Sutton return to Vanarama National League action this Saturday, with Oldham Athletic the first visitors to the VBS Community Stadium in four outings.

Last Time Out

The U’s faced FA Cup action against Southern League outfit Chertsey Town and saw an opening 12 minutes full of goals. Jack Mazzone opened the goal after just fourth minutes with a volleyed effort into the bottom corner to shock the National League outfit, but responded immediately as Matt Rush made no mistake in converting Josh Coley’s cross for his first U’s goal. It would be Coley who would follow this with a goal of his own when he found himself in space on the edge of the box moments later and curled a wonderful effort into the top corner.

Chertsey would have a golden opportunity to find a route back into the game from the spot midway through the second half, but Conor Lee could only find the woodwork from 12 yards with some superb saves from debutant Jack Sims keeping the hosts at bay in the ensuing minutes. Despite the hosts pushing for a late leveller, Ben Mason would turn a cross into the back of his own net deep into stoppage time to make the U’s passage into the FA Cup First Round save, and they will subsequently face League One side Birmingham City at the start of November.

Watch the highlights here.

The Opposition

Oldham Athletic are the visitors to the VBS Community Stadium, and will looking to increase the gap on those outside the play-off places in their search of a return to the promised land of the EFL, where they had remained for over a century.

The Latics have enjoyed a steady rise up the fifth tier since becoming the first former Premier League side to fall into non-league, with two mid-table finishes preceding an extremely positive run of form at the start of the current campaign. Micky Mellon’s side have lost just twice this season, and despite one of them coming last time out, had previously enjoyed a run of eight games unbeaten, including four wins on the spin.

After finishing 10th last season, Mellon added a whole host of quality to his ranks in an attempt to mount a serious promotion push this season, especially after the departures of Liam Hogan, Nathan Sheron and Mark Shelton. Highly rated wing-back Reagan Ogle arrived from Scunthorpe United to add reinforcements out wide along with Jake Caprice, while Manny Monthe is an experienced head at the heart of their defence. Jes Uchegbulam is an exciting young winger who has turned out for Chesterfield and Rochdale, while Josh Kay, Harry Charsley and Otis Khan add increased quality in the attacking and midfield areas, with the latter two scoring three goals between them this season.

Recent Form

Oldham Athletic 4-2 FC Halifax Town

Oldham Athletic 2-3 Solihull Moors

Oldham Athletic 2-1 Stoke City Under-21’s

Ebbsfleet United 1-2 Oldham Athletic

Oldham Athletic 1-0 Forest Green Rovers

Oldham Athletic 1-0 Yeovil Town

The Manager

Experienced manager Micky Mellon took the reins at Boundary Park last year following the departure of David Unsworth in September 2023, and has overseen a steady rise up the National League.

The former midfielder, who notably turned out for Blackpool, Tranmere Rovers and Burnley, began his coaching career with stints as assistant manager at Lancaster City and youth coach at Burnley, before taking over at Fleetwood Town. He would lead them to their first FA Cup Second Round appearance and guided them from the bottom of the Conference North to an eighth place finish in his first season, and later established them as promotion contenders, with the Fisherman going on to defeat Alfreton Town in the play-off final.

Mellon continued to oversee a fine rise up the divisions, with a fifth place finish being followed by over a century of points the following season to win the Conference, as well as an appearance in the FA Cup Third Round, before Mellon was dismissed midway through the 2012/13 season.

A caretaker stint at Barnsley followed before further spells at Shrewsbury Town and Tranmere Rovers, guiding the latter to back-to-back promotions from the Conference to League One. He would depart Prenton Park in 2020 and returned to his homeland for the first time as a player or a coach with a spell at Dundee United, before returning to Tranmere in 2021. A further two years in Birkenhead preceded a move to Oldham in 2023.

One to Watch

Mike Fondop

Cameroon-born striker Mike Fondop as proved himself to be a lethal weapon for the Latics ever since arriving at Boundary Park, and has continued his fine form in front of goal during the current campaign.

