beautyman crossed from the right but O’Brien was unable to get sufficient contact on the cross to trouble Jack Sims. Okoli was then involved at the other end with a superb intervention to prevent Lewis Simper getting his shot in as Jones’s cross fell for him just outside the six yard box.

The former U’s contingent continued to feature as Beautyman saw a fierce volley deflected wide off Edon Pruti after Aaron Drewe had headed back a Tariq Hinds cross, and Jack Taylor then did well to prevent O’Brien getting a shot in as he chased a through ball, but from the resulting corner it was Okoli who gave Woking the lead, diving in at the far post to head in from Jack Turner’s left wing delivery.

As Woking finished the half strongly Drewe’s cross was headed over by Beautyman, but U’s did have an opportunity just before the break when Simper’s free kick was flapped away by Will Jaaskelainen, and as Jack Wadham challenged for the loose ball he went over under the goalkeeper’s challenge, but referee Lewis Sandoe penalised the U’s midfielder with a yellow card for simulation.

It was Wadham’s last involvement, as he was part of a double substitution at half time that saw Jayden Harris and Dillon De Silva brought on, and De Silva immediately caused Okoli his first moment of concern all evening, winning a free kick which came to nothing, while Harris tried his luck from distance but Jaaskelainen saved comfortably.

At the other end Josh Kelly’s flick from a Hinds cross was deflected in to the side netting by Liam Vincent, and Turner’s shot was diverted by Beautyman, wrongfooting Sims but going wide. U’s response was to bring on Brandon Njoku, replacing Eccleston, and within three minutes Bell had his moment, Nadesan’s cross deflecting to the young midfielder whose acrobatic volley found the net. However just two minutes later Bell’s evening threatened to turn sour as the referee adjudged him to have tripped Kelly in the penalty area, only for Sims to come to U’s rescue by diving to his right and turning away Beautyman’s spot kick.

Hinds flashed a shot just wide soon afterwards, and then an error by Vincent allowed Kelly through on the right but he shot wide of the far post. Kelly then made way for Josh Osude, whose first act was to draw a foul from De Silva that saw the Sutton player booked. Again the free kick came to nothing, as did all other efforts by both teams to find  a winner, which despite eight minutes of stoppage time, proved elusive.

Sutton: J Sims, J Eccleston (sub B Njoku 60) L Vincent(sub W Tizzard 77), J Taylor, E Pruti, C Bell (sub K Crichlow 85), D Ogbonna(sub D De Silva H-T), L Simper, J Wadham(sub J Harris H-T), A Nadesan, A Jones. Subs n/u D Aziaya, N Boutin. Booked: Wadham, De Silva, Taylor

Woking: W Jaaskelainen, A Drewe, C Richards, C Okoli, T Odusina, J Andrews (sub Tunji Akinola 75), H Beautyman, T Hinds, J Turner, A O’Brien(sub O Sanderson 81), J Kelly(sub J Osude 76). Subs n/u T Norcott, Timmy Akinola, J Forster-Caskey, M Ward

Referee: Lewis Sandoe

Attendance: 2,739(225 away)

Photo Credit: Paul Loughlin