Swindon Town look to get back to winning ways in League Two as they travel to South London tonight to face Sutton United.
The U’s aren’t on the best run of form themselves with just one win in their last five, making for an enticing tie at the VBS Community Stadium.
Here’s a brief insight into Matt Gray’s side ahead of tonight’s showdown…
The lowdown…
The London based club are in their second season in the Football League having missed out on the play-offs last term by a single point.
Finishing up in eighth, Matt Gray’s side also reached the EFL Trophy Final where they were cruelly denied by Rotherham United in extra-time.
The club started playing football in the junior local league’s but progressed into the Athenian League in 1921.
In 1928 they won their first of three league championships, and in 1967, claimed their first of five Isthmian League titles.
Three years later, Sutton entertained Don Revie’s great Leeds side in front of 14,000 people at Gander Green Lane losing 6-0, and the 1970s brought little success other than The Anglo Italian Cup.
In 1979, Keith Blunt masterminded a shock 2-1 victory over Chieti, making Sutton the only English club to claim the competition in it’s semi-professional era, but arguably their most memorable season came in 1988-89, thanks in part to their remarkable FA Cup run.
After entering the competition in the fourth qualifying round, Sutton met Coventry City in the third round. The Sky Blues, who were in the First Division, had won the competition 18 months previously.
Sutton however emerged 2-1 winners, joining a small number of non-league clubs to beat a First Division side.
They then went on to reach the National League in 2016 after romping to the National League South title, which included a 25-match unbeaten run. On their return to the fifth tier, they finished twelfth, however it was once again their FA Cup exploits which stole the headlines.
After beating Leeds United 1-0, they became only the ninth non-league side to reach the fifth round of the competition since 1945.
The reward was a glamor tie against Premier League outfit Arsenal. The following season Paul Doswell’s side suffered heartbreak in the play-off semi-final. However, under the stewardship of current boss, Matt Gray, Sutton reached the EFL thanks to securing the 2020/21 National League title.
The Stadium…
Gander Green Lane, more commonly known as the Borough Sports Ground, is the home of Sutton United.
Based in south London and built in 1898, the ground has played host to England C team and FA Sunday Cup matches previously.
From 2015, the surface was a FIFA 2-Star quality 3G pitch, but after winning promotion to the Football League in 2021, regulations meant the club had to replace it with grass.
During last season, the club installed a hybrid ‘PowerGrass’ pitch.
Previous meetings…
Swindon and Sutton have actually only ever met four times in their respective histories, with Town winning every encounter.
Earlier this season, Town added another victory to the record books back in September with a 3-2 win at SN1, thanks to Tyrese Shade, Jonny Williams and a last gasp strike from Jacob Wakeling.
Last terms double-header in League Two proved a disappointing one for tonight’s hosts, with goals from Josh Davison and Harry McKirdy earning Town a 2-1 win and all three points at SN1 back in March.
The earlier meeting that season saw Swindon emerge victorious by the same score line at Gander Green in October last year, courtesy of goals from Louis Reed and Jonny Williams.
Before that you’ll have to go back to December 1981 for the last meeting, as Town won 2-1 again on home soil in an FA Cup clash.
Their season thus far…
Sutton currently occupy thirteenth spot in the Sky Bet League Two standings, with just four points separating them from eighth.
However, their recent form has seen their surge towards the top ten halted somewhat with just one league win in their last five, which came at the end of last month away at Harrogate.
That came after a strong December, which saw them win three, draw one and lose one, propelling them up the table.
The manager…
Matt Gray was a product of the Tottenham academy, playing as a defender throughout his time in the National League.
He enjoyed stints with Barnet, Hayes and Havant, where he captained the latter. However, the 40-year-old’s career was curtailed at the age of 25 due to several injuries.
Following retirement, Gray shifted his attention towards a career in coaching. His first jobs came as an assistant at Eastleigh, Aldershot and Crawley Town.
When Paul Doswell stepped down, Gray took interim charge for the final Sutton game of the 2018/19 season and the following summer, secured the job on a permanent basis.
It took Gray just two seasons to mastermind Sutton’s rise to the EFL, with the gaffer scooping the Manager of the Year Award in the process.
Players to watch and January recruitment…
Will Randall will no doubt be singled out as The U’s danger man.
The left-winger, who has six league goals to his name thus far, netted twice against Swindon when the two sides met at the County Ground back in September.
Incidentally, he was an academy graduate at Town, making nine first-team appearances before heading to Wolves in 2016.
Centre-forward Omar Bugiel is another player who is capable of finding the net. He’s scored three league goals this season and has matched that with the same amount of assists.
The German-born former Lebanese international is fast approaching 130 league games for Sutton.
Defensive midfielder and captain Craig Eastmond, once on the books of Arsenal, is also a big player for Matt Gray’s side.
The 32-year-old is also one of their most experienced, with 268 league appearances for The U’s.
Left-back Robert Milsom, at 36, is the most senior head in the side, and isn’t shy in front of goal either, notching three so far.
And there were a few new faces brought in to strengthen the ranks in January, with David Ajiboye drafted in on loan from Peterborough United and Matthew Dennis on a temporary deal from MK Dons.
Bradford City striker Lee Angol has also arrived to increase their firepower up top, and he could prove a shrewd signing by Gray this term.
