Ashley Nadesan struck with the last kick of the game to rescue a point against Southend United.
Ex-Sutton defender Ben Goodliffe had broken the deadlock midway through the first half when James Morton’s corner was flicked on towards the back post, where Goodliffe produced an acrobatic volley to draw first blood with a fine finish into the top corner, and set Southend on their way to a relatively comfortable second half.
However, Sutton produced a late, late escape, with Lewis Simper and Nadesan combining to rescue a point, the former hitting the post with a low effort that came back off the upright, falling into the path of Nadesan who slid the ball into the bottom corner at the death.
A draw with the Shrimpers sees Sutton jump up a place to 14th, and face Rochdale AFC in another home clash on Tuesday night.
Steve Morison made two changes from Tuesday night’s victory over Braintree Town in the National League Cup Semi-Final, with Kain Adom returning to the team to make his home debut after being cup-tied during the week, while Alex Woodyard returned to the XI against his former club.
The first opening of proceedings fell to the hosts, looking to build on Tuesday’s win which sent them to the inaugural National League Cup Final. Lewis Simper found space to drive forward before trying his luck with a hopeful volley from distance, but could only shank his effort off target.
This was followed by a period of sustained Southend pressure, although they struggled to penetrate a stubborn U’s defence. They would have to wait unit the 17th minute before picking the Sutton lock, with Gus Scott-Morriss doing well up against Eduino Vaz to pick out Leon Parillon, who swivelled and sent a shot towards the bottom corner under pressure from Ransom, but couldn’t squeeze his effort inside the near post.
The Shrimpers soon began to turn the screw, and almost went in front a couple of times through Macauley Bonne, who first met Scott-Morriss’ cross from the right flank and forced Jack Sims into a point blank stop, before looking to thread a through ball towards the onrushing Tom Hopper moments later and forced Harry Ransom into a crucial sliding block to put it out for a corner – the defender making his first league start since December following an impressive display in Essex on Tuesday.
The resulting set piece saw Southend take the lead though, and it was former U Goodliffe who got his name on the scoresheet; his first goal at Gander Green Lane since the 3-2 defeat to Morecambe back in October 2023. Morton’s delivery was headed away towards the back post where Goodliffe was waiting in space to hook the ball back towards goal and into the top corner, giving Sims no chance.
Sutton responded well though, and almost levelled immediately when Ryan Jackson popped up at the back post to meet Woodyard’s deep cross and head the ball just over the crossbar, before Finley Barbrook tested Hayes with a swerving free kick that forced the goalkeeper to produce a strong hand and parry it away from danger.
This had followed another warning sign for the U’s, with Parillon getting in behind and seeing a shot from close range cannon off Sims’ legs, and preceded a late chance for the Seasiders to double their advantage in stoppage time, with Scott-Morriss pulling the strings again. The wing-back sent a dangerous cross from the byline towards the back post and picked out captain Nathan Ralph, who’s header needed to be pushed away by Sims, and thus brought the half to a close.
An early change at the start of the second half saw Adom replaced by Nadesan in an attempt to secure a quick route back into the game, although it was the Shrimpers who produced the first couple of openings after the restart.
First, Bonne showed good energy and determination to race towards goal before seeing a shot blocked away, before Goodliffe came close to a second of the afternoon, doing some keepy-ups to get the ball under control following a corner before sending a shot inches wide of the near post.
A double change was then made in the home dugout and saw Woodyard and Vaz replaced by Jack Wadham and Nana Boateng, with opposition boss Kevin Maher combating that with a triple change that saw Jack Bridge, Oliver Coker and Cav Miley enter the fray.
Southend perhaps should have extended their advantage when Scott-Morriss did well on the byline to evade Barbrook and drill a low ball across goal, but there was no one there to meet it for a tap in, and gave Sutton a lifeline.
And the U’s almost took advantage, with Nadesan getting on the end of a deep ball before sending in a high cross from the right that somehow evaded Davies, but caused the ball to bounce awkwardly in the box and seemingly struck the hand of Harry Taylor, however the referee was unmoved and waved play on.
However, with a little under ten minutes to go, Sutton continued to push, and managed to rescue a point at the death when, deep into stoppage time, Simper found space to shoot from range, with his effort hitting the post and rebounding into the path of Nadesan who tapped into the empty net, sealing a crucial point.
Sutton United: Sims; French (Muller 87’), Ransom, Topallaj; Jackson, Barbrook, Woodyard (Wadham 68’), Vaz (Boateng 68’); Adom (Nadesan 51’), Simper; Davies. Subs n/u Odelusi, Tume, Kerbey. Booked: Simper
Southend United: Hayes; Scott-Morriss, Ralph, Husin, Bonne, Taylor, Parillon (Bridge 75’), Goodliffe, Hopper (Walker 84’), Appiah-Forson (Coker 75’), Morton (Miley 75’). Subs n/u Wind, Golding, Jaakkola. Booked: Appiah-Forson, Miley.
Referee: Robert Massey-Ellis
Attendance: 3,769(1,459 away)
Photo Credit: Paul Loughlin
