Sutton 2 (6) - U's 2 (5) (LC1) Match Report: Goosed

United started their League Cup campaign with a tricky trip to Sutton. @julianroberts3 was our man on the ground at Gander Green Lane.

Don’t lie to yourself, you’ve missed this haven’t you? Standing in a small terrace in South London. Watching out at the pissing rain on an August night that feels more like November. Hands firmly in pockets as you scowl out at the ball once again being launched towards the big man up top. And, once again, seeing the U’s struggling to cope with it all. This is football, welcome back.

It feels like there are two ways to reflect on Tuesday night’s Random Brazilian Energy Drink™️Cup exit at the hands of Sutton United. Let’s get the critical stuff out of the way first.

The obvious one is you should clearly always be beating teams in the league below you (and one that, financially speaking, is towards the very bottom end of that league). And you certainly should be beating them after being ahead twice, the first being an absolute gift. But twice that lead was surrendered - the first you’ll be shocked to learn from not defending a long throw, the second an out of character double mistake in 10 seconds from the untouchable icon and legend that is Harrison Dunk. These things happen. 

Despite the eight changes, this was still a team with lots of quality across the park - a sign of our potential depth this season. However, United, for all the positives from Saturday, never managed to impose themselves on the game. Over the course of the 107 minutes (get used to it), despite all of our savvy technical operators, we never quite flowed fluently and most importantly, we never made Sutton play the game on our terms. It always felt like they dictated how this game would be played (namely in the air, from set pieces), and we didn’t do enough to change that.

There are some potential reasons why: Cousins in the middle is regaining his match sharpness, Simper is still young and learning, Thomas was operating off the right and Lankester had minimal time to make an impact - and they all are getting used to playing together. But it did feel like there was enough quality throughout the game that we should have had the lion’s share of possession throughout and been dictating the flow of the game, not the slim margin of dominance we had in that department.

But in actual fact, the only thing that was dominated was United in the aerial battle/bombardment/replace with desired description. We will not be the first and certainly not the last. Sutton United play a fantastically simple style of football - three or four 28 foot lads scattered across the pitch, two quick and direct wingers, and a long throw specialist. You do the maths. 

Their 5-1 hammering of heavily fancied Notts County wasn’t an aberration. They are a lot to deal with, especially, as mentioned, if you allow them to play their game.

Zeno did well enough to cope on his first appearance this calendar year, Dunk and Bennett battled decently, and while Okedina’s physicality wasn’t the issue, huge question marks remain over his ball playing at the moment, something which was far from an issue only a season or two ago. Down the other end, Fejiri was given an extremely tough ask against a centre half closer resembling Canary Wharf than a footballer. He was being asked to contest a lot of aerial duels he was always going to be second favourite for, something which didn’t play into his hands (or feet, if you will). 

The other side of the coin is a much nicer one. Let’s end on that one. It was hard not to feel this match resembled an extension of pre-season, as the first round of this particular cup competition now so often does. There were some jeers at the attendance announcement from the away end, but from memory our home fixture against Swindon a few years back wasn’t exactly far off. 

There’s just not much appetite for this round of fixtures now the league campaign is underway. There is no financial incentive to getting through the first round of the cup, unless you get a big boy and TV tie in the draw, but you could just as easily be facing a Tuesday night trip to Newport.

In a season where survival is once again the only thing U’s fans really care about, getting minutes in more legs as the intensity of the week to week League One season gets underway has to be the most important thing. And with hopefully a bit more match sharpness now installed into the boys that played last night, that’s all of our available squad getting up to full shape. Can’t be a bad thing.

It’s also another Tuesday free - the one before Orient if anyone’s interested, which will be our first Tuesday off since the season started. And we’ve learnt a bit more about this squad; Zeno looks like he has some real potential, Liam Bennett keeps getting better, it looks like Thomas’ versatility is another positive to his all round game, and while Janneh can clearly provide flashes of unadulterated excitement, he still has plenty of the simple things to learn.

If you’d have asked me pre game would I rather win last night or on Saturday, I’d say you can find me at Blackpool North station at 6pm with 3 points and a few celebratory lagers in my back pocket. On to the next.

Man of The Match: Will Mannion - just to not be giving it to Liam Bennett again mainly, but also for a couple of blinding saves before we retook the lead, and showing himself as a more than capable deputy if that is to be his role.

Soundtrack of the Match: Curtis Mayfield - Move on Up

Unsung Hero: Assistant Manager Kevin Betsy, rocking a natty United baseball cap in the pre-match presser.