Spirited Sutton United fightback underlines they share Robbie Savage ambition to pilot a path back to EFL
National League
Sutton United (0) 3 Njoku 72, Carter 79, Babalola 90+3
Forest Green Rovers (1) 3 Clarke 10, Ewing 48 Sass s/o 52 McAllister 73
An injury time equaliser capped a fine recovery from 3-1 down for Sutton against a 10-man Forest Green in a game rich in entertainment.
The game was a fine advert for the National League and was the right outcome in a match that saw both sides contribute in an increasingly thrilling encounter.
It's tough being a former EFL club though. Sutton and Forest Green are both agreed on that.
After years of being famous as the great Southern League giant-killers of the FA Cup, Sutton had a taste on the football league for their first time in their 123-year history - but only got to savour it for three years.
Forest Green, the rather less lauded side from Gloucestershire, fared better. Their seven-year stay included a League Two title under Rob Edwards and a year in League One, but they returned to the National League in 2024.
It goes without saying that both would dearly love to return to football's fourth tier. They do not want what they had to become just footnotes in their CVs. Both miss the sugar-rush of games against the bigger names.
There is a certain poignancy about this fixture for the Ambers. Their first ever match in the EFL in August 2021 - following promotion under the guidance of Matt Gray - was away to Forest Green (They lost 2-1 but had a great season, finishing eighth).
Sutton are doing Ok in the early weeks of the campaign. They drew 1-1 at Halifax Town last week after the teams exchange goals in injury time. Despite salvaging the draw with a late equaliser, boss Chris Agutter was frustrated that a dominant performance did not yield all three points. He might be less critical this time.
They were sixth ahead of this one, the visitors 14th. Now in their third season back in this division, they are desperate for an improvement on last season's disappointing showing when they finished 19th and only avoided relegation by five points.
Rovers, now overseen by their infamous Welsh provocateur Robbie Savage, were seventh last term and have high hopes. They went up in 2017 and believe they can do it again under their flamboyant boss.
Forest Green's fans - who Savage went across the pitch to applaud just before kick-off - had the bonus of seeing an early breakthrough when skipper Kyle McAllister set Sean Etaluku free for a run on goal and although Spike Brits saved, Jayden Clarke followed up to smash home.
Sutton took an age to fashion anything resembling a chance - we were up to minute 34 when Joe Knight let fly at the keeper, who saved comfortably.
At the other end, Etaluku - a player with the potential for a higher calling - cut inside before planting a low left foot shot at goal which needed saving.
Sutton were getting frustrated by a struggle to get fully into the contest and one of Agutter's team on the bench was red carded for over-zealous protests when Rovers' keeper clattered into a yellow shirt when punching clear. Skipper Jake Taylor was also yellow carded for a high tackle, joining Knight in the book for an earlier misdemeanour.
The start of the second half hardly promised better times for the U's as Will Nightingale was robbed on the ball by half-time sub Oliver Ewing, who strode on and tucked the ball neatly past Brits.
But hope was revived soon after when Rovers defender Freddie Sass picked up a second yellow card for a senseless shirt pull on the halfway line when there was no real danger for his side.
And that hope increased when sub Brandon Njoku pounced after the keeper had spilled a shot from distance.
The mood was quickly dampened when Sutton found themselves stretched in their headlong pursuit of an equaliser and a quick transition paved the way for skipper McAllister to slip the ball past Brits.
But those believing it was game over were made to think again. First, Charlie Carter volleyed superbly from just outside the area into the top corner with 12 minutes remaining and we are all set for thevgrandstand finish - provided by a far-post header from Temi Babalola which gave the U's their spirited comeback deserved.
And they even came close to winning it at the death with Njoku having a late shot blocked.
Whatever the season holds in terms of lofty promotion aspirations, few will have left today feeling short-changed by the spectacle.
U's: (4-2-2-2) Brits - Urpens (Nzuzi 65), Nightingale, Byron (Tapollaj h/t), Brookes - Knight, Taylor (Nkoju 71) - Carter, Osadebe - Babalola, Ogbonna (Folarin 83)
Rovers: (4-2-3-1) Ross - Abrefa, Mabete, Ajayi, Sass - Campbell, Clarke - McAllister, Marquez (Kircough 61), Etaluku (ifeanyi 71) - Berry (Ewing /t) (Pemberton 56)
Attendance: 2,139
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