Saturday 9th October 2021
EFL League 2
At Gander Green Lane
Sutton United (1) 4
Rob Milsom 36, Ben Garrity 69 OG,
Will Randall-Hurren 87, Coby Rowe 90+1
Port Vale (2) 3
Michael Smith 21, Jamie Proctor 28, Tom Conlon 78
Attendance: 3,905
Photo Gallery: Click HERE
Sutton United:
Bouzanis, Rowe, John, Ajiboye (74’ Randall), Eastmond, Boldewijn (86’ Korboa), Kizzi, Milsom, Wilson (59’ Olaofe), Bennett, Smith
Subs not used: Palmer, Wyatt, Beautyman, Sho-Silva
Port Vale:
Covolan, Gibbons (82’ Johnson), Jones, Smith, Worrall, Garrity, Wilson (66’ Lloyd), Conlon, Proctor (66’ Amoo), Pett, Cass
Subs not used: Stone, Benning, Taylor, Politic
My wife suffers from a debilitating medical condition called FOMO Syndrome (it's an acronym for Fear Of Missing Out), hence when I mentioned to her that I planned to go to that there London for the day, she just had to tag along too.
Plan A for my journey south was the Charlton Athletic v Rotherham United League One fixture, but no sooner had I purchased match and train tickets that game was postponed, due to international call ups. Gander Green Lane has been on my 'to do' list for as long as I can remember, so the enforced change to my schedule gave me the ideal opportunity to finally visit Sutton United. Darrel Clarke and his Port Vale side were providing this afternoon's opposition, which made for a potentially decent game... and in the event it more than lived up to the high expectations that I had.
Mrs W decided against going to my alternative game of choice and spent the day indulging in cultural pursuits, y'know walking round museums looking at old stuff, with our ever so well educated son, who now resides in north London.
Being a time served veteran of literally hundreds of football trips with me, here, there and everywhere, she'd initially been more than happy to go to the Addicks v Millers match (and be honest, who wouldn't have been, eh!?), but ducked out of heading across town to Gander Green Lane.
Your loss mi' duck, you've only gone and missed a seven goal thriller... and don't even try to convince me that there was anything half as interesting as this turned out to be, in either the Victoria & Albert or Imperial War Museum.
Ordering a ticket online for Sutton United's home game against Port Vale couldn't have been easier... and Charlton refunded my outlay for their cancelled fixture immediately too.
If only the ticket office staff at a certain other club that I deal with on a fairly regular basis were half as efficient and helpful as those at the Amber and Chocolates (honestly, that really is what some people call them) and the Valley.
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| Sutton United FC - view from West Sutton Station |
Sutton United were formed on 5 March 1898 at the Robin Hood Hotel, when a merger between Sutton Guild Rovers FC and Sutton Association FC (the latter of whom was previously called Sutton St. Barnabas FC) took place.
Having flitted around several local grounds, the Yellows (another nickname that is in frequent use) moved into what was then called the Sutton Adult School Ground, which became their permanent home after the First World War... and that is where they still play, although it is now officially called the Borough Sports Ground, or Gander Green Lane as it is more commonly known.
West Sutton station, that stands next door to the 5,013 capacity ground, is approximately fifteen miles south (and slightly to the west) from St. Pancras (Platform A).
Some people choose to use Sutton or Sutton Common stations instead, because they both have a more frequent service.
But if, like me, you live in one of those places that hundreds of trains pass through all week long, but very few actually stop at, then I'm sure you would agree with my opinion that West Sutton is actually spoilt for travel options... and two locos back to the smoke inside the half hour window after the full time whistle, is more than regular enough in my book.
Besides missing out on an excellent game, 'our lass' also denied herself the opportunity to visit a perfectly preserved time capsule and a stunning example of what a unique old football ground used look like, before they all started resembling one another.
If it's all-seater symmetry and straight lines you're after, then you probably won't find United's home turf all that appealing. But if it's character, nooks and crannies, stands of all shapes and sizes and the right to roam around three sides of the ground, sans the segregated sections for the visiting fans.
