Get the lowdown on today’s opponents: Wycombe Wanderers.

The Opposition

Wycombe Wanderers will be itching to return to the Championship since being relegated from their as yet solitary campaign in England’s second tier, having last competed above League One back in 2020/21.

A fourth successive place in the top half saw them come close last term, securing a play-off spot with a fifth place finish despite the mid-season departure of manager Matt Bloomfield to struggling Luton Town, who was almost made to rue his decision after being unable to save the Hatters from back-to-back relegations.

However, Bloomfield’s old side were unable to bounce above his new side, with two-time Luton predecessor Nathan Jones pipping the Buckinghamshire-based side to promotion with Charlton Athletic after victory in the League One Play-Off Semi-Final, before going on to win at Wembley against fellow finalists Leyton Orient.

Wycombe had struggled for momentum heading into the play-offs with three defeats from their final three games in the regular league season, with a tough run-in against three of the top six in Charlton, Orient and Stockport County, and were overcome by a solitary Matt Godden goal in the second leg, being seen off on the road after a goalless first leg at Adams Park.

The Chairboys, now led by Mike Dodds, will be looking to enjoy a strong pre-season as they look to challenge at the top end of the third tier once more.

The Manager

Mike Dodds

Former Sunderland caretaker boss Mike Dodds replaced Matt Bloomfield in the Adams Park dugout after the latter made the surprising decision to join perennial strugglers Luton Town, and was tasked with cementing the Chairboys spot in the League One promotion places.

Hailing from the Midlands, Dodds joined Coventry City as a youth coach at the age of 18 after acquiring his UEFA B License whilst still at college, and later joined Birmingham City’s academy in a coaching capacity, making the step up to academy manager at Birmingham a little over a decade later. During Dodds’ time at Birmingham, he was credited with having a positive impact on the development of Birmingham academy graduates Nathan Redmond, Demarai Gray and notably current Real Madrid star Jude Bellingham.

The 39-year old opted to depart St. Andrews in 2021 to join Sunderland AFC as Head of Individual Player Development, before taking on interim coaching roles following the dismissals of Lee Johnson, Tony Mowbray and Michael Beale.

Dodds soon got his chance in permanent first team management after four years in the North-East, being named manager at Wycombe in February 2025, and took on the role with the Chairboys sat second in League One.

Despite being brought in to seal their spot in the promotion places, the Chairboys dropped to fifth in the table come the end of the season, before seeing their promotion hopes ended after defeat to Charlton Athletic in the two-legged play-off semi-final.

One to Watch

Richard Kone

Richard Kone has found himself on an outstanding upward trajectory throughout his short career so far, and should he feature in pre-season against Sutton, will no doubt be able to put his quality on show for the first time this season.

Hailing from the Ivory Coast, Kone came to the United Kingdom in 2019 to play in the Homeless World Cup and soon began playing for Athletic Newham, then named Lopes Tavares. After scoring 20 goals in his maiden campaign, Kone notched an impressive 42 goals in 48 games including a division-high 31 in the Essex Senior League, and continued his fine form with another 40 the following season.

Kone was unsurprisingly offered trials by Premier League clubs, but remained at Newham to score a further 21 goals, and finally departed the ninth tier after five years as he jumped up six divisions.

A successful trial saw him make the permanent switch to Wycombe, and he instantly took to League One like a duck to water, carrying over his form for Newham with a goalscoring start to life in the third tier.

After an already impressive half-a-season with the Chairboys, the 21-year old began his first full season at Adams Park as Wycombe’s main man. He notably scored a nine-minute perfect hat-trick against Peterborough United and ended the season with 21 goals to his name in all competitions, with his league tally of 18 being bettered only by Jay Stansfield (Birmingham City) and Charlie Kelman (Leyton Orient).

Kone was also named as both League One’s Player of the Season and Young Player of the Season, and will no doubt be in high demand this summer after a stellar rise into the spotlight.

Last Time We Met

Sutton’s run in the Carabao Cup continued as Aiden O’Brien’s first half goal earned a battling win at Adams Park and put the U’s in the third-round draw with the likes of Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool.

After early chances for the visitors saw Gareth McCleary and Sam Vokes go close, it was Sutton who struck first in the 19th minute when Harry Smith’s flick on was helped on by Josh Coley to O’Brien, who slotted a shot past the advancing Max Stryjek for his first Sutton goal.

The League Two side continued to impress against their League One opponents, with Coley almost turning from provider to scorer after Smith and Omari Patrick both went close themselves, while the Chairboys showed their third tier quality with Freddie Potts forcing Jack Rose into a fine stop on the stroke of half time.

Rose was called into action again just after the break to deny Vokes while Potts almost scored for a second time, before Killian Phillips kept the pressure on with a tremendous volley.

Heading into the final stages, Vokes saw a shot cannon off the woodwork while David Wheeler flashed a header just wide, with Sutton able to hold firm and claim a second consecutive notable cup win at Adams Park.

Relive the victory here.

Played for Both

Craig Eastmond

Former club captain Craig Eastmond spent time on loan at Wycombe at the start of his career, before going on to enjoy an iconic spell at Gander Green Lane.

An Arsenal academy product, Eastmond gained experience on loan at Millwall and Colchester United either side of his stint at Adams Park, in which he was an ever-present in Gary Waddock’s team as he racked up 14 appearances to his name.

Following a permanent stint at Colchester and a brief spell at Yeovil Town, Eastmond made the move to Sutton ahead of the 2015/16 campaign, and sparked a memorable decade in South London.

He contributed to the National League South title-winning season in his debut campaign, winning the Club Player of the Year and Players’ Player of the Year awards, and after watching Jamie Collins lift that trophy, Eastmond had the honour of lifting the next one himself as he led the club to the National League title five years later, topping off the season with a second Club’s Player of the Year award.

The skipper went on to appear almost 100 times in League Two contributing to a stunning eighth place finish and a run to Wembley, where he scored in the EFL Trophy Final, being inducted into the club’s Hall of Fame in 2022 before departed the club two years later, exiting with more than 300 appearances to his name.

The 34-year old returned to the National League himself with a move to Wealdstone last summer, and after a year at Grosvenor Vale, reunited with Matt Gray at Eastbourne Borough last month.

Photo Credit: Wycombe Wanderers Football Club