Sutton Held To Goalless Draw Against Dons
- Johnnie Lowery
- Jan 8, 2017
- 2 min read
It was a game of mixed feelings for United as they would have been delighted to outplay League 1 opponents AFC Wimbledon on the day, but there was a sense of frustration after several chances to take the win were missed.
The first opportunity came after a lightning Sutton counter attack, Gomis winning the ball before allowing Deacon to run and slot Tubbs in behind the visitors’ defence. The former AFC Wimbledon man will feel he should have hit the target instead of screwing his effort wide of Shea’s far post. The Wombles had a half chance of their own when Bulman fired an effort straight at Worner from the edge of the box, but the U’s had the next big chance through another counter attack. This time it was Biamou who was put through by the excellent Roarie Deacon, but the French striker went with the outside of his boot and put his effort wide of the goal and into the side netting.
Wimbledon came close at the start of the second half as a deflected cross very nearly dipped under the bar, with Worner scrambling. Fortunately for Sutton the ball carried on across the face of goal avoiding any blue shirts on its way. Despite this scare Paul Doswell’s men continued to be on top, the Deacon-Biamou combination creating another chance. This time a delicate ball over the top was excellently controlled by Biamou, whose effort was well saved by Shea in the Wimbledon goal. Sloppy play in the League 1 side’s defence almost created an opportunity out of nothing for Eastmond but he was forced out wide and couldn’t find anyone with his ball across goal from that position. To their credit AFC Wimbledon improved from this point onwards and put Sutton under pressure in the final few minutes, with a loud penalty appeal correctly turned away by referee Keith Stroud, with Hudson-Odoi getting a clear touch on the ball.
Stoppage time saw more opportunities for both sides, the first of them falling to the away side. After what appeared to be a foul on a defender wasn’t given the ball fell to Robinson, who fired over. Worner had to be on hand minutes later to deny Wimbledon’s Elliot gaining a late winner for his side. Bedsente Gomis nearly had the final say well into the last minute of the six added on, but his acrobatic effort comfortably cleared the crossbar meaning the two sides will meet again in a replay in the week commencing 16th January.
Sutton manager Paul Doswell, speaking to SUFCtv, was in a mixed mood after the game:
“We should have won, we edged it maybe – there were 3 or 4 good chances for us”
“I’m amazingly proud of the players…I suppose that’s the overriding feeling – I’m just proud of everyone, everything about this club”
“I think the players have been magnificent at this club over the last 2 years with what they’ve done”
On the replay at Kingsmeadow:
“It’s the FA Cup – if it was a league game I don’t think any of supporters would go with much confidence due to our league form this year….but it’s the FA Cup and you never know.”