Sutton miss out on play-offs despite win at Harrogate

Posted Sunday, May 08, 2022 by PA

A 2-0 victory at Harrogate was not sufficient for Sutton to break into the League Two play-off places on the last day of their first season as an EFL club.

Matt Gray’s side finished the campaign in eighth, a point shy of the play-off places, after goals from Craig Eastmond and Isaac Olaofe secured victory in North Yorkshire.

They took the lead after eight minutes when Olaofe pulled the ball back from the left for Omar Bugiel, who fired a strike against the underside of the crossbar and Eastmond was quickest to react, nodding into an unguarded net.

Rory McArdle came close to equalising soon afterwards, heading George Thomson’s corner against the post.

But the visitors had the better of the first-half chances and Olaofe struck the upright from Eastmond’s clever dink.

The second period was an end-to-end affair, with Jack Diamond missing a golden opportunity to level when he was played clean through, danced around goalkeeper Dean Bouzanis but shot against a post with the goal gaping.

Olaofe’s low, deflected effort from distance then wrong-footed Joe Cracknell to wrap things up for Sutton with 12 minutes left.