Match Report

Four goals in fourteen minutes late in the first half eased Sutton to a victory that saw them score five in the first home league game of the season for the second year running. For half an hour there was little between the sides and it was Altrincham, last season’s beaten play-off semi finalists, who looked marginally the likelier to break through. Then a mistake from Altrincham defender Jake Cooper, who would endure a nightmare quarter of an hour, was seized on by Josh Coley and from there Sutton didn’t look back, opening up a four goal gap by half time and then preserving a clean sheet during the second half, the performance rounded off by a superb Ashley Nadesan header six minutes from time.

Altrincham carried an early threat and Steve Arnold had to field shots from Alex Newby and Jon Nuttall after two attacks down the right. Nana Boateng had a cross from the left acrobatically cleared, but while Sutton’s approach work was fluent there was little indication of the goal rush to come. Then Cooper’s wayward pass out from the back was intercepted by Coley, who still had plenty to do but stepped inside one defender before drilling a low shot from outside the penalty area in to the corner of the net.

From then until half time it was one-way traffic, and a second goal soon followed when Jayden Harris stabbed a shot home after a low Boateng cross had diverted in to his path. Harris was an increasingly influential figure, and when he slid in to dispossess Cooper six minutes later he had an assist to his name as well as a goal as his challenge sent Will Davies clear to slot the ball past Ethan Moss. Before the interval there was time for Harris to inflict more misery on Cooper when the defender brought him down in the penalty area as he tried to work a shooting position. Siju Odelusi confidently converted the penalty, and Sutton returned to the dressing room with the game just about won.

Cooper failed to appear for the second half, being replaced by James Jones, while striker Regan Linney was soon brought on as Altrincham looked for a way back in to the game. Sutton defended the clean sheet well, though, and Arnold was a spectator for much of the half. Both sides continued to make changes throughout the second half, but it was always Sutton who looked likelier to add to the score and Ross made one good save down to his right to turn away Lewis Simper’s low shot. There would be a fifth goal, though, and it was a first Sutton goal for Nadesan, who met Simper’s cross from the right with a towering header that found the top corner of the net to round off a fine afternoon for U’s, who deserved the ovation from the supporters after referee Stephen Parkinson blew the final whistle.

Altrincham: E Ross, L Banks, T Golden, L Baines, J Cooper(sub J Jones H-T), E Osbourne(sub G Wilson 63), M Haygarth(sub K Reddin 64), T Crawford, J Nuttall (sub R Linney 57), A Newby, J Amaluzor(sub L Weaver 74). Subs n/u M Kosylo, L Fallon

Referee: Stephen Parkinson

Click here for Steve Morison’s post match views.

Click here for a post match interview with Jayden Harris.