Sutton United Under-18s continued their unbeaten start to their EFL Youth Alliance campaign with a 1-1 draw at home to Oxford United.

Joden Trickett opened the scoring early in the first half with a lovely right-footed effort, but the visitors found an equaliser in the second half after the U’s had a man sent off.

“It’s really pleasing that we can score early and it gives us something to hold onto which I think is really important,” PDP lead coach Rob Tuvey said after the match. “It’s the first time we haven’t managed do it [see the game out], but it’s a great learning curve for us to play with 10 men.”

Sutton’s fast start was instigated by Liam Moore winning a 50-50 tackle in the Oxford half, toe-poking the ball into the path on Vinnie Tume, who slid a through pass to Khyan Edwards on the righthand side. The winger’s cross was met well by Trickett, who smashed the ball past the visitors’ keeper and into the net.

The U’s were without Junior Eccleston following his call-up to the senior squad’s match against Braintree, but in his place Freddie Jamieson made a number of key interventions, not least a last-ditch sliding tackle to prevent a clean shot one-on-one for an Oxford forward towards the end of the first half.

In the second period, the Amber went down to 10 men after midfielder Charlie Bell received a second yellow card for a late challenge. Oxford rallied at this point, and a second ball into the box dropped kindly for striker Jack Lee, but Sutton keeper Charlie Fletcher showed excellent reflexes to stick out a leg and block the shot.

Unfortunately, there was little Fletcher could do to prevent Oxford’s equaliser, as a deep free-kick was headed back across goal and into the far corner by Aaron Lacey.

Despite the disappointment of conceding, the U’s battled back to try and retake the lead. Deep into stoppage time Trickett had two great opportunities in the penalty box to find the winner, but neither effort found the target, and the game finished all square.

“Towards the end we’ve created two or three chances that on another day perhaps should go in,” Tuvey continued. “But overall, I’m really pleased that we still were knocking on the door looking for the winner rather than camped on the edge of our box trying to hold onto a point.

“I’ve just told the lads – winning games of football is a tough thing to do. We’ve got to try and stack all the odds in our favour, and keeping men on the pitch certainly helps.”

Fletcher (GK), Lee, Reeves, Moore (Ruiz 52’), Urpens, Jamieson, Edwards (Milchev- Szczepaniak 88’), Bell, Tume (Vorster 62’), Trickett, Sheargold (Hepburn 80’)

Unused: Jones (GK)

Goals: Trickett 6’

Report by Cameron Wyper