Sutton’s task to avoid losing EFL status at the end of the season became harder as, while both Forest Green and Grimsby were winning, U’s failed to make the best of the opportunities that presented themselves and went down to a goal by Crewe’s leading scorer Elliott Nevitt, who had not been named in the starting line up but who had replaced striker Coutney Baker-Richardson after only five minutes. It was a goal that kept alive Crewe’s hopes of a top three place and automatic promotion, but for long spells their performance was that of a side that had lost its two previous games and the anxiety could be felt among the home supporters at the Mornflake Stadium, but Sutton failed to capitalise on the home team’s uncertainty and were punished when a quick counter attack saw Nevitt’s shot just beat Joe Kizzi to cross the line and give Crewe the decisive goal.

Crewe suffered an early blow when Baker-Richardson went down injured inside the first minute and was unable to continue,Nevitt on as an earlyr replacement, but the first chance went to the home side when Steve Arnold spilled a low cross from Charlie Kirk but did well to divert the ball wide as Joel Tabiner looked to profit from the rebound. That was the home side’s only clear chance during a half when they gave the ball away on numerous occasions, but Sutton failed to make the most of the home side’s generosity, coming closest when Nino Adom-Malaki’s well struck shot from 25 yards was saved by home goalkeeper Tom Booth. Josh Coley sent a shot over the bar just before half time, by which time the home supporters had been taking their frustrations out on referee Andrew Humphries following an incident where Arnold came to the edge of his penalty area and collided with Shilow Tracey, the referee deciding that Arnold had played enough of the ball to avoid committing a foul.

Sutton continued to be the better of the two sides in a generally undistinguished game, and an early second half change saw Harry Beautyman’s return cut short by illness as he was replaced by Stephen Duke-McKenna. It was the substitute who tested Booth with one shot from the edge of the penalty area, but Sutton’s big moment came when Kizzi escaped his marker at a Charlie Lakin corner but from just six yards out failed to make proper contact with the ball and it dribbled wide of the post.

Having done little to trouble Arnold, Crewe came close when a Nevitt cross just evaded Zac Williams at the far post, but with twenty minutes to go they had the breakthrough as a quick break saw the referee play a good advantage after Clay had fouled Lewis Leach in the centre circle and substitute Aaron Rowe burst through the middle before finding Nevitt, who was forced wide by Omar Sowunmi but still managed to clip a shot past Arnold and it had just enough on it to cross the line before Kizzi could clear.

Sutton were unable to do enough to force an equaliser, the best moment coming in stoppage time when Sowunmi had the ball taken off his foot just as he was about to shoot following a free kick, and go in to Saturday’s game at Forest Green six points behind the Gloucestershire side.

Sutton: S Arnold, R Jackson, N Adom-Malaki, O Sowunmi, J Kizzi, C Clay(sub C Eastmond 73), J Coley(sub O Sanderson 73), D Moore(sub S Hart 73), H Smith, H Beautyman(sub S Duke-McKenna 53), C Lakin. Subs n/u M Kerbey, J Taylor, C N’Guessan. Booked: Sowunmi, Beautyman, Kizzi, Duke-McKenna.

Crewe: T Booth, E Turns, R Adebisi, Z Williams, J Austerfield, C Kirk (sub A Rowe 60), C Thomas, C Baker-Richardson (sub E Nevitt 5), S Tracey, J Tabiner(sub L Leigh 61). Subs n/u H Davies, R Cooney, C Finney, L Billington. Booked: Austerfield.

Referee: Andrew Humphries

Attendance: 3,562(82 away)

Above photo courtesy of blpshots