As recently as 2014 there an athletics track around the perimeter of the field of play, which explains the distance of some parts of the ground from the field of play. Talking of the pitch, United had installed a 3G pitch in 2015, but that had to be torn up and replaced with grass, as per Football League regulations, when the club was promoted from the National League at the end of last season.
A small seated stand, where the remnants of one of the older parts of the ground nicknamed the Shoebox used to stand, was also erected at the same time, which now provides sitting accommodation for away fans, next to their covered standing section. On today's evidence, the uncovered banks of terracing on the two corners of the ground opposite the 'away end', that bookend a covered terrace behind the goal, seem to be a popular vantage point for Sutton fans. That is also where I chose to stand, though I might have sort cover if the weather hadn't have been so pleasant.
There is a small food kiosk on the terrace at the end of the main stand... and Rose's Tea Hut (named after the lady who ran the facility for over forty years) is tucked between one of the corner terraces and the Rec terrace. It's highly recommended.
The 'Grandstand', which houses the changing rooms, has seats (in red and blue, which were donated to the club by Chelsea FC) above a standing section to the front and stands across the far side of the pitch from Rec Terrace, that houses a TV gantry on the roof above it.
With all due respect, I reckon that a huge portion of Gander Green Lane's charm, is that there is still, very much, a traditional non-league-ness about the whole set up and I genuinely hope that it stays that way for a good while yet.
Sutton United won promotion from the National League South in 2017... and on 23 May 2021, after beating Hartlepool United 3–0 at home, they won the National League championship with a game to spare and secured promotion to the English Football League for the first time in the club's 123-year history.
At the start of last season the U's chairman Bruce Elliott had given their manager Matt Gray a target of keeping the club afloat in the Nationwide League. Gray now jokes that he failed because they aren't there anymore.
With two form teams going head to head, 3,905 spectators turned out for this game, which constitutes a club record EFL attendance for the hosts... although this was only their eighth home game of the season (including an EFL Trophy fixture) so that will probably be a short-lived statistic.
Port Vale are heavily fancied to do well this season (and not without good cause), while newly promoted Sutton United are still something of an unknown quantity at this level.
Yet, even though it is still early days, following this lively encounter, both teams finished the day in the play-off berths with just one point separating them... and The Us (far more people actually call them that) have a game in hand over their Burslem based visitors.
Crash, bang, wallop... don't take your eyes off of this one for a moment, lest you should miss something... and definitely don't leave five minutes before the end to catch the 16.50 train, like far too many people did today.
I wonder if they know who won the game in the end yet?
Both teams were evidently 'in it to win it' today, with plenty of goalmouth action at both ends, but it was Vale who built up a seemingly solid league before the half hour mark, thanks to a Michael Smith header and a dipping left footed strike by Jamie Proctor.
But Sutton worked hard to stop the game getting away from them and ten minutes before half-time they were rewarded for their efforts when Rob Milsom's long range strike took a deflection and nestled in the back of Lucas Covolan's net.
Following the interval, the home side kept chipping away at the visitors defence and with twenty minutes remaining, Isaac Olaofe lifted the ball across Covolan's six yard box and Ben Garrity couldn't avoid heading it into his own goal.
Amusingly, the usually affable Darrel Clarke was booked for his angry outburst from the bench in response to Garrity's blunder.
Vale responded and looked to be on course for a fifth straight win when Tom Conlon spanked an unstoppable shot past Dean Bouzanis to restore the visitors lead with just a little over ten minutes remaining.
Going into stoppage time, the referee, one Declan Bourne, appeared to give a free-kick to Port Vale, but then overturned his decision and afforded the hosts with the opportunity to get forward one last time.
A goalmouth scramble ensued and the ball fell kindly for Coby Rowe who smashed it home to give Sutton the lead for the first time this afternoon and ultimately claim all three points.
Wow! What a finale.
FT: Sutton United 4 v Port Vale 3
One suspects that the teams in League Two had better start taking Sutton United seriously any time soon, they don't look as though they're just here to make the numbers up.
I legged it around the short walk to the railway station on the final whistle and was heading towards St. Pancras before the bulk of the rail-bound throng had even arrived on the platform. The Trainline app on my phone had given me the heads up that a train was arriving imminently. Don't you just love all of this new-fangled technology stuff?
