Sutton are on the road for the first time in 2025, visiting title chasing York City for just the second ever time.
The Opposition
Title contenders York City are a side on a rapid rise, and will prove to be a tough test for the U’s on Saturday.
A four stint in League Two between 2012 and 2016 saw the Minstermen reach their highest league positions of their history, but back-to-back relegations turned their status on its head as they found themselves back in the sixth tier in 2017. A five-year spell in the National League North would follow, with York struggling to mount many serious promotion pushes during their spell back in non-league.
A change in fortunes would come to fruition under manager John Askey, who joined in March 2022 with the club sat in 11th place. However, a superb end to the season saw York climb to fifth and subsequently quality for the play-offs, with a shot at promotion fast becoming a real possibility. After advancing past Chorley and Brackley Town, goals from Lennel John-Lewis and Maziar Kouhyar saw the Minstermen overcome Boston United in the play-off final, ending a five-year absence from the fifth tier against all the odds.
York would establish themselves in the National League, securing back-to-back campaigns in the fifth tier for the first time since 2012, although Askey was dismissed midway through the 2022/23 campaign with the Minstermen in 12th. Brief stints under David Webb and Michael Morton followed, with former AFC Wimbledon, Notts County and Solihull Moors boss Neal Ardley taking charge in September 2023. Ardley was unable to replicate the success of his previous job at the ARMCO Arena though, lasting just five months in the role with York sat just one point above the relegation zone, but the Minstermen seemed to finally get it right with their next appointment with Adam Hinshelwood arriving in the LNER Community Stadium dugout.
The former Worthing boss guided the club to survival, before an astonishing run of form at the start of the current campaign transformed the Minstermen into title contenders, kick-starting the season with just one defeat from their opening 17 games.
Spearheaded by National League top scorer Ollie Pearce, York’s recruitment last summer was central to their rise up the division. Former Cardiff City defender Malachi Fagan-Walcott has helped to plug the gap at the back alongside captain Callum Howe, while the midfield trio of Alex Hunt, Dan Batty and Marvin Armstrong has pulled the strings in the middle, with the aforementioned Pearce finishing off chances created by the likes of Dipo Akinyemi, Ashley Nathaniel-George and Tyrese Sinclair. The Minstemen have already strengthened this month as well, with further firepower being added in the form of Wigan Athletic striker Josh Stones, who has already scored four goals in six games while on loan at Oldham Athletic.
As a result, York currently sit second in the division and a pint behind league leaders Forest Green Rovers with two games in hand, having lost just three times all season.
Recent Form
Gainsborough Trinity 1-0 York City
York City 1-0 Gateshead
York City 3-0 Southend United
Tamworth 1-1 Southend United
York City 3-1 Darlington
York City 6-2 Maidenhead United
The Manager
Adam Hinshelwood
Former Brighton & Hove Albion defender Adam Hinshelwood arrived in the York City hotseat in February 2024, and has had an invaluable impact on the Yorkshire-based outfit.
Coming from a footballing family – with father Paul, grandfather Wally and son Jack all playing professional football – Hinshelwood continued his family’s legacy with a long-term stint as a player with Brighton, making 100 appearances for the Seagulls as well as becoming one of the youngest captains in their history. A loan spell at Lewes saw his Brighton come to an end in 2008, and he finished his playing career with stints at Aldershot Town and Wycombe Wanderers before finally hanging up his boots in 2010.
Hinshelwood would later transition into coaching though, being appointed assistant manager of non-league club Hastings United. While his tenure was short lived, he decided to follow in his family’s footsteps by becoming the manager of Sussex County League side Selsey, before going on to become a player and assistant manager at Burgess Hill Town.
A two-year stint at Worthing was then followed by a return to the AMEX Stadium as a coach at Brighton, before he opted to return to Worthing in 2017. He would remain with the Rebels for the next seven years, leading them to the Isthmian Premier Division title in the 2021/22 season, as well as the Sussex Senior Challenge Cup the following year.
The 41-year old later made the jump up to the National League, joining 20th placed York at the start of 2024 and was tasked with keeping the Minstermen in the division. He would instantly impress at the LNER Community Stadium, with four wins in six games in April enough to see York over the line, before taking their form and newly ingrained philosophy into the current campaign.
Following a strong start to the 2024/25 season, Hinshelwood was named National League Manager of the Month for September having picked up 12 points from six unbeaten matches, and midway through the campaign has the Minstermen in the centre of a title race.
One to Watch
Ollie Pearce
Ollie Pearce has taken to the top flight of non-league like a duck to water, having joined York from National League South outfit Worthing last summer.
Having begun his career with Bognor Regis Town, Pearce spent several years with the Rocks, making his first team debut at 17-years of age before going on to enjoy a goal-laden career at Nyewood Lane, netting around 80 goals in a little over 250 appearances including four in four at the start of 2017/18 campaign. Pearce would feature in both promotion and relegation campaigns in the green and white shirt, as well as playing his part in getting Bognor to the FA Trophy semi-finals in 2016.
A move along with the coast saw Pearce move to Worthing in 2018, and he would go on to enjoy an incredibly successful six-year stint with the Rebels. The pinnacle of this success saw him scoop a Golden Boot win with 35 goals and a place in the Isthmian Premier Division Team of the Season, as well as being voted as the division’s Player of the Year, which added to a title winner’s medal in 2021/22.
With Worthing rising up non-league, Pearce continued his fine form and smashed through a century of goals in February 2023, making it 100 goals in just 178 appearances at the time, before again breaking through the 30-goal barrier to land himself in the National League South Team of the Year. More records followed when he scored in a post-WW2 record of ten consecutive games, before reaching the landmark of 150 goals with a stoppage-time strike to round off a 3-1 win at champions Yeovil Town in April 2024, ending another remarkable campaign with 46 goals in 51 appearances across all competitions, winning the golden boot in the National League South by a distance.
His form for the Rebels hadn’t gone unnoticed, and he would depart Woodside Road with 155 goals in 245 appearances, joining York City in the summer where he has continued his ridiculous goalscoring run. Indeed, Pearce is the division’s joint top scorer with 15 goals alongside Altrincham’s Regan Linney, and has played a crucial role in the Minstermen’s title challenge.
Last Time We Met
Lenell John-Lewis’ late equaliser meant the third meeting between Sutton United and York City ended with the same scoreline as the previous two.
Will Davies had struck at the start of the second half to cancel out Marvin Armstrong’s opener minutes before, with substitute Josh Coley netting his third goal in four games since the start of the season with an acrobatic header to give Sutton the lead. The U’s will have been disappointed to not hold on to the advantage though, with John-Lewis finding the net five minutes from time to secure a point for the Minstermen.
Head-to-Head
Sutton United 2-2 York City (24/08/2024)
Sutton United 2-2 York City (11/03/2017)
York City 2-2 Sutton United (29/10/2016)
Played for Both
Will Davies
Sutton striker Will Davies netted five times for the Minstermen during the 2023/24 campaign, before arriving at the VBS Community Stadium last summer.
Having come to prominence with Southern League Premier Division Central team Leiston with over fifty goals in two seasons, Davies extended his good form into the National League South for Braintree Town, and continued his rapid rise up the divisions when, after just a few months at Cressing Road, he joined National League outfit York City in November 2023. Davies would appear 20 times for the Minstermen and scored five goals before spending a brief time away from the LNER Community Stadium, ending the 2023/24 campaign on loan at Bromley.
He would remain in South London permanently when he opted to make the switch to Sutton last summer, and has enjoyed his best goalscoring run since leaving Leiston, hitting his tenth goal of the season last time out against Wealdstone.
