Sutton’s Academy side suffered a first EFL Youth Alliance league defeat, a more experienced Leyton Orient proving too strong at Cheam Sports Club.
Orient took an early lead through a fast break down the left, a striker cutting in before placing a shot beyond Kai Morgan, but Sutton fought back well and twice came close to levelling as Liam Moore dragged a shot wide after the goalkeeper had pushed out George Vorster’s cross shot, and then Bobby Sheargold’s low effort blocked by the goalkeeper’s legs. However three minutes before half time U’s central defenders failed to deal with a long through ball allowing the visitors in to double their lead.
Sheargold had another opportunity just after the break when his volley flew just the wrong side of the post, but before U’s could make the most of a promising start to the second half a low shot from just inside the penalty area put them three behind. A good response saw a goal pulled back quickly when a long throw from Dan Urpens glanced off the head of a defender and looped in to the net, but almost immediately Orient went down the other end and as U’s failed to clear their lines a low shot found the net at the near post to restore Orient’s three goal lead.
Again Sutton responded well, and Khyan Edwards thought he had reduced the arrears with a close range finish following a corner, but a very tight offside decision saw the goal ruled out. Moore’s protests earned him a yellow card, and a second followed minutes later for a heavy challenge in midfield leaving U’s to play the last quarter of the game with ten players as Orient saw out their victory which moved them in to the top five of the South Division, two points behind U’s who remain second ahead of Saturday’s games.
Sutton: K Morgan, C Lee, G Vorster, V Tume(sub J Lowe 55), D Urpens, L Moore, K Edwards, R Ruiz(sub C Bell H-T), J Trickett(sub J Fennelow H-T), B Sheargold(sub M Milchev-Szczepaniak 55), N Hepburn(sub K Wilson 55).
