Collapse at Copsewood
Andrew Delaney18 Sep – 19:54
Sutton fell to two late goals at Coventry Copsewood after taking a second half lead in a closely contested MFL 1 league fixture.
Charlie Gordon headed in the winner for Coventry in the 87th minute, shortly after Curtis Cutts had levelled for the hosts with a close-range finish after a goal line scramble.
Sutton had taken the lead in the 64th minute when Sam Jeeves delivered the perfect cross for Joe Gildea to find the net with a glancing header at the near post.
The win pushed Coventry up to tenth in the table whilst Sutton remain thirteenth after two consecutive defeats.
Sutton started the match strongly and Coventry keeper Jack Hartopp dived to tip behind Ronan Sheehan’s shot after the winger burst through the centre.
United continued to make the early running but most of the time the final ball into the box was dealt with by a compact Coventry defense. When Tom Massey drove into the penalty area midway through the half, he was forced into an early shot that went wide of the post.
Sutton had George Ray and Matt Bishop return to the back line and alongside Tion Pearce they were looking comfortable. Copsewood’s best chance came late in the half when Cutts fired an effort wide of the post from twelve yards.
The second half was more open, and the hosts had a fantastic opportunity to take the lead in the 49th minute, when Sean Kavanagh was free at the back post, but he never got the ball under control and his final shot was blasted over from six yards.
Both defences were tested this half, as Bishop made a couple of important interceptions for Sutton and Coventry had Danny Lole to thank when he stretched to divert Gildea’s shot after a rapid counterattack involving Sheehan and Hayden Froggatt.
Kavanagh came close again for Copsewood when Sam Ellis found him on the left, but his effort skimmed narrowly wide of the far post.
It was Sutton who broke the deadlock in the 64th minute, when Jeeves whipped his cross into the box for Gildea to head home his sixth goal of the season.
The hosts equalised ten minutes later from a set piece that was headed back across goal and Connor Byrne got a finger to it to tap onto his crossbar, but as the ball came back into play, Cutts found the bottom corner at the second attempt after Jonny Grigg had blocked his first effort from six yards.
Coventry finished strongly and found a winning goal in the 87th minute when captain Charlie Gordon headed in a cross from Sam A Ellis.
Sutton now take a break from league action with an historic first-ever showing in the FA Vase on Saturday 21st September, when they play host to Stafford Town who currently sit top of the NWCFL 1st Division South.
Team: Coventry Copsewood
1. Jack Hartopp
2. Sam A Ellis
3. Danny Lole
4. Joe Anthony
5. Faith Okundaye
6. Jake Upton – 75’ Sam Turrall
7. Charlie Gordon (c)
8. Eden Mukenge – 65’ Hamza Siddique
9. Sean Kavanagh – 65’ Seb Duffy
10. Curtis Cutts
11. Sam Ellis
Management/Assistants:
PJ Gordon
Rich Webb
Dave Levick
Steve Shaw
Team: Sutton United
1. Connor Byrne
2. George Ray – 85’ Robbie Brown
3. Scott Hardy
4. Matt Bishop
5. Tion Pearce
6. Kye Billingham-Belle – 62’ Sef Semlali
7. Jonny Grigg
8. Sam Jeeves – 78’ Jake Murrell
9. Joe Gildea
10. Tom Massey (c) – 46’ Hayden Froggatt
11. Ronan Sheehan – 62’ Abdul Touaiti
Management/Assistants:
Richard Heath
Liam Burke
Adam Watson
Bobby Brittan
Derek Culling
Match Officials: Kurt Bartlett, Michael Bell, Ashley Bonner
| Coventry Copsewood | Statistics | Sutton United |
| 2 | Goals | 1 |
| 7 | Attempts | 7 |
| 4 | Attempts on Target | 4 |
| 65% | Possession | 35% |
| 6 | Corners | 4 |
| 15 | Fouls Committed | 5 |
| 2 | Yellow Cards | 0 |
| 0 | Red Cards | 0 |
| Charlie Gordon | Opp Man of the Match | Matt Bishop |
| Player | Appearances | Goals | Assists | Opp MOTM |
| Joe Gildea | 13 | 6 | 4 | 1 |
| Hayden Froggatt | 14 | 4 | 4 | 0 |
| Tom Massey | 14 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Ronan Sheehan | 11 | 2 | 4 | 1 |
| George Ray | 10 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Jack Whelan | 10 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Sam Jeeves | 11 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| Jon Grigg | 11 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Aaron Cameron | 7 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Sef Semlali | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Abdul Touaiti | 14 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Kye Billingham-Belle | 13 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Leyton Hines | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Tion Pearce | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Robbie Brown | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Connor Byrne | 10 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Matt Bishop | 9 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Scott Hardy | 8 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Jake Murrell | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sam Simmonds | 6 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Louis Malin | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ben Friel | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Charlie Woodroofe | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Gabe Newey | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Aidan Jeynes | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Charlie Busst | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Chris Ward | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Zach Binns | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 23 | 20 |