A tense and often disjointed encounter at the VBS Community Stadium saw Sutton United secure a deserved 2-0 victory over a struggling AFC Fylde side. The first half was characterised by a flurry of yellow cards, disrupting the flow of the game and reflecting the cagey nature of the opening exchanges. Sutton’s Tyler French was the first to be booked after just nine minutes, setting the tone for a scrappy period. Yellow cards were subsequently shown to Finley Barbrook, Ashley Nadesan, and Besart Topalloj for Sutton, while Owen Evans and Danny Ormerod also entered the referee’s notebook for the visitors. Despite the numerous cautions, neither side could break the deadlock, and the teams went into the break goalless.
The second half began in a similar vein, with an unnamed AFC Fylde player receiving a yellow card early on, followed by another for Sutton’s Josh Coley. Chances remained at a premium, prompting both managers to turn to their benches around the hour mark. Fylde introduced Charlie Jolley and Jonathan Ustabasi in an attempt to inject some life into their attack, while Sutton later brought on Harry Ransom and Dillon De Silva.
The substitutions eventually paid dividends for Sutton, as they finally broke the deadlock in the 68th minute. A well-constructed move culminated in Jack Wadham providing the assist for Ashley Nadesan, who slotted the ball home to give the hosts a crucial lead. The goal invigorated Sutton, and they doubled their advantage just three minutes later. This time, Nadesan turned provider, setting up Will Davies to make it 2-0. Having significantly influenced the outcome, Nadesan was then substituted, his work complete. Sutton comfortably controlled the remainder of the match, with a late substitution seeing Nana Boateng replace Coley to further solidify the midfield. The final whistle confirmed a valuable three points for Sutton United, leaving AFC Fylde to contemplate their continuing difficulties.
The victory lifts Sutton to seventh in the National League table, adding to their earlier FA Cup triumph over AFC Fylde this season. For Fylde, the defeat keeps them mired near the foot of the table, and extends their winless record against Sutton to two defeats from two encounters this season.