Oli Jeeves with late winner for Sutton
Oli Jeeves came off the bench to score a dramatic late winner as Sutton United beat Ingles in a five-goal thriller at the Coleshill Road Stadium.
The forward struck in the 89th minute to seal an impressive three points for United after Ingles had fought back to cancel out a first half brace from Reece Gibson.
Sutton had Jonny Grigg and Sam Jeeves returning to the squad, alongside starts for Harry Manton, Harry Howard and Sef Semlali.
And the hosts were deservedly ahead at the break after a positive first half performance. Gibson gave Sutton the lead in the 11th minute when he volleyed home Abdul Touaiti’s cross from the right, at the end of a well-worked team move.
Gibson was looking a constant threat up front for Sutton and he scored a second just four minutes later, when Sam Jeeves played a short corner with Touaiti, before delivering for Gibson to finish with a clever flick that beat the Ingles goalkeeper, Lorcan Morrissey.
Sutton were looking comfortable in possession, but when they lost the ball on the edge of their own penalty box in the 29th minute, they had their goalkeeper, Greg Lewis to thank, for a superb block that denied Jack Allen.
Ingles upped their tempo in an entertaining second half, with chances created by both sides. Lewis had to make an early save to deny Kyle Fowkes before Matt Bishop was on hand to clear the danger, and at the other end, Gibson was inches away from a hat-trick with a low shot across goal.
Fowkes was dismissed for Ingles to serve a ten-minute sinbin, and despite being down to ten men the visitors pulled a goal back in the 67th minute, when they were awarded a penalty for a tug on George Teeney, who then stepped up to convert the spot kick.
The visitors were level six minutes later with one of their best moves of the match, although the final shot from Jude Ayetine got a cruel deflection off Zach Binns to lift the ball over Lewis.
It made for a tense final fifteen minutes, with both sides looking for the winner. Joe Gildea came close with a free kick and a header off a Sam Jeeves set piece that Morrissey gathered.
For Ingles, Ayetine had their best opportunity with a one-on-one with the keeper and Lewis stood firm to save with an outstretched leg.
The dramatic late winner fell to Sutton when Bishop delivered a wonderful ball into the penalty box where Hayden Froggatt touched across goal for Olie Jeeves to finish in style at the back post.
Sutton can now turn their attention to the League Cup with a third-round tie at home to Coventry Copsewood on Tuesday 26th November.
Team: Sutton United
1. Greg Lewis
2. Jon Grigg – 46’ Zach Binns
3. Harry Manton
4. Matt Bishop (c)
5. Tion Pearce
6. Sam Jeeves
7. Harry Howard – 63’ Tom Massey
8. Abdul Touaiti – 71’ Sam Simmonds
9. Reece Gibson – 71’ Oli Jeeves
10. Joe Gildea
11. Sef Semlali – 56’ Hayden Froggatt
Management/Assistants:
Richard Heath
Liam Burke
Adam Watson
Derek Culling
Amelia Small
Team: Ingles
1. Lorcan Morrissey
2. Joe Goodwin
3. Adam Palmer – 46’ Oisin Nicks
4. Ollie Grimshaw – 86’ Oliver Unwin
5. Dan Chapman
6. Mike Tuck
7. Jack Allen – 46’ George Teeney
8. Billy Blackshaw (c)
9. Jude Ayetine
10. Jamie Light – 70’ Harry Palmer
11. Kyle Fowkes sb
Management/Assistants:
Adam Boulter
Jordan Allen
Sean Bennett
Match Officials: Michael Jones, Liam Campkin, David Wood