MATCH PREVIEW: Sutton Utd vs Wealdstone
- Aryan Jolly
- 6 hours ago
- 4 min read
After another rain-induced postponement in midweek, the Stones are back in action on Saturday as they take on Sutton United in an all-London affair.
The Basics
Date: Saturday, February 21
Venue: The VBS Community Stadium, Gander Green Lane, Sutton, SM1 2EY
Competition: The Enterprise National League
Kick Off Time: 3:00 pm
Broadcast Information: The game will be available to watch live via DAZN (non-UK residents only)
News From The Vale
Earlier this month, club media had a chat with Brunel University Pro-Vice Chancellor Professor Geoffrey Rodgers to take a deeper dive into the partnership between the two organisations.
Brunel are Wealdstone’s front-of-shirt sponsor, and are also involved with the club in many other ways, including providing training facilities for Sam Cox’s side during the week.
"I think the club has a lot of ambition and a lot of potential," Rodgers said when speaking to the Stones’ YouTube channel.
"It's a great catchment area round here with a lot of interest in the club and the leaders of the club have got a clear vision about what they want to achieve and where they want to go - so we're keen to be on that journey with you as there's benefits for us but also we're looking to support you.”
You can watch the full interview by clicking here.
The Opposition
Recent form: WDLDW
League Position: 20th
It has been a season of many ups and downs for Sutton United. Following what looked to be a fairly strong transfer window on paper, the U’s practically could not buy a win in the opening months of the season, leading to the dismissal of Steve Morrison.
He was replaced by Chris Agutter, who had achieved good results in the National League South with Worthing. It was actually following the reverse fixture between the two sides that Agutter found his stride in Southwest London, as Sutton won six of their next seven games in all competitions.
The U’s had another dip in form over the Christmas period, but have shown signs of a turnaround in form over the last month, and currently sit in sixth place in the form table.
The reverse fixture: When the two sides met earlier in the campaign, it produced what has arguably been the Stones’ most entertaining game of the season thus far.
The visitors were all over the Stones during the opening 25 minutes of the game. Dante Baptiste made a couple of good saves, but still conceded twice.
Lewis Simper scored Sutton’s first goal in the 16th minute as Anthony Georgiou’s attempted clearance fortuitously bounced off the attacker and into the net.
Less than 10 minutes later, the travelling side doubled their lead. Kai Jennings wriggled into half a yard of space in the box and fired a shot into the bottom corner.
However, the Stones began their turnaround just after the half-an-hour mark. Sak Hassan picked up a loose clearance, drove towards the Sutton goal, and passed to Micah Obiero, who duly converted to half the deficit.
After Baptiste made two more good saves at the end of the first half, Wealdstone levelled the scoring in the early stages of the second half.
Phillip Chinedu showed good strength to beat his man and stand a ball up to the back post, which Hassan fired home. Just five minutes later, the Stones took the lead as Connor McAvoy nodded Hassan’s corner home.
Baptiste made another excellent save to just about deny Brandon Njoku in the 69th minute as Agutter’s team began to put pressure on the Stones.
But the home side sealed the victory in the dying stages via Georgiou, who scored the sixth goal of a thrilling encounter.
The danger man - Jermaine Francis: Towards the end of January, the U’s secured the services of one of the most talented young wingers in the National League in Jermaine Francis.
The 16-cap Grenada international spent a considerable amount of time playing in the lower leagues, most notably for Hashtag United, where he scored 14 times in 30 league games as the Tags were promoted from the Isthmian League North Division.
This earned him a move to Chelmsford City, where he netted nine times before moving to Barnet last season. Francis made the majority of his appearances last season on loan at Braintree Town, where he scored eight times in 29 National League games.
Following a six-month stint with Hartlepool United, Francis is now back in London and will be looking to return to his best form. He is a winger who brings both good speed and end product to the table, whilst also working hard off the ball.
Buy Your Tickets Now!
It is pivotal that the Stones build some momentum going into their massive FA Trophy clash with Kidderminster Harriers. That starts on Saturday, so why not make the short trip across London to support the team! Sutton Utd have now granted away fans access to a covered terrace alongside the intial allocated section.
Please note that tickets purchased on the day are subject to a £3 price increase and Gander Green Lane is entirely cashless, with bars and food kiosks open from 1.00pm onwards.
