Sutton United Under-18s opened their EFL Youth Alliance Cup campaign with a 2-0 win over local neighbours AFC Wimbledon.
Bobby Sheargold opened the scoring midway through the first half, before Joden Trickett added a second goal on the stroke of half time.
“They took their goals really well, and I’m really happy for Bobby,” Sutton United PDP lead coach Rob Tuvey said after the match. “I’ve set him a target of getting more goals in his game so I’m really happy he was able to get in the scoresheet today.”
The hosts made a bright start, and U’s keeper Lenny Jones was called into action within the first five minutes, dropping to his right to reach a stinging shot from the edge of the penalty area.
Khyan Edwards found plenty of joy running down the right wing, and on one such occasion he beat his man before sliding a low cross into the penalty area. Wimbledon failed to clear their lines, allowing Sheargold to run onto the ball and slam it into the net.
The U’s took control of the match from this point and would double their lead just before the interval. Liam Moore’s clever switch of play allowed Edwards to set Vinnie Tume free on the right wing. The forward beat a challenge before trying to pick out a Sutton player in the penalty area, and again the hosts could only half clear the ball. Edwards’ initial effort was blocked by a combination of defender and goalkeeper, before Trickett coolly dropped his shoulder to make the space to find the net from the edge of the six-yard box.
After the break, Eccleston latched onto a loose ball on the edge of the penalty area and hit a clean strike towards goal, but an acrobatic stop by the Dons’ keeper kept the U’s lead at two goals.
Sutton were able to see out of the rest of the match relatively untroubled, with the defence working hard to repel any hopeful balls into the penalty area, something Tuvey was pleased to see.
“We defended our box excellently at times and we controlled the game with our press. We’ve limited them to, maybe one save that Lenny’s had to make, which is really good for us.”
The U18s are back in action next week with a home fixture against Oxford United on Saturday, September 21.
Report by Cameron Wyper
