Sutton United showed resilience and belief to earn a dramatic draw against Forest Green Rovers, with a late equaliser from Jayden Harris capping off a hard-fought afternoon.
After Kyle McAllister had given Rovers a first half lead from the penalty spot, after Callum Tripp had hacked down Ricardo Rees, Sutton continued to show a superb level of work rate, heart and desire to stay in the game, aided by Rees’ red card midway through the opening 45 minutes.
And this led to substitute Harris coming on to score a crucial leveller, and end Sutton’s run of defeats against Robbie Savage’s side.
Reflecting on the game, captain Jake Taylor, who was named Man of the Match by match sponsors Telsa Media, felt the contest had plenty to offer and that the point was deserved against strong opposition.
“I think it was an exciting game,” he said. “There was obviously a lot to talk about within the game, but overall it was really good to come away with a point against a really good team who will cause a lot of teams problems this season. They’re up there for a reason.
“In the end, it was about keeping working really hard, persevering and sticking to what we’re good at. Jayden [Harris] popped up with a really important goal and it’s definitely something we can build on now.”
Head Coach Chris Agutter had spoken after the game about the heart and desire shown on the pitch, something that which Taylor said has been a strong theme inside the dressing room.
“The dressing room is really good,” he added. “There are a lot of boys in there who really want to do well. You could see today that the plan worked and we stuck at it.
“When we hit the crossbar, you start thinking whether it’s going to be your day, but hard work, perseverance and togetherness got us over the line. It’s an important point for us.”
The stand-in skipper then went on to say that at half-time and after the late equaliser, the message remained consistent.
“I think we were well in the game when it was 11 v 11,” he explained. “Playing against ten men can actually be difficult at times when you’re trying to break teams down, so the message was to keep switching the ball, wait for the right opportunities and get our creative players on the ball in good positions.
“Thankfully it came late, but it was a really good moment for us. It shows there’s real belief within the squad and we’re going to keep pushing forward.”
In regards to the red card, Taylor commented on it being a significant moment in the match, but Sutton still had work to do with a long way still to go in the game.
The point soon brought an end to Sutton’s recent losing run and could prove vital heading into the next match against Tamworth, with the former Eastleigh man being clear that there are no easy games in the division..
“A red card always changes the game,” he said. “You end up having more of the ball, but Forest Green still have some really exciting threats. They’re a really good team, but I think we nullified them as much as we could and also put our own stamp on the game, which was really important.”
“We’ve played some really good teams recently. Results haven’t quite gone our way, but there have been good performances in there and we’ve probably lost out on small moments.
“Today, that big moment came at the end with Jayden’s goal. It brings belief moving forward. We’re in a good place, the dressing room is brilliant and everyone enjoys coming in and working hard every day. It’s an enjoyable place to be and we’re looking forward to pushing on.”
“Every game in this league is tough,” he added. “You’ve got to earn the right to win football matches. It’s not easy, but we keep working hard every day in training and you get your rewards. This was a small reward today and we’re looking for more moving forward.”
