The magic of the cup continued to be rubbed and relied upon and after yesterday’s games that saw Oxford and Lincoln knock out Newcastle and Brighton respectively, now it was the turn of Championship side Leeds to suffer the ignominy of defeat to lower-ranked opposition.
In truth, with a definite ‘cup line-up’ showing 10 changes from the midweek win against Nottingham Forest, it was always going to be a somewhat scrappy affair. Take nothing away from Sutton United, whilst this wasn’t anything like a vintage performance from a Leeds United side, the non-leaguers deserved every moment of their victory and a place in tomorrow’s Fifth Round draw.
In reality the game was won in midfield as a hard-working Sutton unit made Leeds’ duo of Kalvin Phillips and Matt Grimes almost anonymous to the extent that they might have well as been playing with just nine men. Ahead of them, the starting three behind lone striker Marcus Antonsson couldn’t fashion enough quality ball to mark any kind of threat – of which there was none.
Sutton started lively with the dangerous Rory Deacon probing and pushing and at the heart of most of Sutton’s early forays. They posed early threats, threaded passes together and looked the better side for most of the game, which in essence they were.
You can blame the 3G pitch, the unpredictability of bounce, you could even blame a prevailing wind and spots of rain that seemed to turn all the orange-shirted Sutton players into smudged version of a fattened Thomas Brolin on the BT Sports cameras, but it was Leeds that were seemingly playing as if they were treading water, well treading a swamp.
At the end of the day, it was an enlivened performance from Sutton and one that definitely deserved victory. For Leeds though, it was a case of the old cliché that at least they can now concentrate on the league – hopefully without the experimental line-up that ended up plaintively mental.
Leeds lose to non-league Sutton – Whites fans react on Twitter
The first sweary word in this tweet sums it up for most Leeds fans.
Fucking joke I'm fuming @LUFC IT'S SUTTON!! ID NEVER EVEN HEARD OF THEM BEFORE
— Henry (@LUFC_Henry) January 29, 2017
This fan leaves it in no uncertain terms where his finger is pointing right now.
If 'impersonating a professional footballer' was a criminal offence, Grimes would be in deep shit right now #lufc
— Jethro (@Buzzard_Stubble) January 29, 2017
At least this Leeds fan got something out of it.
The only thing I got from that game was a few cheeky Sunday afternoon pints down the local. #SilverLinings #lufc
— Steve Kinsey (@YorkshireDublin) January 29, 2017
There’s more than a sense of warning in this tweet from Leeds fan Chris.
would rather seen a strong team and build momentum again for weds ..if we lose weds was all the embarrassment worth it #lufc
— Chris O (@chrisolf) January 29, 2017
Leeds fan Pete says it was obvious eyes were elsewhere but has those congratulations that opponents Sutton deserve.
We weren't interested from kick off, that's why we made 10 changes, but fair play to Sutton. #concentrateonleague #lufc #mot #alaw
— Pete MOT (@pete1977) January 29, 2017
It’s this reply that echoes the above quote and names the performance as an incentive for Blackburn on Wednesday.
https://twitter.com/JakkLUFC/status/825736150056837120
This sense of feeling is just what most Leeds fans are feeling after what they’ve just witnessed.
What have I witnessed… pathetic effort from @LUFC modern pampered players have no idea how to scrap against the semi-pro's, ashamed…
— Al Shottz (@shottzmachine) January 29, 2017
Strong words from Peter here, strong words indeed.
https://twitter.com/Peter_Ellis1900/status/825736067936636929
Begrudgingly, but rightly so, this Leeds fan realises that Sutton United do deserve recognition for knocking Leeds United out of the FA Cup.
Fair play to Sutton. They deserved it. #mot #lufc now let's focus on the league.
— ed – we're not famous anymore (@_ed19) January 29, 2017
Even if it was a diluted United side, you can only play against what is put in front of you. Sutton did that, Leeds didn’t – plain and simple. Sutton deserve the plaudits, the headlines and the column inches. They went out there, on the biggest day the club has likely seen in many a year and played as a team. Good on them, long may this be the spirit in which they continue to play.