The woefully incompetent Liam Cooper was sent off late in the day as a much-changed Leeds United side suffered an ignominious defeat at the hands of Vanarama National League outfit Sutton United at Gander Green Lane in the FA Cup.

An assured, and eventually decisive second-half penalty on the part of captain Jamie Collins sent the home crowd into euphoric raptures as Sutton, who languish in 16th position in the fifth tier of English football, stunned an almost indiscriminately selected Leeds United team that featured debutants such as Paul McKay and Billy Whitehouse.

The hosts, who remain the lowest ranked team in this season’s edition of the superannuated competition, were vastly the superior force in this match, with their industrious and workmanlike display when out of possession winning effusive plaudits not just from those who comprised the sell-out crowd that packed the dilapidated stadium to the rafters, but also, (allegedly) neutral pundits associated with the assembled press.

Following this, their most esteemed day since that aggrandized success over Coventry, Paul Doswell’s side join Lincoln City in the hat for the draw to determine the schedule of the fifth round. For Garry Monk and Leeds United, focus shifts firmly to a potentially fateful clash with relegation contenders Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park on Wednesday evening.

Team Lineups

Sutton United (4-4-2) - Worner; Amankwaah, Downer, Collins, Spence; Biamou, Eastmond (Traore 90+1’), Bailey, May; Gomis, Deacon.

Unused Substitutes: John, Tubbs, Fitchett, Monakana, Tubbs, Shaw.

Leeds United (4-4-2) - Silvestri; Coyle, McKay, Cooper (Red 82’), Denton; Whitehouse (Roofe 73’), Grimes, Phillips, Dallas (Sacko 57’); Antonsson, Doukara (Wilks 64’).

Unused Substitutes: Peacock-Farrell, Vann, Ayling, Vieira.

First-Half

The visitors began proceedings with Swedish striker Marcus Antonsson setting the ball into motion to kick the match off.

Sutton, whom many had revised their views on upon viewing, through gnashed teeth, a substantially weakened Leeds United side, made a sprightly start to the match. This was wonderfully epitomized by an abrasive sliding challenge on Craig Eastmond’s part that left Swansea loanee Matt Grimes limping in a gingerly fashion.

Just moments after that, an act lauded by the majority of supporters that populated Gander Green Lane, the hosts had the ball in the net on six minutes. Fleet-footed winger Roarie Deacon, who had scored in each of the competition’s previous rounds prior to this match, seized upon a lofted ball over the top that sailed above the despairing Liam Cooper, before superbly lashing the ball past Marco Silvestri with his weaker foot. However, the manic celebrations of the home supporters were premature; as the linesman on the far side adjudged Deacon to have been in an offside position.

Some seven minutes elapsed before Deacon would come excruciatingly close to a ninth goal of what has been a highly productive campaign for the former Arsenal trainee since joining Sutton from Crawley last summer. The winger unleashed a venomous right-footed shot that hurtled toward the top-right corner, only for a defiant Marco Silvestri to tip the ball around his post for a corner kick, producing a majestic one-handed save in the process.

The next chance of note would not arise until the 28th minute, when Deacon, who’d been a thorn in the side of the Leeds United defence throughout the first-half, surged into the penalty area before seeing a low effort blocked by Liam Cooper. Subsequently, the ball fell to Bedsente Gomis, who sharply followed up on the rebound only for Silvestri to, rather fortuitously, maintain parity of the scoreline with his backside.

Only a matter of seconds passed before the visitors conjured up their first, and only, chance of the half. Young left-back Tyler Denton, who was making just his second appearance for Leeds since signing a professional contract in August, played a precise ball into Stuart Dallas who saw a lobbed effort saved by Sutton ‘keeper Ross Worner, formerly of Charlton.

That would prove to be the final act of prominence in what was a goalless first-half.

HT - Sutton United 0-0 Leeds United

A resilient and coherent Sutton, possessed of several players with previous experience in the Football League such as Craig Eastmond and Nicky Bailey, enjoyed the better of the first-period and were only denied a slender advantage by heroics on the part of visiting goalkeeper Marco Silvestri.

Second-Half

The sides emerged from the break unchanged, with Sutton beginning second-half proceedings as Leeds had begun those of the first.

Youthful winger Billy Whitehouse, incidentally fresh from a loan spell in the National League with Guiseley, produced a positive, practical piece of play during the early flickers of second-half action in the 53rd minute. The wide-man cut in from the right before unleashing a low shot that deflected off Sutton stalwart Simon Downer for a corner, which consequently amounted to zilch after Kevin Amankwaah hoodwinked the referee into believing that he’d been felled by Souleymane Doukara just seconds after the ball was delivered into the box.

A minute passed by before the hosts were presented with a glorious opportunity to establish a slender lead over their Championship counterparts. Maxime Biamou darted into the penalty area to latch onto a lofted pass from Nicky Bailey before being felled by an erratic combination of Lewie Coyle and Marco Silvestri. After much deliberation, referee Stuart Attwell elected to award a spot-kick to the home side, which was duly converted by captain Jamie Collins, with copious amounts of composure. With 54 minutes plated

The remainder of the match saw Sutton defend stoutly, keeping an impotent visiting attack at bay while outmuscling the more youthful members of Garry Monk’s side. Liam Cooper, who sported the armband on the day, rather abstractly encapsulate his side’s dismal display with an ill-judged foul on Gomis in the 82nd minute, receiving a second yellow card of the match and an early bath.

