Sutton suffered a first Vanarama National League defeat of the season as Forest Green midfielder Charlie McCann scored a late winner for the Gloucestershire side for the second game running. It seemed as though Sutton had gained a deserved point when Jeremy Sivi’s first goal of the season with four minutes to go cancelled out Christian Doidge’s first half header, and with the momentum of the equaliser U’s would even have fancied going on to win the game, especially when awarded a free kick in an attacking position two minutes later. But the otherwise impressive Lewis Simper put his free kick straight in to the hands of goalkeeper Jed Ward, and rather than hold on for the point he hurled the ball downfield to set up a counter attack. Kyle McAllister reached it on the right touchline and beat Ryan Jackson before crossing, and when the ball ran to McCann twenty yards out, he checked inside before firing low past Steve Arnold.
It was another entertaining game between two well matched sides, and the main threat to U’s in the first half came from the long throws of Forest Green skipper Ben Tozer, who moved from Wrexham in the summer. U’s dealt with the majority well, Tyler French hacking off the line when Ryan Inniss did force the ball goalwards from one, but on the half hour, three minutes after having to replace the concussed Hayden Muller following a collision with Charlie Waller, U’s allowed Doidge a free run to meet another Tozer missile with a header that gave Arnold no chance.
Sutton had chances themselves, Ward twice going to his right to keep out 20 yard shots from Simper, but Doidge almost doubled his tally before half time with a header from a right wing cross that was well saved by Arnold. U’s pressed in the second half for an equaliser, but the attacks lacked the final pass, substitute Ashley Nadesan just failing to reach one Simper pass before Ward, and both Finley Barbrook and Jackson shooting narrowly wide. U’s were again grateful to Arnold as he brilliantly tipped over a Tom Knowles shot after Us had, not for the first or last time, given the ball away in a dangerous area, but the equaliser that few would have begrudged Sutton came when Nadesan surged down the right before playing a low pass in to the penalty area which was laid back by Will Davies for Sivi, whose low shot found the net past defenders and Ward. Had the game finished with the 1-1 scoreline there would have been few complaints, but Ward’s enterprise three minutes later allowed the visitors to grab what proved to be the winner.
Sutton: S Arnold, R Jackson, C Waller, T French, H Muller(sub H Ransom 27), F Barbrook, J Sivi, L Simper, W Davies, J Harris, N Boateng (sub A Nadesan 63). Subs n/u J Sims, S Odelusi, M Rush, E Vaz, J Wadham. Booked: Nadesan, Barbrook
FGR: J Ward, S Long, J Robson, B Tozer, R Inniss, A May, T Jenks(sub E Osadebe 83), C McCann, C Doidge(sub H Cardwell 90+2), L Sercombe(sub J Moore-Taylor 90+3), T Knowles(sub K McAllister 83). Subs n/u J Searle, H Bunker, J Quigley. Booked: Knowles, Long.
Referee: Aaron Bannister
Attendance: 2607 (125 away)
