Sutton’s women advanced to the third round of the Combined Counties League Cup with an impressive win away to an AFC Croydon Athletic team that, despite their lower status, had been in terrific form this season sitting unbeaten at the top of the Greater London Women’s Football League Division One South.
On a pitch that had passed a mid afternoon inspection Sutton went in front just before the half hour when Hannah Baptiste sent in a free kick that dipped just under the bar beyond the goalkeeper’s reach, and the lead was nearly doubled when Jaz Backhurst worked a short corner with Emma Spear and saw her dipping shot come back off the crossbar.
Early in the second half Illana Harris-Walters lifted the ball just wide from K’Shaela Burch-Waldron’s pass over the top, but she wasn’t to be denied and moments later collected a pass from Backhurst and placed a shot in to the far corner of the net. Within two minutes Sutton had a third when a home defender diverted Spear’s corner in to her own net, and although Croydon pulled one goal back in a scramble following a right wing cross they were unable to make any further impression on U’s lead.
Sutton E Clark, K Burch-Waldron(sub E Meehan), B Humphrey, M Dalrymple, Z Walters, T-A Bussey, E Spear, J Backhurst(sub L Martinez), I Harris-Walters(sub J Palmer-Lockhart), H Baptiste(sub B Quaintance), C Connelley(sub G Buddle-Smith).
