10.10.2026 Vs Irchester United

Both teams arrived in strong form, as Sutton were unbeaten in seven, while Step Six side Irchester came into the tie buoyed by a derby win and a dramatic County Cup shootout in which their teenage goalkeeper saved all the penalties against him, making it eight from ten penalty saves this season. With that in mind, Sutton were keen to avoid a shootout in challenging, wind-affected conditions in Northamptonshire.

There was little trouble for either goalkeeper before the Greens took the lead in the 24th minute. Ryan Nesbitt showed excellent composure inside the box, taking a clever touch to open the angle, before striking home his first goal of the season.

Sutton were creating the better of the limited opportunities, with Joe Gildea firing wide from eighteen yards, and Tom Massey going close after a strong run into the box. Gildea almost doubled Sutton’s lead on the stroke of half-time when his free-kick spun inches over the bar.

Irchester were making life difficult for the Greens, yet had failed to register a shot themselves before the break. However, they emerged with renewed intent for the second half, and their first real opening came on 58 minutes when a low cross from the right found Allen Dogbe in the box, and his effort hit the side netting.

Nesbitt continued to look a threat, and he nearly added a second for the Greens, drilling a 20-yard free-kick around a seven-man wall and narrowly wide of the post.

The hosts were looking dangerous from set pieces, and Sutton needed Greg Lewis at his best, as he produced a superb save at his near post to deny Tremaine Batanwi from a corner. And it was from another corner that saw Lewis make his most decisive stop in the 83rd minute, when Irchester’s substitute Jack Culwick was denied at point-blank range, sparking a frantic scramble that Sutton eventually cleared off the goal line.

Red Simmons immediately released the ball, and Ethan Mee found Jayden Hunter, who sprinted from his own half, beating the onrushing goalkeeper before finishing into an empty net to secure the decisive two-goal cushion for the Greens.

Irchester continued to push with Davide Soro scooping a close-range effort over the bar, while Sutton almost added a third late on when Ethan Mee finished a counterattack, only for Massey to be flagged offside after getting a touch on the line.

Sutton were pushed all the way in a competitive battle, with the victory maintaining their proud record of never exiting the Vase before Round Two.

Attention now turns to the Walsall Senior Cup First Round on Tuesday 13th October, when Sutton host Sporting Khalsa, with whom they edged a 2-1 win on the opening day of the league season.

Team: Irchester United
1. Mitch Wilkinson
2. Earl Atat
3. Kian Brown – 76’ Joel Adjekum
4. Elliot Clarke (c) – 23’ Jack Culwick
5. Dan Law
6. Tremaine Batanwi
7. Allen Elvis Dogbe – 70’ Davide Soro
8. Dylan McGinley
9. Ajirioghene Ukeleghe – 82’ Will Holmes
10. Tejas Desai
11. Emmanuel Antwi – 70’ Kayode Akinjiola

Management/Assistants:
Jamie Jollands, Lee Wilkinson, Rob Andrews,
Henry Spears, Fabienne Thomas, Jess Gibson

Team: Sutton United
1. Gabe Newey
2. Aidan Mee
3. Red Simmons
4. Matt Bishop
5. James Gallagher
6. Lewis Wall
7. Ryan Nesbitt
8. Lewis Hayden
9. Joe Gildea – 77’ Jayden Hunter
10. Tom Massey (c)
11. Sean Devlin – 72’ Ethan Mee
Unused Sub: Ethan Reynolds, Cian Tevlin, Gabe Newey

Management/Assistants:
Neil Tooth, Phil Male, Sam Heath, Mark Brady, Sinead McElwaine, Derrick Culling,
Marcus Davies, Daire McBride

Match Officials: Daniel Jones, Chris Coles, Khaneal Statham

 

Irchester United	Statistics	Sutton United
0	Goals	2
7	Attempts	11
3	Attempts on Target	6
61%	Possession	39%
4	Corners	3
6	Fouls Committed	7
0	Yellow Cards	0
0	Red Cards	0
	Club Man of the Match	Joe Gildea