Though added-time was a drawn-out period of anxiety for the home spectators, Sutton negotiated it with admirable courage, to record a richly deserved and historic victory that will live perpetually in the minds of their supporters.

FT - Sutton United 1-0 Leeds United - Collins (54’)

A euphoric day of unadulterated ecstasy for Sutton United and their faithful band of vehement supporters, but a day reminiscent of Histon for Leeds. It was a perfunctory performance by the much-changed Whites, who were justly, and unceremoniously dumped out of the competition by the superior side. For all their possession, the visitors were ponderous and prosaic, with Stuart Dallas spurning the only clear chance that they created in the game’s entirety. Focus must now shift to Wednesday’s battle with Blackburn, after the pitifully exaggerated grandeur of Transfer Deadline Day on Tuesday evening. One must hope that with the intolerable presenting of Jim White will come forth new additions to the playing side, though the prospects of that eventuating appear depressingly bleak at this time.

The inefficacious performances of Stuart Dallas, Matt Grimes, Marcus Antonsson, Kalvin Phillips, and Liam Cooper, will only serve to reinforce the quite valid notion that suggests the playing squad at Elland Road requires fresh impetus in the form of new signings. Whether the egocentric hierarchy that control the club will subscribe to that assertion however, is an entirely divergent matter.

Man Of The Match

Billy Whitehouse

The 20 year-old’s performance was nothing more than a mediocre display. But mediocrity surpasses hapless incompetence. The winger, formerly of Doncaster, completed the vast majority of his passes successfully and threatened on occasion with direct, yet not by any means penetrative running. It was a solid debut, but it is highly probable that his departure from the field of play in the 73rd minute was valedictory and he will likely never feature for the first-team again.

Media: A sullen Garry Monk and an elated Paul Doswell

Leeds United’s Garry Monk, speaking to the BBC:

"It was a very frustrating performance, but it's my responsibility and I take it on the chin," said manager Garry Monk.

"I'm the one who picks the team. I made a lot of changes and it didn't work. It backfired. We're doing very well in the league. We have to get the balance right.

"Maybe it was one step too far. One change too many, but credit to Sutton, it's a fantastic result for them. We wish them good luck in the next round."

Sutton boss Paul Doswell, also speaking to the BBC:

"I can't praise the players enough. We deserved to win, it wasn't a lucky 1-0 win," he told BBC Radio 5 live.

"I feel sorry for Garry Monk to a certain extent because his eyes have to be on the Premier League. I totally get that.

“The changes he made weren't perhaps the quality of his starting XI, but what a fantastic achievement.”

Match Statistics and Facts

Stats - (Sutton/Leeds)

Possession - 32% / 68%

Shots - 11 / 7

On Target - 5 / 3

Corners - 4 / 4

Fouls - 14 / 12

Referee - Stuart Attwell

Booked - Bailey, Deacon (Sutton). Denton, Cooper (x2), Sacko (Leeds).

Attendance - 4,997

Writer’s Verdict

An insipid, and woefully abject display. The vast number of changes made by Garry Monk should not detract from the uncomfortable reality of this, an abasing chastening broadcast to the watching millions across the country on live television. The standing of this football club has diminished somewhat as a direct consequence, and I’d have to regard anybody who didn’t feel the slightest tinge of remorse when that final whistle was blasted on to call time on the match as being an illegitimate supporter of this club.

The performance only serves to reinforce the case for fresh additions plucked ripe from the January market, but with the conclusion of the transfer window rapidly approaching, it is preposterous to presume that any marquee signings will be proudly displayed in front of the cameras on Transfer Deadline Day, or indeed, Monday. Following the inevitable, and ashen disappointment that we will experience on Tuesday, focus shifts firmly to a vitally crucial clash with Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park, a game in which I hope Garry and his charges can avenge this insufferably nauseating defeat.

Credence to Sutton. Their performance merits much praise. But defeat to a non-league club on a modern, 3G playing surface is inexcusable. I’m of the view that the coaching staff will have learned a great deal about the desultory attitudes of the majority of those players who disgraced our fabled shirt out there today, and hopefully, I’ll never have to bear the misfortune of observing them attempt, in a pitifully futile manner, to play football to a standard that is satisfactory to the expectations of us, the supporters.

Photo: Action Images

TimWhelan added 22:25 - Jan 29 The most annoying thing is that even if Monk wanted to give a few players a rest, there were some he left out who haven't played that much in the last few weeks. O'Kane could have played, and Jannson had a break while serving his two match ban. Even Vieira could have been used, having only played for part of each of the last two games. Such a young side was always going to be lightweight against an experienced side who were well up for the biggest game of their careers. And Monk must have worked out by now that Antonsson hasn't the physical presence to play as a lone striker.

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