Sutton win with second half comeback

Hayden Froggatt scored twice as Sutton United came from behind to beat Lutterworth Athletic by three goals to one for the second time this season.

Trailing to a Luke Merrall goal at the break, Sutton scored two quick goals early in the second half to turn the match in their favour, before Hayden Froggatt made sure of the win with his second goal of the match, ten minutes from time.

Sutton made four changes from their win last time out, with starts for Harry Manton, Sam Jeeves, Oli Jeeves and Froggatt.

The Greens made a slow start to the match, and it was Athletic with the early chances as Luke Merrall tested Greg Lewis with a strong shot from the right, and a dangerous ball into the box from Bright Ankama had Lewis scrambling clear.

The hosts took advantage of Sutton’s lacklustre start with a goal in the 18th minute, when a corner kick was ricocheted around the penalty box before Merrall tucked the ball away from close range.

United did pick up the tempo as they started to press further forward, and they were awarded a penalty in the 24th minute when Sam Jeeves was brought down in the box. However, the Lutterworth goalkeeper, Kieran Culley, made a superb save, diving low to his left to deny Gildea from the spot.

Sutton came close to taking the lead soon after, when Harry Manton delivered a cross for Oli Jeeves to shoot from six yards, but Culley made another excellent save to divert the ball onto his crossbar before it was swept clear by Seb Sam.

Froggatt came close with a shot on the turn that Culley did well to stop, and at the other end, Lewis made a fantastic save to deny Kai Cunningham from the edge of the penalty box, after his shot took a deflection off the head of Tion Pearce.

Sutton turned the match around at the start of the second half with two goals in two minutes. The first came from a Sam Jeeves corner that was curled over to the back post, where Matt Bishop headed back across the face of the goal for Gildea to head in on the line.
Bishop was involved in the next goal when he saw the run of Gildea and delivered the perfect cross-field pass, and when Gildea’s shot was superbly saved by Culley, Froggatt was on hand to slot away the rebound from three yards.

United dominated possession and saw another chance fall to Gildea that he scooped over the cross bar and Froggatt was unlucky when his half volley struck the post.

However, Sutton didn’t have it all their own way as Lutterworth had their chances: Merrall cut inside from the right before his shot was deflected wide by one of his own players in front of goal; Ankama tried a shot from a tight angle on the left that Lewis tipped away; and Lewis Kouakou fired an effort narrowly wide of the far post, within a minute of taking to the field.

United did, however, make sure of the win with a beautifully worked goal in the 79th minute, when Josh Rudge did well to stay on his feet after a challenge at the edge of the penalty area, to then lay the ball off for Leyton Hines, who calmly set up Froggatt to find the net from six yards and take his tally to fourteen for the season.

Sutton do not have a game next Saturday; their next match is on Saturday 22nd March with a trip to Birstall United with a 3pm kick off.

Team: Lutterworth Athletic
1. Kieran Culley
2. Callum Pinto (c)
3. Seb Sam – 78’ Ryan Kahiroh
4. Joshua Baker
5. Alex Vineall
6. Ivan Tsipan – 75’ Lewis Kouakou
7. Bradley Coleman – 65’ Luke Curtlin
8. Abdul Bambah
9. Bright Ankama
10. Kai Cunningham
11. Luke Merrall

Management/Assistants:
Ben Steane, Scott Smith
Carl Nolan, George Spencer
Craig Jones, Louis Fisher

Team: Sutton United
1. Greg Lewis
2. Jonny Grigg – 55’ Zach Binns
3. Harry Manton – 55’ Abdul Touaiti
4. Matt Bishop
5. Tion Pearce
6. Sef Semlali – 55’ Harry Howard
7. Tom Massey
8. Sam Jeeves
9. Joe Gildea – 72’ Leyton Hines
10. Hayden Froggatt
11. Oli Jeeves – 78’ Josh Rudge

Management/Assistants:
Richard Heath
Liam Burke
Adam Watson

Match Officials: Luis James, Christopher Ward, Michael Evans