Buoyant Sutton come to Walsall looking up at the play-offs

The Surrey-based club were playing in National South only eight years ago but have moved up the ranks rapidly since then.

Currently they are five points off Bradford City who occupy the final play-off spot, albeit having played one game more than the Bantams.

Last weekend they drew 0-0 with Mansfield Town and they are two points behind the Stags.

Manager Matt Gray is another one who had an unremarkable playing career at Barnet, Hayes and Havant & Waterlooville before retiring through injury at 25.

But after spells as assistant at Eastleigh and Aldershot he came to Sutton in December 2018 as a coach and took over from Paul Doswell as the boss in April the following year.

He led them to promotion in the 2020-21 season and an eighth place finish in their first season in the Football League.

Of their draw at Mansfield, Gray said: “It was a good point here. We got a clean sheet and looked very solid, organised and hard to beat.

“I don’t remember our keeper having a save to make. But on the flip side we probably haven’t worked their keeper as much as we’d have liked.”

But Sutton did suffer injury problems in the game with striker David Ajiboy dislocating his thumb and defender Riley Harbottle suffering a head injury – both are doubtful for the game at Walsall

In the corresponding fixture in October, Walsall drew 1-1 at Sutton with Jacob Maddox on target.