Sutton’s hopes of a return to Wembley in the Papa Johns Trophy were ended by Kyle Hudlin’s first half goal which saw Wimbledon extend their unbeaten run to ten league and cup games and move in to the last sixteen. 

While Sutton made three changes from the side that beat Rochdale on Saturday, with Omar Bugiel and Charley Kendall paired in attack and Sam Hart replacing Rob Milsom, Wimbledon had only Hus Biler from their starting line-up at Tranmere on Saturday, but after an untidy opening quarter of an hour it was Wimbledon who took the lead when Dav Fisher chased a cleared cross and laid the ball back to Jack Currie, whose darting run took him past Josh Neufville’s challenge before he squared a pass for the unmarked Hudlin to slot past the helpless Jack Rose.

It was one of few occasions on which Wimbledon were in the Sutton penalty area, but despite some occasionally promising build-up play Sutton were unable to threaten the home goal apart from long range efforts from Sam Hart and Will Randall, the first having any power taken off it by a defender’s block and the second saved low down by Nathan Broome.

Inside the first minute of the second half Rose had to deal uncomfortably with a volley from Quaine Bartley which bounced just in front of him, and the temperature on the pitch increased as Bugiel was booked for sliding in on Broome to try and win a ball he seemed entitled to go for, and Hudlin followed him in to the book for a foul on Louis John. Sutton were having much more of the play, and Kendall overhit one pass to Bugiel in a promising position, but despite a number of corners, and a few goalmouth skirmishes,  the finishing touch proved elusive. The closest U’s came was when Craig Eastmond’s glancing header was blocked in the six yard box, and Broome saved low down at close range from substitute Donovan Wilson after beating away Tope Fadahunsi’s cross. The sight of a cross from Randall, who had troubled the home defence throughout, drifting unhindered away for a goal kick in the last action of the game was indicative of the problems U’s had in the attacking third, and a frustrating evening ended with a skirmish in the Wimbledon goalmouth after the final whistle which resulted in bookings for Broome and Louis John.

Sutton: J Rose, J Kizzi, S Hart, A Lovatt(sub R Milsom 72), C Eastmond, L John, E Boldewijn, J Neufville(sub T Fadahunsi 85), O Bugiel (sub K Kouassi 72), C Kendall(sub D Wilson 68), W Randall. Subs n/u C Dundas, L Gambin, K Thomas. Booked : Bugiel, John 

Wimbledon: N Broome, H Biler, J Currie, L Jenkins, A Pearce, G Marsh(sub R Towler 81), C Senior(sub E Chislett 76), A Bendle, K Hudlin, Q Bartley(sub J Davison 76), D Fisher (sub A Assal 75) Subs n/u N Tzanev, P Maghoma, I Ogundere. Booked: Hudlin, Biler, Broome.

Referee: Sam Purkiss

Attendance: 1,854 (808 away)