SUTTON READY TO SELL THEIR FA CUP HEROES

SpursSpu must make WembleyWe home … or it will cost them DEACON AND EASTMOND IN SHOP WINDOW AND CHAIRMAN ELLIOTT WON’T STAND IN THEIR WAY

FA CUP heroes Sutton United are resigned to losing some of their best players this summer.

The National League side lost 2-0 to Premier League giants Arsenal last night at their Gander Green Lane ground but had the support of all neutrals as they exited the famous old trophy at the fifth-round stage.

But afterwards, Sutton chairman Bruce Elliott said that striker Roarie Deacon, who rattled the Arsenal bar with a fierce second-half drive, and midfielder Craig Eastmond are likely to move on at the end of the season.

Both players were at Arsenal earlier in their careers and Elliott, whose club are struggling at the wrong end of the National League table, said: “There have been a lot of clubs looking at the two of them. I suspect either, or both of them, will get the opportunity to progress and we are very happy about that.

“I don’t know the size of fee, but we don’t want to stand in their way. If the club benefits and it’s a good deal for them, then it will happen.”

Meanwhile, Elliott today revealed the club made £1million from their FA Cup run and will have talks with Paul Doswell (below) soon about repaying the £500,000 loan the manager made to the club so that they could have their 3G artificial pitch installed.

Doswell provided the loan on an interest-free basis, but Elliott told Standard Sport: “I alwaysays said that when we’re out of the Cupup that we will count the money, gett the board together and we will sit down with a pint quietly and go throughugh it all.

“We have been too busyy to count it all but we estimate that we have made about £1m and alll of it will be reinvested into the club.

“There will be variousous points of view from differ-erent directors to what is aa priority, but clearly whatat is very near, if not at the top, is to discuss withh Paul what he wants too do about the loan he made us.

“It was originally set up as a 10-year plan for us and that will clearly now be brought forward. We will have a discussion and whatever he wants to do, we shall do.”

Sutton captain Jamie Collins believes they and National League rivals Lincoln have helped bring the magic back to the FA Cup with their remarkable run.

Arsenal’s victory last night set up a quarter-final tie against the Imps — the firstfirs non-League team to reachre that stage of the competition for 103 years — and Collins said: “Ourselvess and Lincoln have broughtb the magic back tot the FA Cup.

“We are disappointed to loselos the game but when we reflectrefle on it in a couple of days wew will be proud of what we hahave done because it has been a fantastic achievement.men

“PremierP League and even ChampionshipCha teams can disrespectdis the FA Cup a littlelit bit and put out their kids.k But from League One down to non-League and well below us, it is a massive competition.

“We really hope that LincolnLi get to the semifinalsfin now. That would be unbelievable.”un