A pulsating seven-goal encounter at the Suit Direct Stadium saw Hartlepool United produce a stunning second-half comeback to overcome a two-goal deficit and defeat Sutton United 4-3.
Sutton United started brightly and took an early lead in the 6th minute. Josh Coley’s delivery found Jayden Harris, who capitalised on the opportunity to put the visitors ahead. Their advantage was doubled in the 24th minute when Eduino Vaz set up Ashley Nadesan to make it 2-0. Hartlepool manager Darren Sarll responded to the early setback with a double substitution before half-time, seemingly in an attempt to stem the tide.
The changes proved inspirational, sparking a remarkable turnaround in the second half. Substitute Joe Grey, introduced in the 27th minute in place of Darren Robinson, provided the assist for Luke Charman to halve the deficit in the 55th minute. The comeback gathered real momentum just two minutes later when fellow substitute Emmanuel Dieseruvwe, who had replaced an unnamed player in the 38th minute, levelled the scores. Dieseruvwe wasn’t finished there. He completed his hat-trick, first by converting a Luke Waterfall assist in the 71st minute to put Hartlepool ahead for the first time, and then securing the victory with an 85th-minute winner, expertly set up by half-time substitute Nicky Featherstone. Sutton briefly thought they had salvaged a point when Lewis Simper found the net in the 83rd minute, but Dieseruvwe’s late strike ultimately proved decisive.
The match was a fiercely contested affair, punctuated by several yellow cards. Hartlepool’s tactical substitutions proved to be the difference, transforming a potential defeat into a vital three points. For Sutton, despite their early dominance, it was a case of missed opportunities and defensive vulnerabilities that ultimately cost them the game. The result sees Hartlepool climb to 14th in the National League table with 16 points, while Sutton drop to 9th with 19 points, having entered the match with the better recent form, boasting a win and a draw in their previous two encounters against Hartlepool.