In front of a bumper crowd with co-owner Paul Brunson in attendance, Sutton looked to build on last weekend’s win against Southend with a win at home. It was a battle of the United’s as the U’s welcomed Ebbsfleet United to the VBS Community Stadium and came out on top taking all three points.
There was only one change to the starting XI from the side that won 3-1 at Roots Hall last weekend, with academy defender Junior Eccleston making his league debut in the place of the injured Ryan Jackson. Captain Tyler French was out through suspension after picking up one too many yellow cards, with Jack Wadham taking his place on the bench.
The first half saw Sutton take the lead on the sixth minute through a Will Davies opener as he drove his effort into the far bottom corner. Chances fell for Ebbsfleet but the away side were unable to find a leveller within the opening 45 minutes. The second half started the same as the first with a goal six minutes after the kick off, as Dominic Poleon fired home for Ebbsfleet on the fifty-sixth minute. Franklin Domi fired home an equaliser eleven minutes later to get the Fleet back into the game, but with twelve minutes to go, Ashley Nadesan met an inviting, inch-perfect Eduino Vaz cross to seal all three points.
The first effort of the game came from the U’s as stand-in skipper Josh Coley put a free kick into the box which Ebbsfleet failed to clear, with the defender’s clearance falling onto Charlie Waller’s weaker foot as he volleyed his attempt over the bar.
United took the lead not long after, with Jayden Harris and Will Davies finding themselves leading a Sutton counter-attack. Harris drove from midfield with the ball before laying the ball to Davies who drilled his effort low into the bottom corner to give Sutton an early lead.
Ebbsfleet had a chance of their own soon after with former U Will Randall driving down the Sutton right-hand side, with Eccleston denying an eventual effort on goal.
Following a Finley Barbrook foul, Craig Tanner had a chance to test Steve Arnold from a free kick which he hit into the wall, before having another driven effort low towards goal which Arnold did well to hold.
This preceded another chance for Ebbsfleet as full back Ben Chapman did incredibly well to beat Waller before putting a ball into the box, almost ended up in the net.
The last chance of the half fell to Lewis Simper who tried his luck from a free kick, sending his effort just over the crossbar before the referee brought a temporary close to proceedings.
The second half started with a change to the Sutton backline as Vaz replaced Eccleston, indicating a change in shape as Steve Morison switched to a back three.
This saw the U’s create an early opening, with Ashley Nadesan dancing around a defender before curling his effort towards the top corner, which forced Mark Cousins into a good save.
A second goal soon followed though as Simper did well to find himself free on the left flank. He took the ball past the Ebbsfleet full back before cutting the ball back to Harris, who made no mistake from the edge of the box to perfectly place his effort into the top corner to double the U’s advantage.
Ebbsfleet would manage to get a goal of their own five minutes later though, as Wes Fonguck lofted a ball through to Poleon who took a touch and confidently placed his effort into the bottom corner.
The Fleet would find an equaliser soon after, with Domi levelling the game with a thunderbolt of an effort that flew into the top corner from 35 yards out.
Morison responded with a double change as Siju Odelusi and Jeremy Sivi replaced Barbrook and Coley, and Sutton almost restored their lead instantly, with Nadesan finding himself through but could only flash his effort across the face of goal.
Vaz led the next U’s attack as he drove forward before picking out Sivi on the right flank, who flashed a ball across the box to Nadesan who was waiting at the back post, but was unable to beat Cousins once again as a wonderful last ditch challenge from Mustapha Olagunju denied the loanee from close range.
The winning goal would come not long after though, with Vaz finding space on the left flank. The wing back drove towards the byline and played an inviting ball to the back post which Nadesan hammered into the top corner, giving the U’s the lead with just 12 minutes to go.
Another chance would fall to Sutton not long before full time, as Waller sprayed a beautiful cross-field pass to Sivi who laid the ball off to Davies, who was given time and space take a touch, turn and volley a vicious effort at goal, with Cousins doing incredibly well to prevent the U’s from adding a fourth.
The last chance of the game would fall to the visitors, as Chin Okoli tried to shield the ball from Poleon, but the Fleet striker nicked the ball from the U’s loanee and fired towards goal, forcing Arnold into an incredible point blank save, standing firm to deny Ebbsfleet an equaliser, and meaning the U’s would seal back-to-back victories.
(Match Report written by Ryan Herrick)
