Match Report

Sutton’s pre-season programme ended with a comfortable win at Welling. First half goals from Dillon De Silva, Siju Odelusi and Jayden Harris did the damage to the home side, who lost defender Harvey Walker to a serious looking leg injury just before half time, taking the edge off the remainder of the game.

Playing up the Park View Road slope, Sutton made a fine start when some persistence from Harris in midfield allowed Lewis Simper to find De Silva midway inside the Welling half, and he drifted past two defenders before unleashing a superb shot from twenty yards that flew past goalkeeper Rhys Lovett.

Nana Boateng came close to a second when a long throw from the returning Eduino Vaz found its way through to the far post, but Boateng’s looping effort was turned over by Lovett. However the resulting corner was well worked, Simper’s backheel allowing Boateng to chip a cross to the far post where Odelusi’s downward header found a space between Lovett and his near post.

Welling enjoyed their best spell following that goal, with Martell Taylor-Crossdale’s low shot well turned away by Steve Arnold before TJ Bramble, set up by Taylor-Crossdale, clipped the top of the crossbar from the edge of the penalty area. The woodwork was struck again soon afterwards by Walker’s well struck free kick, and this time the ball rebounded out to spark a frantic scramble in which Jack Burchell’s attempt to force it in was blocked on the line.

Having survived that pressure, Sutton created more chances and Simper should have scored with a header from De Silva’s cross, but put his effort over the bar. Moments later Simper was involved again, and this time a goal resulted as his low shot rebounded off a defender and Harris reacted well to stab the ball past the already committed keeper.

After that the game became a little untidy, Harris and Bramble booked for an altercation after the Sutton player had been penalised for a foul on the Welling striker, and then Walker’s injury causing a long delay before he was carried off on a stretcher.

The second half produced little goalmouth activity, with Ashley Nadesan coming on for his Sutton debut a day after joining on loan from Gillingham and going closest for U’s with a lob over Lovett that didn’t quite come down in time. At the other end Arnold saved well from Reece Grant and also kept out a deflected Gene Kennedy free kick, but Sutton saw the game out in encouraging style ahead of the start of the National League season at Tamworth next week.