Red Is The New Green
Red Simmons netted his first hat-trick for Sutton United as the Greens produced a ruthless display to sweep aside bottom-placed Allexton & New Parks.
The much-needed victory gave new manager Neil Tooth his first win in charge and highlighted the progress and confidence that is building around the team.
In what was the first meeting between the two sides this season, it was the Greens who set the pace from the opening whistle, with Jay Clement forcing Alexton goalkeeper Austin Parish into a smart save inside the first minute.
The opening goal came in the 13th minute, when Aidan Mee burst forward before crossing the ball into the box for captain Tom Massey, who unselfishly squared for Simmons. Making only his second appearance for the club, Simmons opened his Sutton account in style, guiding a superb right-footed finish into the far top corner.
Parish was kept busy as Sutton continued to dominate, denying Clement once again after the winger cut inside and struck powerfully from the edge of the area.
Sutton doubled their lead in the 39th minute when Mee once again surged into the box, and when his shot was blocked, Massey reacted to feed Simmons on the left and the winger produced an almost carbon-copy finish of his first, lifting the ball over Parish and into the far corner to make it 2-0.
Allexton pulled a goal back on the brink of half time, when Cameron Greenhough’s cross was initially intercepted by Mee, but Casmir Umeh reacted fastest to the loose ball and fired home to give the hosts a lift at the break.
However, any hopes of a comeback were quickly extinguished after the break, as Sutton reasserted their two-goal cushion early in the second half. Clement raced down the right wing to collect Lewis Hayden’s pass, beat his defender at the byline, and picked out Massey, who calmly finished from six yards.
Simmons displayed his attacking strengths as he came agonisingly close to another goal with a back-post header, beating Parish but seeing Ashley Jones make a superb goal-line clearance for the hosts.
Nevertheless, the winger was not to be denied, and he completed a memorable hat trick in the 68th minute, turning his marker in the box before drilling a composed finish into the bottom corner.
Substitute Dylan Green made an instant impact off the bench, providing the delivery for Massey to volley home Sutton’s fifth from close range, capping a commanding performance from the captain, who finished with two goals and three assists.
The host’s afternoon went from bad to worse in the 83rd minute, when Orrin Carter-Fell was shown a straight red card for a challenge on Massey, and Green stepped up to take the resulting free-kick, curling a sublime strike over the wall and in off the post to complete a resounding victory for United.
Sutton now turn their attention to cup action as they host MFL Premier side Studley on Tuesday 3rd February in the Midland Football League Cup Quarter Final at Coleshill Road Stadium, kick off 7.45pm.
Team: Allexton & New Parks
1. Austin Parish
2. Tayo Hamzat
3. Daniel Yadav
4. Ashley Jones
5. Jordan Brown-March
6. Romeo Ojo – 72’ Josh Swain
7. Cameron Greenhough – 89’ Steve Finch
8. Orrin Carter-Fell
9. Casmir Umeh
10. Ryan Charles (c)
11. Drew Lilleyman
Management/Assistants:
Matthew Deacon
Nick Green
Team: Sutton United
1. Greg Lewis
2. Aidan Mee
3. Harry Manton – 72’ James Gallagher
4. Matt Bishop
5. Lewis Wall
6. Ben George – 77’ Jon Grigg
7. Jay Clement – 77’ Leyton Hines
8. Lewis Hayden
9. Joe Gildea – 60’ Oli Jeeves
10. Tom Massey
11. Red Simmons – 69’ Dylan Green
Management/Assistants:
Neil Tooth
Phil Male
Carlos De Azevedo
Aidan Jeynes
Evija Stauga
Marcus Davies
Match Officials: Orkan Bedre, Robert Hathaway, David Collett
| Allexton & New Parks | Statistics | Sutton United |
| 1 | Goals | 6 |
| 2 | Attempts | 24 |
| 2 | Attempts on Target | 17 |
| 38% | Possession | 62% |
| 1 | Corners | 8 |
| 7 | Fouls Committed | 4 |
| 1 | Yellow Cards | 0 |
| 1 | Red Cards | 0 |
| Club Man of the Match | Red Simmons |