Woking 1-1 Sutton United

Enterprise National League 

Laithwaite Community Stadium

23rd September 2025

Woking hosted Sutton United at the Laithwaite with both sides desperate for three points to boost their confidence. Neal Ardley made a few changes to the side beaten by Forest Green, with Will Jaaskelainen, Chin Okoli and Jack Turner included in the starting eleven, as Tom Norcott, Tunji Akinola and Jake Forster-Caskey dropped to the bench.

Sutton lined up with two former loan Cards in their squad, as Lewis Simper started whilst Jayden Harris made the bench in Jon Meeney’s second game as caretaker manager following the departure of Steve Morison.

A low key start to the game saw nothing of note created in the first fifteen minutes, with the first opening going Woking’s way just shy of the twenty minute mark. However, Aiden O’Brien was unable to really test Jack Sims after good work down the right hand side from Harry Beautyman.

Okoli was keen to mark his return to the side in style, and after a fantastic tackle denied Simper a shot at goal after he’d stretched the Woking defence, the towering centre half would break the deadlock eight minutes before the break when a looping Jack Turner corner was nodded in at the back post as Sims couldn’t keep it out.

Sutton felt aggrieved on the stroke of half time when Jack Wadham fell inside the box after anticipating contact from Jaaskelainen, but referee Lewis Sandoe waved play away before booking the Sutton man for diving.

Half time: Woking 1-0 Sutton United

The second half began much like the first, cagey and uneventful. Woking’s first purposeful attack after 57 minutes saw the ball worked well by Jamie Andrews into the path of Tariq Hinds, whose cross was met by the boot of Kelly but there was a deflection to take it into the side netting.

Out of absolutely nothing, Sutton had an equaliser when the ball found Charlie Bell inside the box, who found the bottom corner to restore parity.

Just seconds later, a foul on Josh Kelly inside the box prompted Sandoe to point to the spot and award Woking the chance to immediately retake the lead. Beautyman’s penalty was well saved, however, as Jack Sims saved again, having made four penalty saves this calendar year.

As both sides huffed and puffed, Kelly’s self made chance saw the ball creep wide of the far post, before a Sutton corner in stoppage time nearly led to Jack Taylor scoring the winner, but he headed over.

A poor result for the Cards as Sutton picked up their first point in six games, with the difficult task of Boreham Wood away on Saturday.

 Woking: Jaaskelainen, Drewe, Okoli, Odusina, Richards, Hinds, Andrews (Tunji Akinola 75′), Beautyman, Turner, O’Brien (Sanderson 81′), Kelly (Osude 75′)

Subs not used: Norcott, Akinola, Forster-Caskey, Ward

Goals: Okoli 37′

Sutton United: Sims, Vincent (Tizzard 76′), Simper, Nadesan, Pruti, Taylor, Jones, Ogbonna (De Silva 45′), Wadham (Harris 45′), Eccleston (Njoku 60′), Bell (Crichlow 84′)

Subs not used: Azaiya, Boutin

Goals: Bell 64′