Jacob Wakeling nets late as Swindon Town beat Sutton United 3-2 in League Two

Town were on course to draw their sixth game out of eight in League Two before substitute Wakeling popped up with three minutes remaining.

Former Swindon midfielder Will Randall grabbed a double at a ground he failed to score at in red and white, and that looked to be enough for United to take a point back down the M4.

But goals from Jonny Williams and Tyrese Shade set the game up to be won by Wakeling in dramatic circumstances.

Town made two changes to the side which drew 0-0 away to Gillingham last time out. Luke Jephcott came in for his home debut, and a first start to boot, as Wakeling made way. Saidou Khan also dropped out in favour of the in-form Ronan Darcy.

For Sutton, there was no space in the squad at all for Lewis Ward. Elsewhere, another former Town man - Will Randall - started in midfield. Harry Beautyman made his 300th Sutton appearance.

After a decent chance for Jephcott was turned away by Jack Rose inside the first 90 seconds, Sutton took the lead in the fourth minute through the only ex-Town player on the pitch. Donovan Wilson held off Tom Clayton down the right side of the box and slid a pass back to a completely unmarked Randall 10 yards out. He had the simple task of sliding the ball into the bottom right corner as Sol Brynn scampered across to the opposite side.

Both sides enjoyed a handful of further chances to find the net as Brynn and Rose produced their best to maintain the 1-0 scoreline until half an hour had passed.

The second goal of the game went Town’s way, and it was a horrible goalkeeping mistake that led to it. Ben Gladwin did really well to keep a loose ball alive around the edge of the box, and Shade hit it first time straight at Rose. It may have taken a deflection on the way through, but Rose allowed the ball to squirm through his legs and roll over the line.

Three minutes later, Swindon took the lead. Louis Reed crossed from the left corner of the box towards Gladwin on the right. He headed it back into the middle, and a wild swipe from Sutton captain Craig Eastmond sent the ball straight at Louis John and towards Williams via Jephcott. Williams picked his spot and curled the ball into the top right corner with his left.

But just four minutes after that, Sutton pulled back level. A swift counter-attack saw the ball break for Randall in midfield. He cut back onto his right and whipped a low strike into the bottom right corner from 25 yards to cap off a thoroughly entertaining first period.

The second began in a similar fashion, with Tom Clayton surviving a penalty shout for handball before Sutton almost re-took the lead. Josh Neufville burrowed past Blake-Tracy down the Sutton right and avoided going down to cut a ball back towards Eastmond. With the goal gaping, Eastmond drilled his shot miles over from 12 yards.

After the thoroughly-impressive Rob Milsom had seen a curling effort tipped over by Brynn shortly before the hour, Lindsey introduced Wakeling and Khan in place of Jephcott and Darcy. The move was greeted by boos and chants of: “you don’t know what you’re doing.”

Town began to grow tense and were unable to create many chances as time ticked on. Only a wildly off-target Shade effort late on troubled the statisticians.

Sutton’s Coby Rowe headed straight at Brynn inside the final five minutes, and Wakeling did similar seconds later.

But the Town substitute would not be denied for much longer. Inside six minutes of added time, a sumptuous Frazer Blake-Tracy cross from the left was touched into the net by Wakeling, and Town snatched all three points.

STFC starting XI: Brynn, Clayton, Reed, Gladwin, Williams, Darcy, Jephcott, Blake-Tracy, MacDonald (c), Lavinier, Shade.

STFC substitutes: Hutton, Baudry, Aguiar, Khan, Wakeling, Brann, Roberts.

SUFC starting XI: Rose, Rowe, John, Bugiel, Beautyman, Randall, Eastmond, Neufville, Kizzi, Milsom, Wilson.

SUFC substitutes: Barden, Boldewijn, Smith, House, Kendall, Kouassi, Thomas.

Referee: Darren Handley

Attendance: 7,589 (85)