Jeeves Header Earns Away Point
Sutton United earned a hard-fought point on the road as they drew 1-1 with Ingles, in a match that marked the beginning of a new era under interim manager Paul Burke.
Following a turbulent week off the pitch, Sutton showed resilience in difficult conditions, taking the lead through leading scorer Oli Jeeves before Jack Allen’s second-half penalty ensured the points were shared.
Sutton made a nervous start, understandable given the recent changes in the dugout, but captain Tom Massey helped settle the side early on, forcing a superb save from the Ingles goalkeeper George Baker. And shortly after, the Sutton skipper embarked on a surging run into the penalty area before dragging his shot narrowly wide of the near post.
United’s confidence grew as the half progressed and they were rewarded in the 33rd minute when Aidan Mee beat his defender and delivered an inviting ball towards the back post, where Oli Jeeves rose unmarked and powered a header down into the bottom corner to give the Greens the lead.
Ingles posed a threat from set pieces throughout, but Sutton defended resolutely. Lewis Wall produced a vital headed clearance in the first half, while defender Harry Manton delivered a standout performance on his return to the squad, capped off by a superb goal-line clearance off an Ingles corner, early in the second half.
Sutton almost doubled their advantage soon after the restart, when Wall fired narrowly wide from the right side of goal following a Sam Jeeves free kick.
The turning point came in the 59th minute when Ingles were awarded a penalty after the ball bounced awkwardly onto the arm of Matt Bishop. Jack Allen stepped up and confidently converted the spot kick to level the scores.
Heavy underfoot conditions limited clear chances for the remainder of the contest, though Sutton continued to look the more likely to find a winner. Bishop came close late on with a strong volley through a crowded penalty area, but Baker produced an excellent save to deny the centre back.
The draw gives Sutton a valuable point and a platform to build upon as the team move forward.
Sutton are back in action on Saturday 17th January with a challenging trip to table toppers Knowle, kick off 3pm.
Team: Ingles
1. George Baker
2. Joe Goodwin
3. Adam Palmer – 57’ Alfie Smart
4. George Wesley
5. Danny Chapman
6. Jack Allen
7. Charlie Yates – 88’ Adam Idris
8. Billy Blackshaw (c)
9. Kyle Fowkes
10. Billy Clarke – 73’ Cam Smith
11. Jordan Holmes – 67’ Kai Reece
Sub unused: Adam Boulter
Management/Assistants:
Adam Boulter
Jordan Allen
Michael Tuck
Conor Bennett
Team: Sutton United
1. Greg Lewis
2. Tion Pearce – 71’ Joe Gildea
3. Harry Manton – 89’ Jake Lamb
4. James Gallagher
5. Matt Bishop
6. Lewis Wall
7. Sam Jeeves – 83’ Dylan Green
8. Aidan Mee
9. Oli Jeeves
10. Tom Massey
11. Joe Delaney – 30’ Harry Howard
Sub unused: Cian Tevlin
Management/Assistants:
Paul Burke
Harry Tuffield
Aidan Jeynes
Marcus Davies
Evija Stauga
Match Officials: Joseph Spittle, Neil Love, Stefan Cararasu
| Ingles | Statistics | Sutton United |
| 1 | Goals | 1 |
| 5 | Attempts | 11 |
| 4 | Attempts on Target | 4 |
| 41% | Possession | 59% |
| 5 | Corners | 10 |
| 11 | Fouls Committed | 10 |
| 1 | Yellow Cards | 2 |
| 0 | Red Cards | 0 |
| Club Man of the Match | Harry Manton | |
| George Baker | Opp Man of the Match | Harry Howard |