JABO DOES A TOP JOB
SUTTON’S dream of another scorching Cup run is over after Jabo Ibehre’s strike handed 10-man Cambridge victory.
The boys from Gander Green Lane stunned Wimbledon and Leeds before finally going out to Arsenal in last season’s FA Cup fifth round.
But luck was against them at Cambridge as Shaun Derry’ men ground out a victory they just about deserved.
A rollercoaster match was defined by five mad minutes before half-time.
Dived
Cambridge’s hot-headed midfielder George Maris had already escaped with just a yellow card after a studs-up challenge on Sutton full-back Louis John.
So what Maris was thinking of when he blatantly dived under Dean Beckwith’s powder puff challenge on 40 minutes is anyone’s guess.
When referee Darren Handley sent Maris off, Cambridge looked set to become Sutton’s latest scalp.
But Ibehre pounced just before the break, mopping up after Jevani Brown’s shot cannoned back off the bar.
Ibehre hit the post in the second half as Sutton toiled to find a clinical edge.
Sutton boss Paul Doswell said: “You have to give Cambridge credit as they defended for their lives. They were like lions in the box. But if you reflect where we are today, bringing nearly 500 fans here for an FA Cup tie, then we’ve been on an amazing journey.
“We wanted to win today, but there is no disappointment at all. What happened last year took a lot out of all of us, including me.” U’s chief Derry vowed not to read errant Maris, 21, the riot act.
He said: “George will be pleased for the team but devastated for himself.
“We’ll have a chat but I had 10 or 12 red cards in my career, so maybe I can help him out with that one.”