WE CAN PULL OFF MASSIVE SHOCK – TUBBS
LEEDS UNITED can consider themselves well warned: Sutton United say their plastic will be anything but fantastic for them this afternoon. In normal circumstances few would bet against the Championship giants easing through but their pitch is the one factor which givess the U’s genuine hope. Their 3G pitch has turned the modest Gander Green Lane into a fortress and has been the foundation of their best run since 1989. And U’s striker Matt Tubbs, 32, says the unnatural surface could swing things in their favour. “The pitch will be really important, that’s the thing on our side,” he said. “I’m sure Garry Monk will have his team training on it in the build up to the game but playing on 3G is a different experience. “Our record on it over the past 18 months is very, very good. The club have only lost twice on it since around this time last year, I believe, so we’re used to it and we’ve built a side who know how to play on the plastic. Sunday isn’t a foregone conclusion by any means.” The game is live on BT Sport and the National League club will make around £300,000 from the tie – money which will go towards fixing a hole in their changing room roof ! Tubbs added: “We were delighted to get through – it’s fantastic for us as a club and means we may be able to have a dry dressing room! The roof has got a hole in it and we have been getting wet. “The club needs every penny it can get and we’ve beaten the odds in every round so far so there’s no reason why we can’t pull off a massive shock.”