14.01.25 Vs Leicester St. Andrews

Brace yourself

A Joe Delaney brace gave Sutton United the lead before Gregory Mills hit two late goals to give Leicester St Andrews a share of the points in an entertaining match at Coleshill Road Stadium.

Sutton showed strength in their squad with eight changes from Saturday’s cup match, including Aidan Jeynes back in goal and Matt Bishop now wearing the armband.

Sutton were unlucky not to take the lead in the 4th minute when Sam Jeeves picked out Joe Gildea from a short corner, and his shot from twelve yards bounced down off the crossbar and onto the goal line, before a Leicester player could head it clear.

Mills then came close for the visitors with a low shot from the edge of the penalty box which Bishop got a touch on to divert just wide of the post. And soon after, the Leicester number ten managed to get a shot off through a packed penalty box, as Jeynes did exceptionally well to react and save at the bottom corner of his net.

Sef Semlali had a strong game for Sutton, linking up the play from the middle of the pitch and threading some great passes through the lines. Hines came closest to a goal for Sutton with a shot from the edge of the penalty area that whizzed narrowly wide of the bottom corner, before the in-form striker picked up an injury and had to be replaced towards the end of the first half.

Harry Howard was also having a great game for Sutton and his dummy in the build-up to Sutton’s opening goal was very clever, allowing Tom Massey through to drive towards the penalty area before squaring the ball for Delaney, who then found the bottom corner of the net with a clinical finish.

Sutton came out positively in the second half, and it wasn’t long before Howard had a shot from the left deflected over the crossbar, off the head of a Leicester defender.

Then in the 51st minute, Sutton hit Leicester on the counterattack, as Harry Manton released Delaney who sprinted from inside his own half, beating two Leicester players into the penalty box, before unleashing a superb strike into the roof of the net to beat goalkeeper, Luke McAdam.

Leicester responded with a dangerous ball into Sutton’s penalty box that Bishop initially blocked, before the rebound was saved by Jeynes at his near post.

But Sutton were looking strong at this point and another good attack saw Delaney and Gildea link up well, before Gildea’s shot took a touch off a defender which gave McAdam chance to gather.

Massey had an effort blocked at the edge of the penalty area by Leicester substitute Liam Canavan, who looked strong when he came on for the visitors, although he did get away with a clear handball in the build up to their goal in the 76th minute. Sutton, however, had failed to clear the ball away from their own penalty box and Mills managed to squeeze a shot in from the left of goal.

Momentum then changed in Leicester’s favour, as Sutton began to sit deeper in their own half and were made to defend much of the final fifteen minutes. And the pressure told as the visitors came through with an equaliser in the 83rd minute, when Mills capitalised on a rebound to tap home from close range after Jeynes had done well to save the long range shot that was heading into the top corner.

Whilst it was disappointing for Sutton to let slip a two-goal lead, in the end it was a positive point against a strong Leicester side. Sutton have another home game on Saturday 18th January when they host Saffron Dynamo at Coleshill Road Stadium 3pm kick off.

Team: Sutton United
1. Aidan Jeynes
2. Tion Pearce
3. Harry Manton – 68’ Zach Binns
4. Matt Bishop (c)
5. Reiss Hick
6. Sam Jeeves 89’ Reuel Whittingham
7. Leyton Hines – 37’ Tom Massey
8. Sef Semlali – 75’ Abdul Touaiti
9. Joe Gildea
10. Harry Howard – 75’ Jonny Grigg
11. Joe Delaney

Management/Assistants:
Richard Heath, Liam Burke
Adam Watson, Chris Bratt-Rose
Bobby Brittan, Derek Culling
Amelia Small

Team: Leicester St Andrews
1. Luke McAdam
2. Jordan Holmes – 62’ Andy Melville
3. Archie Wood
4. Leon Fray
5. Marco Henry (c)
6. Dean Clark
7. Jake Warren
8. Ethan Ballantine
9. Josh Crossley – 75’ Joel Oliveria
10. Gregory Mills
11. Jorrin John – 71’ Hne Wilson

Management/Assistants:
Ross Perkins
Tony Thorpe
Keora Canlot
Brett Wells

Match Officials: Matthew Broadhurst, Simon Lane, Adam Gittens