Sutton meets FA Cup end as goalkeeper devours pie

Middlesbrough were the other winners, as they stemmed a courageous fightback from Oxford United to eventually progress; they will face the victor of City’s replay with Huddersfield on February 28.

The 3G surface they will play on has transformed Sutton since Doswell had it installed at a personal cost of £500,000 18 months ago.

Sutton have earned over £1million from their FA Cup run, which saw them eliminate AFC Wimbledon and Leeds, but Doswell vowed the money would not be wasted. “I don’t know if it was at me or someone else or the referee but there was a bottle thrown, yes”, he remarked.

“It was probably the most enjoyable game of my career and it’s been the best weekend ever”. However, Arsenal had far too much for the fifth-tier side in the end and were able to see the contest out with relative ease.

Lucas Perez and Theo Walcott scored the goals to secure the north London club’s place in the FA Cup quarter-finals, where they will host another non-leauge team in Lincoln.

“We practice inside [on Friday] because we have an artificial pitch”.

“It was a dream to watch my team play against Arsenal. Secondly their enthusiasm. Thirdly that we are not ready mentally for a big fight and think subconsciously that it doesn’t matter”, Wenger said. I’ve never seen him like that before.

“As a team we would obviously like to win”.

But Arsenal will need to match Sutton’s whole-hearted commitment to this competition for the gulf in class to show – and a fixture with a non-league ground, with cramped (chocolate) changing rooms and an artificial pitch is likely to do little to inspire them out of their recent mini-slump.

Jack Jebb also spent time on Arsenal’s books, but he – like Ben Jefford and Craig Dundas – is cup-tied.

Apart from picking the ball out of his net twice, Sutton goalkeeper Ross Worner, a part-time picture framer for a sports memorabilia company who supports Arsenal, had few saves to make.

FA Cup holders Manchester United, meanwhile, are tasked with halting Premier League leaders Chelsea’s charge towards winning the double.

Chelsea will play Manchester United for a place in the semi-final of the FA Cup.

The draw is reasonably big at [8.8] and if there is to be a shock then this may be the bet as taking Arsenal to a replay would be a stunning feat for Sutton.

“But I think we couldn’t have done any more than that. I do not want to comment individually but we have lost as a team and Alexis is part of that”.

Arsenal are expected to be without centre-back Koscielny after he limped off with a hamstring injury at Bayern.

The boys’, girls’ and mental health football programmes met for a series of games at Gander Green Lane – on the same pitch the two teams will meet on tonight.