Encouraging Performance Despite Late Loss
Sutton United’s Floodlit Challenge Cup journey came to a heartbreaking end on Tuesday night as Smethwick Rangers struck twice late on to snatch a 2-1 victory at Coleshill Road.
On a night that marked the first game in charge for new boss Neil Tooth, alongside assistants Phil Male and Carlos De Azevedo, the Greens showed plenty of fight and quality but ultimately saw their hopes of reaching the final undone after Lewis Capper-Imms superb free kick in added time gave Smethwick the victory.
The first half was a tight, evenly contested affair with chances at a premium. Sutton’s best opportunity fell late in the half when captain Tom Massey fired a driven cross to the edge of the box for Lewis Wall, who opted for precision over power, and the Smethwick goalkeeper Ashley O’Neil was well positioned to gather.
Rangers’ best chance of the half fell to Capper-Imms, who let fly from 18-yards, forcing Greg Lewis into a smart parry, with Tyler Wilson flagged offside as he chased the rebound.
The Greens emerged with a greater purpose after the break and almost took the lead within minutes. Massey twice went close, only to be denied by some strong goalkeeping from O’Neil.
The breakthrough came in the 50th minute when Matt Bishop delivered a precise pass forward to Joe Gildea, who showed great strength to roll his defender before unleashing a superb strike from the edge of the penalty box to give the home side the lead.
The mood then shifted, as barely a minute after the restart, Jake Lamb was shown a second yellow card for a late challenge on Wilson, leaving Sutton facing the final 40 minutes with ten men.
Reorganising into a back four, Sutton dug deep with every player putting in a shift as Rangers began to dominate possession, pushing the Greens further back. Despite their best efforts, the pressure eventually told in the 77th minute when Red Simmons found space on the edge of the box and drilled a low shot into the far corner to level the tie.
Sutton continued to battle and looked set to force penalties, but cruelly it was not to be. As the match entered added time, Rangers were awarded a free kick just outside the corner of the penalty area and Capper-Imms stepped up and struck a decisive low effort into the far corner, sealing Smethwick’s place in the final where they will face MFL Division One leaders Knowle.
While the result was a bitter disappointment, there were plenty of positives for the Greens. The tempo was noticeably higher than in recent outings and the work rate across the pitch was outstanding, epitomised by the man-of-the-match performance from Oli Jeeves.
Sutton return to league action on Saturday 24th January with an away trip to Birmingham OJM with kick off at 3pm.
Team: Sutton United
1. Greg Lewis
2. Aidan Mee
3. Harry Manton – 74’ James Gallagher
4. Matt Bishop
5. Tion Pearce
6. Jake Lamb
7. Lewis Wall
8. Lewis Hayden
9. Joe Gildea – 85’ Dylan Green
10. Tom Massey (c) – 64’ Sam Jeeves
11. Oli Jeeves
Sub unused: Harry Howard, Ollie Burgundy
Management/Assistants:
Neil Tooth
Phil Male
Carlos De Azevedo
Aidan Jeynes
Marcus Davies
Derrick Culling
Team: Smethwick Rangers
1. Ashley O’Neill
2. Joe Bolton
3. Red Simmons (c)
4. Ronnie Holt
5. Pierre Obadiah Phillips
6. Lewis Capper-Imms
7. Danny Wood – 56’ Lawson Birch
8. Jack White
9. Tyler Wilson
10. Freddie Cockerell – 15’ Rahiem Faulder – 88’ Joe Haines
11. Callum Thorpe
Sub unused: Matthew Greenway, Ben Croot
Management/Assistants:
Jon Allen
Ben Mortiboys
Phil Clinton
Adam Winwood
Harrison Osbourne
Match Officials: Guy Thrower, Nicholas Gray, Oliver Brackenbury, Chad Roberts
| Sutton United | Statistics | Smethwick Rangers |
| 1 | Goals | 2 |
| 9 | Attempts | 11 |
| 5 | Attempts on Target | 6 |
| 55% | Possession | 45% |
| 0 | Corners | 2 |
| 8 | Fouls Committed | 5 |
| 2 | Yellow Cards | 0 |
| 1 | Red Cards | 0 |
| Oli Jeeves | Club Man of the Match |