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Sutton home preview for Good Friday

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Sutton home preview for Good Friday

Postby Sweden Stag » Wed Apr 13, 2022 5:30 am

After the convincing 4-0 away victory at all-but-relegated Scunthorpe last Saturday, a completely now visitor will entertain at One Call Stadium on Good Friday. It is a side which in the past have done a few FA Cup giant-killings. Just ask Coventry in 1989, Peterborough in 1987 and Leeds during the 2016-17 season. The tale is of the EFL newcomers Sutton United, promoted to the EFL as National League winners last campaign.

When the Stags had their dark days a decade ago, they did not even play Sutton United. Fact is that they during those dark seasons for the Stags played in the League below, as Sutton belonged to the Conf South founder members in 2004-05 and even finished rock-bottom there in 2007-08, only to return in 2011-12 and become Conf South Champions in 2015-16, six points above Ebbsfleet.

Then came the Conf National return after a long absence and the 2016-17 Leeds giant-killing in the FA Cup fourth round, earning Sutton a bumper tie against Arsenal at headquarters. The 2016-17 K.O. was also revenge for a 0-6 home defeat way back in the 1969-70 season, in the fourth round. To get that far then, Sutton disposed of three fellow non-league sides. One of those were Dagenham, a predecessor to the current Dagenham & Redbridge club.

In the late 1980’s and early 1990’s, Sutton reached the FA Cup first round and beyond for something like seven seasons running. In those seasons, several league sides were slain. In 1987-88, the old Aldershot club were beaten to a 3-0 scoreline, and that was revenge for a 4-0 home defeat in 1963-64 against an Aldershot side later to dump out Aston Villa in a third round home replay. After beating Aldershot in 1987, Sutton kayoed Peterborough at their place before taking Middlesbrough to a replay in the third round. The following 1988-89 campaign was even better inasmuch as Sutton managed a classic giant-killing. The 1986-87 FA Cup winners, Coventry City, became drawn away to Sutton and crashed out big style to a 2-1 scoreline. A giant-killing often overshadowed by i.e. Wrexham against Arsenal, Yeovil against Sunderland, Hereford against Newcastle, and of course, the Stags against West Ham.

In League Two, Sutton have so far more than held their own, just like many other sides coming up from the Conf National. Sutton are among several sides in the tightest promotion and playoff race for years. Currently, they sit in tenth position, two points below Newport County with a game in hand, and five below the Stags. But Sutton, who were very close to winning the EFL Trophy recently, have lost four out of their six latest away games, among them crucially at Bristol Rovers, Swindon and most recently, Port Vale.

In their latest home fixture, the Stags set a new club record by winning their eleventh consecutive game at headquarters, setting a new EFL record by slaying Northampton due to a first-half strike. And the Stags seek revenge for the 2-0 defeat at Sutton in late November, incidentally after beating Scunthorpe at home. After the Sutton defeat in one of the worst Stags away displays this campaign, the Stags went unbeaten in fourteen League Two fixtures.

A couple of players having played for the Stags and for Sutton United have been traced, although some of them did not make a long-standing mark at the Stags. Here they are: Craig Dobson, Richard Harris, Jeffrey Monakana, Richard Pacquette, Soloman Taiwo and a current Sutton player who before the start of this season came from Altrincham. The name: Alistair Smith, who so far this season has featured in 28 Sutton League Two fixtures (four as sub), and has scored on five occasions.

Expect a tight game on Good Friday. Come on Mansfield!
Stockholm, July 4, 2008, 15.00 GMT. Good news came, K.H. gone. March 1, 2012. Ground purchased.
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