After moving to England at the age of 20, Fondop began his career in the Eastern Counties League with Stanway Rovers, before scoring eight goals in six games for Billericay Town, and later enjoyed stints at Oxford City and Guiseley. He would join FC Halifax Town on loan midway through the 2017/18 season and scored four goals in 12 outings to help the Shaymen avoid relegation, before continuing his goalscoring form into the following season after to Wrexham AFC, with five goals in his first nine games. His form would eventually dry up though, and he found himself out on loan midway through the campaign once again when he joined Maidenhead United.

After departing Wales Fondop made the switch to Chesterfield, and despite a curtailed season, managed to rediscover his form as he finished the 2019/20 campaign as the Spireites top scorer with 11 goals in all competitions. The forward would later briefly move to Aldershot Town before making the jump into the EFL, with a move to League One side Burton Albion. He made his Football League debut as a substitute in a 3-0 defeat to Sunderland, but scored on his first start soon after to help the Brewers seal a 2-1 victory over Charlton Athletic. Come the end of the campaign, Fondop would be on the move once more, with a brief switch to Hartlepool United preceding a move to Boundary Park in January 2022, and he has enjoyed the best form of his career thus far since making the move to Greater Manchester, with 27 goals in 83 appearances for the Latics including five already this season, which is over half of his entire tally during the 2023/24 campaign.

Head-To-Head

Oldham Athletic 1-3 Sutton United (22/03/2022)

Sutton United 1-2 Oldham Athletic (28/08/21)

Played for Both

Dean Bouzanis

Former goalkeeper Dean Bouzanis enjoyed two spells at the VBS Community Stadium, but previously spent time at tomorrow’s opponents.

Born in Australia, Bouzanis moved to England after a successful trial at Liverpool, spending four years at Anfield. He would move to Oldham Athletic after being released initially as backup to Paul Gerrard, before making his competitive debut the following year as a substitute for Alex Cisak. He would subsequently enjoy a spell in the side at the end of the 2011/12 season and signed a new contract the following summer, regaining his spot as first choice throughout the 2012/13 campaign, before being released at the end of the season.

Stints in Greece, England, Australia and Netherlands would follow, before returning to the UK once again with a move to Sutton United in 2020. He would establish himself as the U’s first choice during their title-winning season of 2020/21 and kept 18 clean sheets in the process, making a further 44 appearances in League Two the following season. He would depart for Championship club Reading ahead of the 2022/23 campaign as cover for Joe Lumley, before rejoining Sutton on loan during 2023/24, and made a further 25 appearances.

Team News

Hayden Muller remains on the road to recovery after picking up a hamstring injury last month against Dagenham & Redbridge. The defender returned to light training during the week and is nearing a return to action, and you can go behind the scenes during his recovery here.

Meanwhile, Ryan Jackson is set to have surgery on a bruised retina sustained against Southend United and will remain out for four to six weeks off the back of that.

Finally, Edwin Agbaje has temporarily returned to parent club Ipswich Town to continue his recovery from a hamstring problem picked up during pre-season.

Morison’s full pre-match interview is available to view here.

Officials

Andrew Humphries is the man with the whistle on Saturday. In his second season as a National League referee, he took charge of his first EFL game in March when we visited Crewe Alexandra.

How to Follow

Video

Overseas supporters can follow the action on National League TV, by a purchasing a match pass here for £9.99.

Audio

UK-based supporters will be able to listen to all the action, with a Mixlr audio commentary being available and will be posted on social media accounts before kick-off.

At the VBS

Advance online prices for ground admission are as follows:

Adults: £21

Concessions (age over 60/students with current ID): £15

Junior (age 14-18): £7

Under-14s: Free if accompanied by adult or senior concession

Seat prices are £4 more in all cases. Supporters are reminded that these cheaper advance prices are available up to kick-off, and while tickets will be available on the day, tickets bought in person on the day carry a price increase of £2.

Click here to purchase a ticket.

Supporters should note that there are no trains to Sutton between Luton and Mill Hill Broadway. Trains south of the river are fine, with two an hour from London Blackfriars and two an hour from West Hampstead Thameslink which are running to a normal Saturday timetable. Victoria to Sutton is also running.

Kit Watch

The U’s will be wearing their amber home kit. You can purchase a replica version here.